CTF name: Dukefan
Real name: Jim Valiante
Age: 34
Current city: Waterbury
Hometown: Milford
Family members: Fianceé Janine and 3 stepchildren: Keith, Taylor, and Hunter. Father, mother, one brother, and a niece and nephew.
Occupation: I work for a full service marina and marine dredger

1.You work in and around water. Tell us what you do. What is your “average” day like, if there is such a thing? What do you enjoy about your job? What are the downsides?
I work at a marina where you have to do it all. We are a full service marina meaning everything from bottom painting to waxing to engine service in the spring to the reversal in hauling, winterizing, and shrink wrapping. We do it all, and that is just the beginning. We are also marine contractors and dredgers, this is where the fun begins. Season starts for dredging on Oct 1, and we have dredged as late as May 15.Most of the time it is in the bitterest cold time of year. I have so many stories from breaking ice off the tugboat to near death experiences.

An average day doesn’t exist, they are all long and in the dredging season we have worked 75-100 shifts with just a nap here and there. “In dredging our motto is” Hours and hours of boredom, followed by moments of shear panic” It can be a very dangerous job at times but it allows me to be on the water practically every day of the year, and not many people can say that.

I thoroughly enjoy the fact that I work on in or around the water at all times, in the summer when the bass and blues are in the harbor we have been known to drop everything and catch a few. Also I enjoy having the opportunity to drive just about every boat in the marina, from the little hoopti’s to the 40 footers, it is a great experience.

Downfalls would be seeing all of my buddies going on their boats at different times of the day while I am working. It can be torturous!!! Even more so when they are hammering fish and call in to tell me.

2. You’ve posted some mid-winter reports when most guys have pulled their boats. What can you tell guys who don’t fish during the middle of the winter about the fishery in our area?
I have to say working at a marina and having the luxury of keeping my boat in all year round is priceless. The calendar doesn't dictate to me weather I can fish or not. Just Mother Nature and water temperature. Danny B and myself spent extensive time this year researching and looking for more local deepwater wrecks and structure, and when we found some deeper ones I knew it would extend my season. What most people don’t know is blackfish will feed and remain relatively active til the water reaches 41 degrees. That didn’t happen this year in the deep water till late in January. I never like to give up and this year catching an 8lb blackfish on January 19th was the best. There is also a striper fishery at the power plants and a decent lobster fishery till New Years and it gets good again in March. The most important thing about the winter boating and fishing is safety, trust me I have fallen off the barge at 1:00AM into 38 degree water, It’s NOT fun. Always tell someone where you’re going and try to always have a buddy, that is if you can find another dummy to go with.



3. Why the screen name "Dukefan"?
Well, I am a very passionate person when it comes to the things I like. When I was just a young boy my father and I would watch college hoops and we developed a liking for the Duke Blue Devils. I am talking before Laetner and Hurley, anyone remember Alaa Abdelnaby and Danny Ferry? I have over the years become obsessed with the Devils, I watch every minute of every game. I live and die with them so I figured what better name than Dukefan, kind of says it all.

4. What is your favorite saltwater fish to target?
Hands down the tautog is my favorite fish to target. First off I don’t think you could find a more hearty resilient fish. They are very adaptive to many depths of water offering a distinct challenge of locating and then actually catching them. The nice part is in the early fall they are widespread in the lower water rocky areas and it offers most all fisherman an ample opportunity to catch them. Then as we near Thanksgiving and they are in search of depths in excess of 45 feet a totally different strategy must be employed, as there are still some reefs in these depths. Then as we enter into the first and second week of December it’s time to separate the men from the boys as very few areas actually have deepwater reefs so most of the blackfish will congregate on deepwater wrecks. It becomes a very frustrating fishery, from actually locating the structure to actually being able to effectively place your boat over the structure to allow your bait to reach them. It is and can be a game of inches, I am sure everyone has seen someone near you bailing them, probably in the same boat and you can’t even get a sniff. Then even better how many people have been absolutely killing them to have them shut off instantly like the proverbial light switch? I have fished for them many years and caught dozens in the 10+ lb range and still can’t even begin to figure these darn fish out. To me, this is what makes a challenge and keeps me dreaming of the next tog trip.



5. Do you ever get the urge to do any freshwater fishing?
Oh boy, I am sure Jayhova had something to do with this one. I despise freshwater fishing, I did it many years ago and even enjoyed some nice success like an 8.5 lb Largemouth. Since I have had a boat which is probably the better part of 15 years, I can’t bring myself to walk a stream to catch 9 inch fish, or fish a pond or lake where something below 10 lbs is an epic fish. Once you tangle with 20 lb blues, 40 lb bass, and 13 lb togs to me there is no going back. With that said I must confess to taking Hunter out trout fishing on opening day and a few times after it, but it is just a matter of time before he becomes a boat rat too.



