Bass and Blackfish in the Calm after the Storms
Talk about getting kicked while we’re down! Barely nine days after Superstorm Sandy clobbered the region, a Nor’easter on Wednesday brought with it snow, howling winds and tidal surges to reeling shoreline communities. While many are still picking up the pieces, a number of surf and boat anglers logged fishing time in between storms. If you can get on the water, there is great weather on tap for this weekend and plenty of late fall angling opportunities to take advantage of before it’s all said and done.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
The biggest fishing news this week came Monday night, when Nick Gibbs braved cold temps to score the striped bass of his life in the Narragansett surf. The 58-pound monster ate a plastic Bomber and put up a five minute battle before Nick landed it. The trophy catch was brought to the Amos House in Providence, where it will feed hundreds of needy people in the form of fish chowder. Steve McKenna of Quaker Lane Outfitters was fishing at the same spot as Nick that night and left an hour beforehand because it was extremely slow and cold. He went to a nearby location and caught nine schoolies on his first 10 casts using a Mag Darter and Red Gill teaser, but tipped his cap to Nick for sticking it out.
OTW contributor Dave Pickering bounced around the Rhode Island oceanfront all day on Tuesday. His overall impression was there were few fish around and access remained poor. Dave hit a number of spots, but had to work hard to find parking at each. Though he didn’t see any bait, the water was very clean and a few gannets were diving in the distance. Dave managed three schoolie stripers on bucktail jigs off the Short Wall in Galilee, but wasn’t overly optimistic by his results, especially with the Nor’easter knocking. You can read more about South Shore access issues on Dave’s blog: http://ristripedbass.blogspot.com/.
Ron at Breachway Bait and Tackle said Charlestown Beach Road has reopened, but take extreme caution. He got two flat tires down there on Tuesday thanks to nails buried in sand on the road! Ron also said to keep in mind that the breachway rocks, where anglers usually set up for the rotation, have changed quite a bit. Mike at Watch Hill Outfitters said Napatree Point and Watch Hill Lighthouse are now accessible, but Misquamicut is still in very bad shape. He added that there are reports of gannets diving, which often translates to stripers and Atlantic herring underneath them.
Blackfish action didn’t seem to skip a beat after Sandy. Roger from the Frances Fleet reported that toggin’ was very good Saturday and even better Sunday through Tuesday. In fact Sunday and Tuesday featured full boat limits with Monday close to it. Tautog up to 11 pounds were caught with many other fish in the 6- to 9-pound range coming over the rail, including some double headers. Capt. Mike commented that Tuesday’s fishing was some of the best he had seen in several years. A few cod have been mixing in on most trips with the biggest around 10 pounds on Tuesday’s run.
Captain Thom of Quaker Lane Outfitters also experienced a great blackfish bite on Tuesday. He and a friend limited out using green crabs in 50 feet of water off Newport with the biggest fish around 7 pounds and a few others in the 5-pound range. They were treated to a pod of dolphins playing in their boat’s wake on the way in as well. OTW reader Kurt Rivard found some nice keeper-sized blackfish in Mount Hope Bay to go along with a bonus 35-pound striped bass that ate a leftover eel he tossed in the current behind the anchored boat.
On Block Island, John at Twin Maples told me that a handful of surfcasters are catching stripers in the 20-pound range on needlefish plugs around the Coast Guard Channel, Charlestown Beach and Southwest Corner. He believes lots of big squid were pushed into New Harbor with the storm, which are in turn drawing bass to that area. OTW readers Lary Norin and Rick Sustello fished for cod, scup and black sea bass on Sunday off the east side of Block Island. They landed one cod and some large sea bass in about 60 feet of water using #47 diamond jigs with orange tubes. They also caught sea bass and scup using clams, squid and Asian crabs, but found dogfish to be a pain, especially while fishing with clams.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Fishing reports coming from Long Island Sound remain few and far between since Superstorm Sandy. Of the tackle shops that I got through to this week, the majority echoed that fishing effort has been way down after the storm. Several boats were pulled before Sandy and won’t be put back in. Many anglers living along the shoreline have major cleanups on their hands and others have switched gears to freshwater. However, there are still quality saltwater fish to be had including tautog, striped bass and the occasional gator bluefish.
Pat at River’s End didn’t have many anglers passing along information this week other than some blitzing bass along Hens and Chickens Reef off Old Saybrook. He said there were keeper-sized stripers mixed with shorts and boaters were hooking up with plastic baits like Storm Shads.
Jason at Bobby J’s Bait and Tackle reported that schools of small stripers in the 18- to 24-inch range were feeding on small bait in the Milford area on Tuesday afternoon. He and a few other surfcasters cashed in on the bite using top-water lures, Diawa SP Minnows, and soft-plastics. Jason also said there are still some menhaden holdouts in a few harbors in the western Sound. Nick at The Fisherman’s World said one of his customers took advantage of the remaining bunker and caught a 34-inch bass on a fresh chunk at Buoy 18 recently.
Blackfish remains the most consistent bite in the Sound right now in a mix of shallow and deep-water rocky locations. Pat at River’s End said the anglers getting out are still taking nice fish along the breakwalls off Clinton. Cappy at Captain Morgan’s Bait and Tackle suggested trying 20 to 40 feet of water around Southwest Reef, Madison Reef, Kimberly Reef, or any breakwall. Chris at Stratford Bait and Tackle told me the New Haven breakwalls continue to produce some nice keeper tog for those using half green or whole Asian crabs. Nick at Fisherman’s World reported that George Discala and Jim Christensen culled their limit from 30 blackfish up to eight-pounds while fishing in 55-feet of water off Norwalk on Saturday. Nick added that John and Bill Kovacs landed a 7-pounder and 9-pounder using green crabs in 15 feet of water off Stamford on Sunday.
For freshwater opportunities, the northern pike bite in the Connecticut River is holding strong. After stocking up on golden pond shiners using Sabiki rigs, Andrew and TJ from Fishin’ Factory III caught some nice pike while soaking the big live baits under slip bobbers. They were on foot in the Haddam area, hitting spots where creeks pour into the main stem of the Connecticut River.
Broodstock salmon are another worthy freshwater option right now. CT DEEP has stocked several hundred big salmon into the Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers since the beginning of October. Cheyenne at The Fish Connection told me fly anglers have been connecting with some eight to 10-pound salmon using brightly colored streamer patterns in the Baltic stretch of the Shetucket. For more details on salmon stocking and regulations, click here: http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=4173&Q=511870
Fishing Forecast for the Weekend
Any hangover from the Nor’easter should clear out of our area by Friday, leaving a nice weather window for the weekend. Access isn’t great along the Rhode Island coast, but there is some good fall run striped bass fishing if you can reach the water. Boat fishing for blackfish may be easier and more consistent. Try hitting rock piles off Newport, Watch Hill or any breakwall in Long Island Sound for your limit of tasty tog. For freshwater fans, the fall Connecticut River pike bite is in full swing, especially in the Haddam area. Or visit the Naugatuck or Shetucket Rivers for a chance to tangle with an acrobatic Atlantic salmon.
I am very proud of my son.