Connecticut Fishing Report – June 2, 2016

Pictured above: A nice bass taken by East Coast Charters in Rhode Island

Striped bass continue to feed in our large estuaries and the size of fish being caught has increased drastically since last week. Fluke anglers are working hard but slowly and steadily picking up keepers. Connecticut sea bass anglers are reporting great results from most areas.

Connecticut Fishing Report

Hillyers Bait and Tackle in Waterford reported that the warm weekend did wonders for the fishing in eastern Connecticut. The local striped bass fishing has really picked up, with anglers reporting solid catches on most of the local hotspots. Decent catches of keepers came from Bartletts, The Race and Plum Gut this week. Most anglers have been hooking up on 3-wayed eels and bucktails, while a few reported good catches on light tackle with soft plastics. The sea bass bite has been on the slow side, but improving; with some hefty keepers caught right in Niantic Bay this week. Fluke is also improving and Niantic Bay has been the most consistent local spot. Fish to nearly 10 pounds came from the bay this week, while more popular spots like Isabella Beach are loaded with short fish.

Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, reports that the Connecticut River remains the place to be for striped bass, but the best bite has transitioned to the lower river. The area around the mouth is now red hot for heavy bass, with a few 40’s and even a 50-pound bass caught this week. Bass are taking large topwater plugs, live bunker and fresh chunks, with late nights and early morning being the best time. The bass are biting all day long, but the daytime action has been crowded with boat traffic that sometimes sends the bass down. Action is also starting to pick up out front, with strong reports from The Race and 6-Mile Reef. Fluke is off to a slow start in local waters, but some decent fish have come from Niantic Bay. Black sea bass has been very strong on the deep hard bottom off Clinton and at Hatchets. Andrew is running both fluke and sea bass tournaments this year; a 6.75-pound fluke is in the top spot and a 4.75-pound sea bass leads that category.

James, at Rivers End in Old Saybrook, reports that the river is red hot with bass action from Essex to the mouth, with anglers hooking up on large topwater plugs and 9-inch Slug-Gos. The local surf fishing is picking up as far as numbers, but the fish remain on the smaller side. Good reports have come in from Plum Gut recently, so it shouldn’t be long before the reefs light up. Fluke fishing is slow in CT, but very strong at Block and Montauk. Good black sea bass action can be found close to home at 6-Mile Reef and in the Guilford area. The bass bite in the river has been pretty much devoid of bluefish problems, but a decent slug of smaller blues have been hanging out around Millstone.

Captain TJ, of Rock and Roll Charters, had a very strong holiday weekend and reports that the striped bass action is really firing up. Every trip this week has seen a decent pick of 20- to 30-pound class fish. Black sea bass action remains red hot with easy limits; while the first few jumbo scup have now been mixed in. Fluke fish is also slowly but steadily improving, with most trips managing some keepers to 6 pounds.

Rich, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, reports that the upcoming striped bass season is looking good, with a load of 20- to 30-pound fish in local waters and much heavier fish still just a few miles to the west. Fresh bunker has been the key to success for striped bass; whether it’s a livelined bait, fresh chunk or trolled bunker spoon. A good push of fish has also settled in around the island, and range from about 24 to 32 inches for the most part. Decent-sized bluefish schools are starting to pop up all over the area, with most fish going 3 to 8 pounds. Fluke fishing is going strong out west, and seems to be much better than the eastern sound at this point. 23- to 25-inch fluke have been common and so have keeper sea bass, which are all over the deeper hard bottom. The recent warming trend has helped out the largemouth bass bite in the Saugatuck Reservoir, but it has quieted things down for the trout and walleye guys.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that the strongest striped bass bite remains in the extreme upper regions of Narragansett Bay and the Providence River. The best bite for these fish has been around first light on freshly snagged baits. As the sun gets higher in the sky, the fish are dropping into higher water and can be taken on 3-wayed live baits and fresh chunks near the bottom. Dave noted that the fishing has been streaky but certain points of the tide have been red hot, so have some patience out there. The striped bass fishing at Block Island is just starting to heat up, with a strong jig bite at the North Rip. Fluke anglers are reporting better catches in the bay and off the beaches, but the best results remain around the island.

At The Saltwater Edge in Middletown, striped bass fishing remains the talk of the town in the upper bay, where anglers are finding steady catches of 20- to 30-pound fish. Fish are being taken on fresh pogies fished tight to the schools and also on large topwater offerings. Out front, surfcasters fishing along the Narragansett coast are faring better than boat anglers over the past few days. There are still great numbers of squid in the area, resulting in some decent fluke fishing along the beaches when the conditions are right. Most fluke anglers are still steaming out to Block Island for bigger fish, but solid keepers to 8 pounds were taken locally this week.

Captain Frank, of the Frances Fleet in Narragansett, reported that fluke fishing continued to be up and down over the past few days, but overall things have been good for late May. Their best day last week saw 3 to 5 keepers for most anglers, with some managing nice limit catches. Pool fish last week were generally around 6 to 7 pounds, so quality of fish is certainly improving. The shallower water near the local beaches is much warmer and is producing the best fishing. The greatest concentration of squid is in the same area, which is likely helping the bite. Both jigs and bait are producing equally well so be prepared to fish both; the fleet will continue to sail at 7 AM daily.

At Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, Mike reports that the warm temperatures have helped the local fluke fishing, with fish to 10 pounds weighed in this week. The Misquamicut area is loaded with squid, and anglers are hooking up on squid jigs while drifting for fluke. The Pawcatuck River is still the best bet for local striped bass, with fish to 25 pounds taken live eels and bunker. The reefs and breachways saw a nice uptick in action this week, but those fish remain on the smaller side.

Connecticut Fishing Forecast

As expected, the unseasonably warm temperatures have made up for the cool spring, and things are really getting going out in the salt. The striped bass bite in Narragansett Bay and the Connecticut River are at their peak, with fish pushing the 40-pound mark reported from both locations. It is likely only a matter of days before these fish move out onto the reefs, along with more fresh arrivals. Surfcasters should be looking forward to the new moon this weekend; which will most certainly kick things into gear. Fluke has started off on the slow side but is trending up; while the sea bass season is nearly in full swing in most of Connecticut.