6. Who are some of your favorite fishing partners? How did you meet?
I have been blessed with a long list of good guys that I fish with. First and foremost are Frogger and Danny B, we seem to have bonded over the last couple of years and fish together at least twice a week. At some point and time we have all been in the doghouse for the amount of time we spend fishing together and talking on the phone about it. Then there is Jayhova, who is a good friend, we have enjoyed much fishing success, I just wish our schedules meshed a little better so we could fish together more. Then Wayne, Frank, Friday’s, short trip,mr mooch, and Mike Dero.

Frogger, Jayhova, Friday’s, Wayne, Frank, and short trip have all either been met at the marina or through friends.
Danny B and Dero are two great friends and I can proudly say I have met them through CT Fisherman.



7. You make “periwinkles” What exactly are they? How do you make them? How do you fish them?
A couple of years ago I had only heard of a periwinkle, til I met Danny B that is. This is a lure that is primarily used trolling but can be vertical jigged or drifted. It was developed by a man native to Stratford, CT named Don Campbell. In the 80’s and 90’s it was a very popular lure in the Stratford/Bridgeport area. It is a lure with a lead head and synthetic hair to imitate a squid. It has a hole through the lead head so the line can pass and is rigged with a larger J hook probably 9/0. It can be made in many colors but chartreuse seemed to have been the most popular. This lure is very effective in catching bass, bluefish, and weakfish. Also known to catch a fluke now and then. It is trolled on 60 lb stainless wire line, rigged on a 6 foot fluorocarbon or mono leader and tipped with a pork rind, it is attached to the wire with a snap swivel. You let out 10 feet or wire for every foot of depth(300 feet to fish 30 feet deep,etc) and employ a jigging action on the rod that drives fish so nuts they practically jump in the boat.

After seeing Danny fish this lure in the WICC we stumbled upon someone with the machine used to make them many years ago, they also had molds for the heads. Knowing the availability of this lure was extremely limited we decided to purchase the machine and molds and ensure ourselves we would have periwinkles for life. I start by pouring the heads and insert the head into the machine and basically tie it similar to any fly or bucktail just with a lot more hair. Great lure and adding it to my arsenal has greatly improved my fishing success.



8. What kind of boat do you have? What kind of “fishing” features or modifications does it have?
My boat is a 28-foot Mastermarine custom Japanese Center console. There were only 150 of these boats made from 1980-1982. They were custom made for a Japanese custom fishing fleet that fished for giant tuna out of Glouster. In the off-season for tuna they groundfished on these boats and sold the catch to Gortons. I have been lucky enough to meet a few guys who actually knew the boats and one even fished one of them for giants. It is an extremely seaworthy boat, the stories go that they sent a crew out in these boats and they were not allowed to come back without a giant, regardless of the seas or weather. When they ran short on supplies they would run them out and they had to continue til they produced. It takes a head sea like no other boat I have ever been on.

I was actually lucky enough to just purchase the hull and rigged the boat myself. The boat is equipped with a color Furuno FCV600L fishfinder, a garmin 2006 Color GPS chartplotter which is interfaced to a Furuno 841 MK2 36 mile radar, I also have a Raytheon L750 fish finder as a backup. The boat has a Lewmar freefall windlass, a hardtop with full enclosure, a sony radio/cd player, as well a Horizon Eclipse VHF. The boat also has a live well, wash down, and enough room for dry storage to fit bodies. Forgot to mention 600 feet of anchor rode with 30 feet of chain on the main line, and a seconday anchor line with 300 feet and 30 feet of chain for double anchoring on wrecks.

The boat is bulletproof and I am never afraid to leave the dock even when no one else will.

9. What fish species do you find the most challenging to pursue? Is there a species of fish you've never caught but would like to?
To me this is an interesting question. There are tons of challenges in the salt world of Long Island Sound. I have found that targeting certain size fish or fish during certain times of the season to be much more challenging that having to catch just one species. As easy as it is to catch a bluefish any day from mid May til Thanksgiving, how many people have actually conquered the challenge of catching consistently over 15lbs. not many so to me this is a good challenge. We all know how easy it is to catch togs when the feedbag is on but the 2 biggest challenges to toggin is 1 catching double digit tog, and 2 catching late season tog in the deep water. Great challenges. Next is targeting large fluke, not many besides flukehead have conquered this challenge. Last but not least consistently catching sea bass in LIS, this is a tough one that I plan to conquer this year.

There are actually 2 species that get my juices flowing like no others. First is the Goliath grouper(jewfish). I am fascinated by the size and strength of this creature. Second is the halibut, been my dream for a long while to catch a barn door!

10. Do you have a dream fishing trip or destination you'd like to visit?

Yes, I have always had the dream to take a trip to Alaska and do some "hardcore" halibut fishing. The bottom fishing there looks superb with ling cod and orange rockfish also. Oddly enough the salmon fishery being as good as it gets in Alaska has no interest to me. I am planning a trip there within the next 5 years. Just wish I could convince Janine it was a great honeymoon destination.

11. Outside of fishing, what hobbies or interests do you like to pursue?
Fishing and boating are a huge part of my life that pretty much consumes most of my recreational time. I do enjoy the garden, I spend a few hours a week cultivating, planting, then eventually harvesting my vegetable garden. I spend a fair amount of time watching college hoops from Thanksgiving through April. The rest of my time is probably spent on the computer talking about fishing, or in the basement organizing my tackle, making lures and rigs, or wrapping my own rods. I just wish there were more hours in the day.



