While recent temperatures may feel like September, the fishing is very summer-like, with good bottom-fishing and striped bass daytime doldrums. Big bluefish are showing up just in time for the big money tournament this weekend and no doubt will garner a lot of attention from anglers across Long Island Sound.
Connecticut Fishing Report
On the Mijoy 747 of Waterford, Mary-Lou reported that everywhere you turn there are blues to catch, and everyone from first-timers that just turned six years old to an 86-year-old who’s been fishing longer than he can remember is catching enough. On top of that, there are keeper-sized stripers coming up on most trips and still little flurries of sea bass and fluke. August is closing with action. People are looking forward to the September 1st switch to porgy and sea bass trips. While blues are exciting, even the most avid bluefisherman agrees that a freezer full of porgy filets is a nice thing to have for the winter months.
At Hillyers Bait and Tackle in Waterford, the striped bass bite has become nearly non-existent for most, with the exception of a few large bass falling to bait-drifters well after dark. Scup have dominated the catch in the Waterford area, where some true dinner-plates are chewing at Bartlett’s Spindle and Little Goshen. Shore anglers have had great success with keeper scup at Harkness, and there have been a few keeper tautog in the mix as well. The Niantic River is loaded with snapper bluefish, which are now up to the 6-7 inch range.
At River’s End in Old Saybrook, Q reports that we are now in the summer doldrums of an already sub-par striped bass season. It has become nearly a strictly nighttime game, with a few decent reports coming from Plum Gut and locally at Long Sand Shoal. Big bluefish have moved into the area, and they are just in time for this weekend’s WICC tournament. Credible sources are consistently reporting bluefish in the high teens in the lower CT River, as well as 6-Mile and Southwest Reefs. Snappers are biting well in the river and we are now approaching the peak of the blue crab season. Blue crabbing is now excellent in the river and sizes should only improve over the next week or two.
Andrew, at Fishin’ Factory 3 in Middletown, saw the red-hot fluke bite of last week slow down a bit after the wind and rain. Striped bass fishing remains up and down and once again the only promising reports came from live bait drifters that found some 20- to 30-pound fish around the mouth of the river this week. A few big bass from Block Island also hit the scales this week, but that bite is showing signs of slowing down finally. The hoards of bunker in the lower river are drawing the attention of some gator bluefish; if you are fishing the WICC tournament you may not have to travel far to find some quality fish.
At Bobby J’s Bait and Tackle in Milford, the shop is busy preparing for this weekend’s bluefish tournament. If you plan on fishing the tournament the guys suggest heading west towards New York or east towards the CT River, local anglers are finding plenty of bluefish but not many are eclipsing the 10-pound mark. Fluke fishing has been spotty, but those finding keepers are reporting good sizes from the West Haven-New Haven area. Scup fishing has been the most consistent bite in the western sound, along with snapper bluefish; which can now be found in just about every harbor and tidal estuary.
Fishing Forecast
It is not often that landing a fish could land you $25,000, but that opportunity comes this weekend with the WICC bluefish tournament. With bait and bluefish being thick and striped bass fishing being spotty, it might be worthwhile to target some gators and go for the big prize this weekend.
any sightings of Albies?