DEP Bonus Striped Bass Program

The state Department of Environmental Protection is issuing free vouchers to anglers fishing the Connecticut River to take 4,025 striped bass in a size range (at least 22 inches in length but shorter than 28 inches) below the current recreational minimum length for stripers in Connecticut, according to the weekly fishing report issued by the department.

Each voucher allows the angler to keep one “bonus” striper and can be used only on the Connecticut River from just above the I-95 bridge to the Massachusetts border. The vouchers are valid through June 30.

Vouchers can be obtained at the same DEP Offices where licenses are sold, while fishing along the Connecticut River from DEP Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police Officers and Riverfront Recapture Rangers and now will also be available from tackle retailers who have offered to distribute vouchers.

Anglers can obtain two vouchers per day and use a maximum of two vouchers per day to keep “bonus” fish.

Use of these vouchers does not affect an angler’s ability to keep their regular daily limit of striped bass. Each angler participating in the program can also keep up to two striped bass a day, 28 inches or larger in total length.

For more information, visit:

http://www.ct.gov/dep/fishing or call 860-424-3474.

The following tackle retailers are now distributing bonus vouchers. Anglers are advised to call the vendor in advance to determine availability of the vouchers:

New London -

(860-443-6076)