Sharks—Good Fishing or Bum Rap?

No, it just has to be a plain ‘ole bottom-feeding shark that will take a liking to a juicy chunk of fresh bait. It could be a common sand shark, spiny dogfish, or something with some teeth like a sand tiger that occasionally cruise our shallow waters. Although sharks indigenous to Long Island Sound are generally small, some blues have been known to exceed 12 feet—a rarity.

If your imagination runs wild, an oversized meat hook could be baited and tossed over the side of a dock with a couple of barrel floats at the ready. But more realistically, a shock leader, length of 60- to 80-pound wire, and an 8/0 circle or octopus hook will do the job just fine. After all, we’re only looking for fish from three to six feet and, in some cases, even smaller.

The sun has long since disappeared and the sweltering mid-summer heat has warmed the Sound to ideal shark temperature. It’s near midnight and all is quiet save the slurping of waves sweeping across the shoal and gently stretching toward the beach. As the tide floods and brings the water level high enough for predators to navigate the troughs, life underneath the surface comes alive.

A chum slick seemingly attracts some fish and shadows picked up from the moon’s rays appear closer to shore. Periodically the rod tips flex, probably from a crab pecking at the bait or small fish tapping away. You know sooner or later what’s going to happen, so let’s get right into it! “Click, click, click…” sounds the reel before the clicker ratchet sounded like one long screech.

Eyes widen and mouths open as this youngster grips the rod butt oh-so-tightly. He’s caught schoolie bass, snappers, and harbor blues before, but now, all sights are on his first shark. The rod goes down and, initially, the hit could have come from a large striper—something to brag about. But to this young angler, that would have been a disappointment ‘cause tonight is shark night!

Soon the run is over and then ensues a tug of war. Hopes grow as something below begins to roll and zigzag over and over again. There’s no mistake. This is to be his first shark ever and, as it turns out, not his last. Caught was a Squalus acanthias, otherwise known as a spiny dogfish. A spine at the base of each dorsal fin, white spots on the body, and lack of an anal fin unmistakably identifies this critter. It was a whole three feet long. Now, that was something to brag about!

Somehow, catching a shark draws attention. Rarely does anyone praise these bottom dwellers but they’re quick to headline close encounters and so-called “attacks.” So I guess there’s a macho connotation attached to fighting and landing one of these toothy critters. From a pure fishing point of view, they do put up quite a battle, test an angler’s skill and stamina, and, as an aside, provide good medical research. They’re also kinda cool. Catch and release your first shark this summer—that’ll be cool, too.

On the Water

Excellent fishing weather held through the week with scattered thunderstorms easing in Sunday, bringing short blasts of early morning thunder and lightning. Undaunted, anglers hit the shore waiting for a break, hoping fish would turn on when the tide tripped. They weren’t disappointed.

Bluefish methodically pushed in the bunker and chopped away, while stripers fed on the outskirts of channels. This was the pattern for much of the earlier part of the week when the weather was mostly hot and humid. Not overly cramped, the local reefs, nevertheless, got a workout. There were plenty of bluefish feeding on menhaden although to the naked eye, several schools appeared unthreatened. Down below, the scene was much different.

The water column held a very busy field of activity. Darting here and there, holding along reefs, cruising the edges of shoals, and surfacing for easy pickings, predator fish fed. From mouthfuls to tiny tidbits, there was competition for food. That led to an array of baits used successfully on a variety of fish. For some anglers, it’s been a virtual field day, yet others were mystified.

Stripers were most active at either end of the day when heat and light were at minimum intensities, while bluefish made their presence known during daylight hours. Look to Southwest, Charles, and Faulkner’s. Weakfish catches were up as were seabass, while porgy/scup pounders caught their limits with ease. Fluke are settling in with catches being mixed from just short to doormats. For many, the fluke season has been good so far. Six Mile, Long Sand Shoal, Hammonasset, and Cinder Bottom have been productive spots. Several decent fish have also been caught from shore during flood tides including from the banks of tidal rivers.

Blue crabs are in the East River with scattered schools of hickories and good runs of schoolie stripers. More anglers are now popp’n for snappers in the harbor, along the shore, and several stretches of this key tidal river and others. Look for the action to increase as more bait is driven in and bluefish block the exits.      

Note: Captain Morgan’s is accepting registrations for WICC and Captain Morgan’s Bluefish Contest scheduled for Aug. 23 and 24. First prize is $25,000 with 20 opportunities to win money, plus port prizes and additional in-house prizes. 

When fishing Long Island Sound, think Captain Morgan’s for all things fishy including gear, bait, flies/flyfishing, rod/reel repair, clam/crabbing supplies, and licenses. Swing by the shop (203-245-8665) open seven days located at 21 Boston Post Road, Madison. Until next time from your Connecticut shoreline’s full-service fishing outfitter where we don't make the fisherman, we make the fisherman better...   

Tight Lines,

Captain Morgan