[JSR0311]

Going to vist my inlaws in essex and would love to get in some surf fishing in the old saybrook area. Anyone have an thoughts on a good place to do some light wading?

[sonamcobain]

I also really wanted to fish there. I saw on tv a show they did like on july 22 where they were fishing under a bridge but very close to the pier and they were catching strippers like crazy, They were using fake eel, rigged texas style. Incase you go can you let me know of the spot and how it went.

[Just4fun]

I've seen some people wade the flat in front of the DEP dock on the Old Lyme side of the river,..but that's usually only a low-tide kinda thing and you'd have to choose a time when there are little or no people fishing from the dock! That's really the only place I can think of unless you just go off one of the coastal beaches at night! It's just not a great area for fishing without a boat.

Having said that,..there is a report of someone catching a 50" striper from shore last week at Saybrook Point,...so you never know! Your best bet would be to buy some bait at River's End Tackle in Old Saybrook and ask the guys in there where to go!
_________________
"If people concentrated more on the really important things in life there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."
Mark

[JSR0311]

...

[JSR0311]

I decided to give the DEP pier a try over in Old Lyme. I arrived arond 3:00am, low tide was 3:30. I thought I'd catch any potential bite as the tide turned. As I was setting up my first eel I began to hear a few pops here and there, so I decided to throw a few plugs first. I went through a small popper, a bucktail and a few small shallow swimming plugs, nothing. The ran came in fierce and I decided to go grab some coffee. Got back to the pier at 3:45 and gave eels a try on a 7/0 circle hook straight up through the jaw and out the skull. Got one hit, assuming it was a blue because only half the eel came back. Laced up another and worked the 90 degree corner towards the end. Still hearing pops every few minutes including one huge one, I remained hopefully despite the periodic rain. Unfortunately I came up empty handed. A family crabbing came in around 6 and some old salt who brought in a shopping cart with 5 rods and a huge cooler came in and asked if he could throw a chunk of bunker out in at the corner, the same one I was at. I decided to work some plugged up and down the corner, he ended up throwing in three lines while I wasn't looking. I figured I was done anyway.

Seems promising for future reference, but I could see it getting crowded on the weekends during daylight. I'd stick to night when the tide turns. Good luck to anyone heating out there. I might be back in the fall.

[bowhunter095]

I was just at Rivers End and it says that 50" striper came underneath the baldwin bridge

[JustinSolak]

The DEP pier can be a hot spot for blues if you're there at the right time. The "pops" you hear are probably shad or bunker. I ran into loads of em a few weeks ago. Snagged one but they were just outta reach. That night there was something harrassing them. Big time.

Man I wish i had brought the boat instead
_________________
...of all the liars among mankind, the fisherman is the most trustworthy.

Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught.

[mustang11]

I used to fish and crab at the DEP pier all the time before I got my boat. It was hit or miss. Some times the action was good and others it was really quiet. Schools of fish seem to move through real fast toward the mouth of the river. At least with a boat you can keep up with them.

The two down sides in my opinion were the crowds on weekends and the number of spots you can get snagged on debris near the bridge. The south near the corner is good but as you mentioned it can also get crowded.

Brian