CTFishTalk.com: Arh Arh Time Again - Connecticut Saltwater Reports ( CT Saltwater Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

My dad and I hit the turn of the tide at the Reef Thursday evening. I was the first to get into the water around 6:30pm.

I started by throwing a purpledescent FLR-10 on the Norwalk side facing the Shark Bar. No Luck.

Went over to the Bridgeport side by the flats near Penfield Beach and walked out enough to get into some deeper water. That's when my dad arrived in the same area and threw a Cotton Cordell pencil popper.

I was hitting bottom with the FLR-10 so I switched over to a flake blue sardine Max Rap MXR-11 which only had 1 hit.

While still in the flats, I decided to switch over to a olive green Clackin Minnow CNM-9 and do a slashbait retrieve with short half to one and half second pauses.

That retrieve with the Clackin Minnow had the arh arh fish going crazy throughout the evening. I hit 2 including 1 short 13" fluke at the flats.

My dad switched over to a silver blue Rebel Minnow around 5" long but didn't hit anything on a slow or steady retrieve. He then worked his way farther out on the Reef.

As the tide got higher and it was getting closer to sunset, I switched over to a chrome SP-9 and worked it on the Bridgeport side just past the area of the Reef that usually goes underwater first. Had a few small explosions and lost 1 fish. Nothing much was happening with topwater no matter what the retrieve was so I switched back over to the Clackin Minnow.

By the time it was closer to 9pm, my dad and I headed in.

On the way in, I asked a fisherman who was working the shallow flats how he was doing. Right as I asked him that I saw him land a fish. He was hitting tiny taylors and schoolies no bigger than 12" on a small popper. I had a feeling that's what was hitting my Skitter Pop because the explosions I had were too light for a regular bluefish.

Total for the evening was me with around 10 sea robins and 1 short 13" fluke all with the CNM-9.My dad didn't get a single swirl or hit with his bigger topwaters and plugs.

The trick I had going with the Clackin Minnow was after casting, give it a hard jerk and then give it a short pause for the slow sinking action. Repeat that step with an occasional 2 to 3 hard jerks at once. Most arh arh fish I caught and the fluke each came right as I'd jerk again after the pause and they'd have the rear hook in their mouth.

Lamar · Joined: 31 Jul 2012 Posts: 21

Nice report. Friend of mine brought me down around 8 or so and we fished until ten or so. I stuck to a 1oz buccal which landed me a hand full of sea robins, but that was about it. Ice stocked up on a few Rapalas, and going my waders, so if definitely like to get back down there.

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

Feel free to send me a PM so we can set something up

GKolyagin · Joined: 28 Jul 2012 Posts: 67

im interested too, got waders now Very Happy

Cd662 · Joined: 03 Mar 2012 Posts: 91

Where are all the big bass Mike? I'll trade those sea robins for bass any day. Also to date, I've never heard anyone but you call a sea robin an "arh arh" fish, Well, keep catching them; maybe they'll get sore lips and swim away. Laughing

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport