June 2025

"The purpose of this organization shall be to promote, protect and preserve the surfcasting tradition, in its many forms, along our coasts...

CSA Bylaws, Article II. Purposes

Fish Fish Fish Fish Fish!

[intransitive] go fishing to spend time fishing for pleasure, Let's go fishing this weekend.

Contents:

President's Letter

Meeting Notes

CSA Swag

Club Contests

New Fish Contest

Fishing Pictures

Conservation

June Cuttyhunk

RiSAA Tournament

June Skies

President’s Letter

Greetings Connecticut Surfcasters,

It is an honor to have been considered for the position of president. I would like to thank Mike Simko for his role the past 2 years. He has a way of working with people at a professional level that is invaluable to the club, and I am grateful that he has chose to resume the position of secretary. Our West Haven searobin… er uhm, I mean weakfish trip had a great turnout, due greatly to his people skills and working with West Haven police department. While I only saw 2 weakfish caught, by Paul Stamos and Justin Innes, rods stayed bent with searobins anyway you wanted em. And a couple schoolies.

There are still open spots for this June's Cuttyhunk trip. If you are interested in going get a check to Jim Savage ASAP.

This month we return to the Surf Club in Madison. The meeting will be a member led discussion on what’s in their bags to increase the odds of finding better fish. July will be our club picnic, however, it will be held on the 2nd Wednesday, July 9th, due to fireworks being held on July 2nd.

Last and most importantly, go fish. The season is upon us! Although it’s a nice balmy 50 degrees as I write this. We made it through yet another winter, and there’s some better migratory fish out there. May into early June is one of my favorite parts of the season. From freshwater rivers, tiny creeks, back bays to open surf. They could be anywhere. Squid, river herring, bunker, American and hickory shad, silversides, cinder worms, and in recent years some mackerel, give us a smorgasbord of venues and techniques to catch them.

Tight lines,

Steve

CSA June Meeting June 4, 7 PM at the Surf Club in Madison

"What's In Your Bag" - presented by Club Members

For June we're gonna call on several members to show us what they're carrying around in those bags they're toting around. Frequent names from the "Top 10" list including Steve Hasselbacher, Greg McNamara, Joe Esposito, Steve Gressak and Mike Mullen will share what they are carrying and why. There's probably more than a hundred years of surfcasting knowledge in this top notch group. This will be an informal style talk and open to questions and sharing from the audience. Members are encouraged to bring their bags to display at the break.

Based on the last two months, 2025 looks it's going to differ from the last few seasons. The average size of stripers is up while the quantities are down. In the Sound, there's more and larger sandeels, mackerel and squid closer to shore, bunker are scarcer while shad and herring are up. There's going to be less competition among fish to eat your offerings and more casts between hookups. In short, what's on the end of your leader will be more important.

As always guests and the public are welcome at the meeting.

I also meant to report on a recent CSA Club outing where 4 members made the effort to go fishing together at the Grey House near White Sand Beach in Old Lyme. The water was clear and certainly looked fishy, but all we got were a couple of good hits and no fish. But we were glad to be out on the water, while the rest of you stayed home a had to listen to your spouses telling you what to do and maybe even your screaming kids yelling at you. Good enough for you. You may want to think about coming along the next time we have an outing.

Renew Your Fishing License - portal.ct.gov › ctoutdoorlicenses

CSA Apparel

CSA neon green knit caps and a selection of CSA bill caps

will be available at the May meeting.

Club Contests

Striper a Month 2025

Each year CSA runs a year long contest to see who can catch a striped bass in the 12 month period between December of the previous year and November of the current year. The following members have managed to catch at least one bass a month from December 2024 through May 2025.

Jim Munson

Liam Rosati

High Hooks and Top 10

High Hook Rules are as follows:

1. Fish must be caught from shore or surf, with both feet planted on Terra Firma.

2. The High Hook club tournament generally runs from the first Sunday following Thanksgiving for a period of one year.

3. Overall length, measured from the tip of the lip, to the end of the tail, is used to determine the winner. Weight is optional and not used to determine a winner.

4. Entries must be reported by the first membership meeting following the catch.

5. Entries can be sent to Mike Mullen at mike@highhooklures.com or the current Club President via email or submitted in writing at the next club meeting.

Monthly Fish Contest

Starting at the June meeting, the club has created an interesting contest. A frugal (cheap) award will be given to the member who catches the longest striped bass between the meetings. Each contest starts at the current meeting and ends at the start of the next one. July meeting. The next contest period runs to the break of the August meeting and so on for each period between meetings.

All members are eligible but the fish slip must be given to the club secretary by the member who caught it before the meeting break, winner will be announced and awarded the prize. Contest runs monthly for the year.

Fine print rules

Contest is for the longest striped bass, all members in good standing are eligible

Contest runs for the period between each meeting

Entrants must present in person a slip with their name, date caught and lenght to the club secretary or the secretaries staff before the break

Measure to the nearest 1/4". In case of a tie, equally frugal prizes will be awarded

Winner will be announced just before the break

Fishing Pictures

Paul Stamos with a West Haven Weakfish

Brian Mawdsley caught a nice bass on a fly

Well here's a new one. 23" tog on a super strike darter. Do we even have an artificial category for tog? All the years I spent fishing for them in the same area and never got one that big. 12lbs. Steve H.

