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Latest Bites - August 2019
Get your 2019 Fishing Licenses  online anytime .  100% of your investment in licenses, tags, permits, and stamps comes to the Bureau of Natural Resources in support of Fisheries and Wildlife programs. 

FREE Fishing License Day #2:  The second and final free fishing license day for 2019 is August 10, 2019.  Anyone can fish for free after obtaining their one-day Free Fishing License.  Get yours online.

Saltwater Fishing Day:  Saturday, August 10, 2019 is our annual Saltwater Fishing Day.  Held at Fort Trumbull State Park in New London from 10 am to 3 pm, this FREE event is the perfect time to come out and learn to fish for some of CT's favorite saltwater fish.  All equipment and bait is provided for use during the event.  CARE certified fishing instructors will be on hand to provide mentoring and one-on-one instruction.    
Outdoor Cooking Expo
Got FISH & GAME?  Come join CT DEEP's Fisheries and Wildlife Division and various partners on August 25 from 11 am to 3 pm at the Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area (351 Milford Street), Burlington, as we showcase some great ways to cook a delicious meal from fish and wildlife readily available to you here in CT.    
TIPs of the Month!
Blue Crab  fishing is a perfect family activity during August.  All that is needed is a net, some string, and bait.  A quick stop at the local market for some chicken legs or wings and you are in business.  Everyone seems to have their own favorite way to crab, some prefer to use traps and others the hand line method.  Either way or both work great.  The hand line method is a bit more challenging as the crabs engage in a tug of war.  Check out the DEEP Blue Crab fact sheet for more information.  No license is required and there is no daily limit (but please only take what you can use).  A keeper hardshell crab will be at least 5 inches (tip of spike to tip of spike) and softshell crabs must be at least 3 1/2 inches.  Egg bearing females must be released upon capture.  
Northern Pike  are the largest freshwater predator Connecticut has to offer.  Pike are currently cruising the transitions from deeper water to the shallows.  Find these areas by working the outside edges of aquatic vegetation.  Some tips to land one of these monsters include using large plastic swimbaits, rapalas, live minnows or white suckers for bait. These are big fish with teeth - so keep your tackle on the heavy side using a strong monofilament or steel leader! 
FISHING SPOT OF THE MONTH
Sandy Brook in Colebrook, CT is a place like no other here in CT.  Cutting its way through the northwest corner, Sandy Brook looks more like a mountain stream in Vermont or New Hampshire, then CT.  The stream starts just over the state line in Sandisfield, MA and flows about 12 miles where it meets the Still River and West Branch Farmington River in Barkhamsted.  A large part of Sandy Brook is readily accessible within the Alqonquin State Forest as it parallels with Sandy Brook Road.  Each spring it is stocked with trout, where many can still be found well into the summer months hiding within the many deep pockets of water behind large boulders.  Sandy Brook is well worth a day trip - pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the scenery.
YOUTH FISHING PASSPORT - SUMMER ACTIVITIES
With school out for the summer, now is the perfect time to get or renew the Youth Fishing Passport for your budding fisher-folk under the age of 16.  The Fishing Challenge and Geo-catching are two year-long fun filled fishing challenges to fill your summer with quality family time.  Download your fishing challenge scorecard and get catching! 
Youth Fishing Passport
Land Your Family on the 2020 Fishing Guide Cover
We are currently looking for the best "Family Fishing" photo for the cover of the 2020 CT DEEP Fishing Guide.  Please visit our web page for  contest details.  Photos to contend for the cover should be high resolution, colorful, and represent the great fishing Connecticut has to offer.  We especially want to see the family together as a group in the photo.  Email your entries to deep.inland.fisheries@ct.gov 
2019 Fishing Guide in Espanol
The Fishing Guide for 2019 has been printed in Spanish and is now available at many locations around the state or online.
This Month's Mystery Fish 
Email your guess to DEEP.inland.fisheries@ct.gov 
The Trout and Salmon Stamp
With approval by the Legislative Regulations Review Committee on February 27, 2018, Connecticut has a Trout and Salmon Stamp.  100% of the money invested in this stamp is guaranteed to support fisheries programs.  Please visit our FAQ page or email deep.inland.fisheries@ct.gov with questions.  A summary is provided below.

Anyone age 16 or older including everyone who is age 65 or older who chooses to do one or both of the following must purchase a trout and salmon stamp:

1. FISH in one of the following areas:  Trout Park, Trout Management Area, Wild Trout Management Area, or a Broodstock Atlantic Salmon Area.

2. HARVEST (keep) trout, Kokanee Salmon, or Atlantic Salmon anywhere in the state (except for waters stocked at no expense to the state).

The fee is $5.00 for age 18 and older and $3.00 for those 16-17.  The stamp is good for the calendar year (expires on December 31).

The Trout and Salmon Stamp will print on your fishing license as an additional privilege.
Mystery Fish Revealed
Last month's  Mystery Fish  was a Striped Sea Robin (Prionotus evolans).  Sea robins have long been thought of as a villainous bait stealer while people fish the bottom for other saltwater species like Summer Flounder, Black Sea Bass, and Porgy.  Sea robins are easily distinguished by the very large pectoral fins that almost look like wings.  Some other interesting features of the Sea Robin are the chin whiskers, very bony head, and the croaking sound often heard while removing the hook.

Contrary to popular thought, the Sea Robin is a very tasty fish with a sweet and mild flavor.  Sea Robin are very common in Long Island Sound, easily caught from boat or shore wherever there is a sandy bottom.  Try squid, clams, sandworms, and even small Kastmasters (slow retrieve along the bottom) to entice these beautiful looking fish to bite.
License Fees Fund Hunting & Fishing Programs

Each time you purchase a license your contribution goes to support hunting, fishing, and open space right here in CT. 

So, the next time you see a bald eagle, harvest a white-tail, pheasant, or turkey, or catch a brown trout or striped bass, give yourself and your fellow sportsmen a pat on the back!

You are making a difference and we thank you for your support!
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