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Latest Bites - June 2019
FREE FISHING LICENSE DAY ON JUNE 16:   Our first of two FREE Fishing License Days, where anyone can fish after obtaining the free 1-day fishing license, is Sunday, June 16, 2019.  Please use this opportunity to take your friends and family fishing!  Get your free 1-day license here.
 
2019 Fishing Licenses are on sale now.  100% of your investment in licenses, tags, permits, and stamps comes to the Bureau of Natural Resources in support of Fisheries and Wildlife programs. 
BEWARE of LICENSE SCAM SITES
Please be sure that you are on the " Official" CT DEEP Sportsmen Licensing Page.  There are some offers on the internet that may lead someone to believe they are getting their fishing license, but instead are paying for a "guide" on how to get the fishing license. 
TIP's of the Month!
STRIPED BASS  fishing really heats up in June! These large, predatory fish are migrating into Long Island Sound where many will spend their summer feeding on the abundant forage available. Any rocky shoreline and where bigger rivers like the CT, Housatonic, and Thames enter Long Island Sound are potential 
hot spots for Striped Bass this month. A very effective and easy way to catch these fish is a fresh sandworm fished with a sliding sinker or "Fish Finder" rig with enough weight to hold bottom. Striped Bass have to be 28" to keep and you may harvest 1 per day. Check out places to fish along the shoreline using our: 

CHANNEL CATFISH are a great option on the freshwater side of things this month . The Fisheries Division just stocked 10,600 "cats" into 19 lakes and ponds (combination of Community Fishing Waters and Catfish Management Lakes) in late May to compliment the naturalized and robust catfish population on the CT River. Catfish are nocturnal so targeting them in the evening and night are your best options. They are bottom feeders and are caught on a variety of baits including night-crawlers, cut fish, eels, chicken liver, and more.  Visit the CT is Fishy! web application to find out more about Channel Catfish and where we stock them. Catfish are excellent eating and hard fighters - a great way to spend a June summer evening!
YOUTH FISHING PASSPORT - SUMMER ACTIVITIES
With school getting 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.
Free Fishing License Day on June 16, 2019
Sunday, June 16, 2019 is the first of two FREE Fishing License Days.  Anyone can obtain the free 1-day fishing license through our online system.  We encourage all anglers to share their passion for fishing and hit the water with family and friends.  The second FREE FISHING LICENSE Day is August 10, 2019. Stay tuned for more details!
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 the Tessellated Darter (Etheostoma olmstedi).  Darters are part of the perch family (Percidae), which also includes the Walleye and very common Yellow Perch.  Darters are the smallest fish in this family and are usually not much larger than a few inches.  

Tessellated Darters live in both rivers and lakes and prefer a sandy or gravel bottom where they feed on small insects and crustaceans.   Connecticut has two species of Darter, both native, the second being the Swamp Darter.  

Tessellated darters are an important host species for the Federally Endangered dwarf wedge mussel. Mussel larvae, called glochidia, can only be distributed by attaching to the gills of a host fish species. Maintaining healthy populations of tessellated darters is a critical component of efforts to protect and restore dwarf wedge mussel populations in the Connecticut River watershed.
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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