44" bass caught by Steve H.

47" bass caught by Mike M.

What Does CSA’s Conservation Chairman Do?

On May 19-21st I went down to DC with a small group of people to advocate for appropriations for NOAA, with an emphasis on NOAA Fisheries (also known as National Marine Fisheries Service). In doing so, I was representing the interests of The Connecticut Surfcasters Association, recreational and commercial fisheries and the resources and habitats, themselves.

The group I worked with included Dave Monti (from American Saltwater Guides Association), Scott Travers (President of Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association), Gretchen Stiers (Vice President of the Cape Cod Salties) and a few others including a fishing industry representative from South Carolina, a few salmon and steelhead guides from the Pacific Northwest and some employees of Ocean Conservancy. I’ve been doing conservation work with ASGA and OC for a handful of years or so now. We usually go to the Capital once or twice a year to meet with Senators and Representatives and/or their legislative staffs, but also sometimes meet with the staffs (or even the director) of NOAA Fisheries and/or some other fisheries regulatory entities.

Projects we work on include advocating for things such as appropriations (money allocated by Congress) to our fisheries regulatory agencies, retention and reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (the current framework of our fisheries management system), managing for abundance, climate-ready fisheries, and better communication and collaboration between fisheries managers and recreational fishermen. We inform our legislators and fisheries managers of the current situations in our waters as we are experiencing them and our ideas on what needs to be done.

I’ve done conservation and fisheries advocacy in various capacities over the last thirty-something years. I’ve been an active member of the New England Coast Conservation Association and the Coastal Conservation Association in the early ‘90s and have done work with the Connecticut River Salmon Association for almost 30 years. I’ve participated in tagging studies with horseshoe crabs and blackfish, and collected data on local species for 26 years. I’ve initiated petitions and letter-writing campaigns for conservation, fisheries regulations and public access.

I also currently represent CSA and surfcasters in general on the Connecticut Fisheries Advisory Council. We work with DEEP, legislators and other groups with common interests in helping to improve our state’s fisheries, both freshwater and salt.

I spend a lot of time on in-person meetings in New England and on Zoom meetings, as well, on fisheries issues such as regulations proposals, conservation issues, etc.

In the next issue of SUDS I’ll explain what, exactly, we were doing in DC a few weeks ago, and a bit about current (no pun intended) issues with our marine fisheries.

Cuttyhunk June 2025

In a just a little while members of our club will be heading off to one of our favorite places to fish and hang out, Cuttyhunk. Years ago, it was easier and cheaper to do, but some of us still make the effort just because we enjoy the place and just being out and away from the world for a few days. The fishing can be good and I always just like being out on certain rocks and places to give it a try. It is a place where friends can just enjoy each others company.

Getting ready is always a big part of the trip form me. Many times I would spend the night before just tying leaders and choosing my gear, thinking about where I would fish and think a lot about past trips and fish I've caught from the shore. Mary and I have a lot of very fond memories of great nights spent out on certain rocks and catching lots of fish and sharing the fun of it. We have been very fortunate to enjoy this together for many years. We are now looking forward to this June trip.

One thing I always use in order to be ready for the trip would be my Cuttyhunk Checklist. I have a few checklists for various trips and activities. That comes from my having been a teacher and learning and practicing being ready for such activities as I would before a class or a project. Over the years I have learned that it pays to be prepared.

Below is a copy of my Cuttyhunk Checklist.

RISAA 2025 Saltwater Tournament

CSA has signed up to have our members be part of this year's tournament, which takes place next weekend beginning Friday June 6 at 6:00 PM until Sunday June 8 at 7:00 AM with a Fisherman's Breakfast at The Andrea, 89 Atlantic Ave, Westerly, RI beginning at 8:00 AM.

June Skies by Mike Simko.

This month Venus – the brightest planet - is the farthest from sunrise the first part of the month. In astronomy terms Venus is at greatest elongation from the Sun. What that means is that Venus will be high in the east before dawn, the highest point in the sky that it can possibly be. It will remain visible until around November when it finally is too close to the sunrise to be seen, blending into the rising Sun’s dawn light. Once Venus orbits around the sun it will move farther and farther from the sunset over the course of about five months; then repeat. Venus is always either a “Morning Star” or an “Evening Star.” From Earth, Venus can never be overhead, only at angles away from the sun. That’s because Venus is between us and the Sun.

Those fishing Cuttyhunk this June 19 – 22 will observe a super-bright Venus in the east before every new dawn. Much fainter Saturn will be nearby. Predawn track an imaginary line from where the Sun will rise, follow through to unmistakable Venus then continue the arc to find Saturn higher in the sky. All the planets follow this same arc through the sky known as the “Orbital Plane.” Put it another way, if you imagine the June night planets Saturn/Venus in reverse order, on June 15 Saturn will be rising in the east around 1:30 -1:45am, then Venus rising from the same point on the eastern horizon around 3:15 – very bright. Finally, sunrise, also from the same point on the horizon, around 5:20-5:30.

Just as Venus is now at greatest elongation in the east, it will be at greatest elongation in the west on December 14, 2026. June 2025, the brightest morning star, until Earth and Venus orbits pair up again in December 2026, the brightest evening star. Then repeat.

Dark skies, tight lines.

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