12. What kind of music do you enjoy?
To be honest with you, I could take or leave music. If I do listen I like classic rock and some of the 80’s and 90’s bands. I spend most of my travel time in the car either listening to Howard Stern, Bubba the Love Sponge, or ESPN radio.

13. What are your top 3 tips for landing a keeper bass in Long Island Sound?
If I thought 3 things were the most important factors for a big bass they would be location, bait, and persistence. In my opinion you always need good structure with moving water, usually when you locate this there are bass present. 2nd is bait, if you could find a good source of bait weather it is bunker, peanut bunker, squid, silversides, or even mantis shrimp, you will usually have the opportunity to produce a large bass. 3rd is you have to put your time in and really get to know your own backyard. You would be surprised what lies in the depth of your own backyard. Pick up a chart or really study your chartplotter. Do these things and you should have an excellent shot at some bass.

14. For guys who have never gone "groundfishing" (for cod, etc.), what are they missing out on?
Oh, now this is one of my favorite things to do. Nothing like dropping a baited set of hooks or a jig into depths of 150 to 400 feet, it sounds like work to some and ecstasy to others. You just never know what your going to catch and I think this is what appeals the most to me. My favorite trip every year is sea bass fishing out of Brielle, NJ. I have fished this trip in the week between Christmas and New Years for a few years straight. I have had some incredible trips and have been lucky enough to experience an incredible fishery. I think everybody should do it at least once.



15. Have you ever considered becoming a charter boat captain or fishing guide?
Yes, I have. When I first purchased my current boat that is what I envisioned myself doing. I went to Seaschool completed the full course and passed all of the tests/sections with flying colors. This is where being a dummy comes in, all I needed to do is update my first aid and cpr and go to Battery Park and pickup my license. Well started fishing, put 210 hours on my boat the first year and never went for the license. Probably not the smartest thing I have ever done but it is what it is. Someday when time permits I will study and just go to the USCG and take the test.

16. What is the craziest thing you have done in the pursuit of fish?
Well, I am not sure it is crazy but it is certainly “hardcore”. We were dredging in Norwalk last November and we were out for about 70 hours. I had very little sleep but I had the itch to go toggin BAD. I spoke with Danny B and told him I was due back about 2:00AM and that I would take a snooze in the car and meet him at 6:30AM. My boss asked me to go home sleep 2-3 hours and come back and shrink wrap boats. I told him no because I was going to take the snooze and go fishing. Well this went over like the proverbial fart in church. Needless to say I was shrink wrapping boats from 2 til 6AM when Danny showed and we went toggin. Thank god it was worth it, I caught I believe 8 togs that morning and 5 were over 6 lbs. By 10-10:30 I was shot but certainly worth it.

17. What does your fiancee think of fishing?
First off, she thinks I am nuts. She doesn’t understand the obsession and the addiction. When I go in the snow or rain she feels I might as well drive to the looney bin. If I am not fishing I am always on the phone talking about gameplans and spots with all my buddies, she walks by and makes comments like “You, Danny, and Frogger going 3-waying again” She is a pretty good sport about it, I just wish she would get over her fear of the water so I could take her out and snap some wire.

18. Do you have any fish-that-got-away stories that still haunt you?
Oh, yes. I was bass fishing at a secret little spot in the housy one night. It was around the 4th of July because there were fireworks that night. I was waiting til dead high tide to anchor because it was only a good spot the first 2 hours of the ebb tide then the current would just get too strong. Well we anchored and put out some eels and I decided to throw out a bunker head on one of the rods. It was the light rod in the spread but I figured it was in open water in the channel it would be fine. We boated one small bass when the head started SCREAMING and screaming and screaming. I set the hook and immediately knew if I didn’t stop him I would get spooled. I tighten the drag and couldn’t even slow him down, so I tightened it again and still nothing, so now I jammed my thumb on the spool and it was burning the skin off my thumb until I felt the line starting to rub on something and eventually he cut me off. I still have nightmares about this fish. Got to think it was huge, but I will never know.



19. What fishing accomplishment are you most proud of?
I have a great passion for blackfishing and enjoy nothing else more than to bring people out on my boat and put them on the largest tog they have ever seen. Site members like Jayhova 12-3/4 lbs., Frogger 11-3/4 lbs., Lacey 12-1/2 lbs., can attest to this. I have a list of 15 guys who have a PB tog on my boat and this makes me very very proud.

20. If you were put in charge of the CT DEP, what things would you immediately try to accomplish?
Wow, this could be a long list. 1st and foremost I think all adjoining waters should have the same limits and regulations. 2nd I think the commercial fishery should have some different rules. There should be no discards, if they catch short fluke they should be kept and counted against there quotas instead of throwing them back dead and subsequently depleting fish stocks with no repercussions. I guess the last important thing on my list would be more officers, the enforcement of poaching is a joke. So many people are doing it and there are so few officers to enforce it.