The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's seventh Annual Fishing Guide Cover Photo Contest winner features Taunton Lake in Newtown.  This year’s cover features a photograph submitted by Jim Curcuruto of Middlebury, showing himself and his son with a pair of Largemouth Bass caught at the same time. 

The pair are members of Newton Fish & Game, and will be featured on the 2020 edition of the guide being released later this month. 

The father-son duo did a lot of fishing in Connecticut in 2019, but noted that their favorite locations are the Pomperaug River for trout and, not surprisingly, Taunton Lake for bass. 

Adult anglers spend more than 4.4 million fishing days on Connecticut waters each year. This translates to nearly $450 million in economic activity across the state, resulting in thousands of jobs from bait and tackle shops as well guided trips, visits to local restaurants, and other support services. 

The Fishing Guide, which is free to the public, covers a wide array of materials including the locations of public fishing areas, open seasons, and record weights of numerous species. 

Jim recalls, “This photo was taken the morning of June 15th and we used spinning rods with wacky-rigged Senko worms. A typical day of fishing there gets us up early and on the lake around 6:30am. Most of the bass we catch are released, but the occasional one makes it to our table.