Tautog and black sea bass action is as steady as ever, while anglers looking to score a few more false albacore or striped bass have found very positive results.
Connecticut Fishing Report
At Hillyers in Waterford, John reports black sea bass and tautog limits remain plentiful. Sea bass have been very easy to locate on the deeper structure; while tautog sharpies are targeting lesser known spots for some better keepers. The striped bass bite is quieting down, but appears to not quite be over. A number of good catches came in from multiple Long Island Sound reefs this week. The false albacore have started to thin out locally, but most anglers report seeing, or hooking up with at least a couple on most trips. The scallop season opens up in Niantic Bay on December 3rd, so swing by the shop for information on permitting.
At Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, Andrew reports that the false albacore have started to thin, but he also believes you should have one more shot at them this weekend. They’re still holding from Niantic to Watch Hill and can pop up anywhere in that range. A number of tautog anglers have come across them while they were still on their anchor. Most anglers are still reporting a good tautog bite, but those that are fishing the same old spots aren’t faring as well. Spots are getting thinned out and the fish are starting to move, so be willing to move as well. The striped bass bite has quieted in terms of big fish, but there are still a number of small fish on the beaches and in the river.
Captain TJ of Rock and Roll Charters said that the bluefish bite has been good this week with some bass showing up for certain windows of the tide. The blues have been pretty much lock and load for most of the week, but these fish are definitely in migration mode; the classes of fish on one piece of bottom change with every tide. TJ also started to concentrate on tautog this week, as the fish are moving off the small pieces of structure and onto the reefs. As always there are a number of short fish and small keepers, but they saw plenty of large fish too; with a few coming in over 10 pounds. The tog bite should remain strong through TJ’s season ender on November 20th.
Jeremy, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, reports that blackfishing is still red hot. The fish have started to move just a bit, and 15 to 20 feet seems to be the most productive right now. Any type of crab on any type of presentation has been getting the job done. The diamond jigging at 11B has been very good; blues and bass are mixing together there with some good ones as well. There have also been some nice sea bass biting out there as well up to about 22 inches. The striped bass bite has been good close to home this week, with Norwalk Harbor and the Housatonic producing good numbers of all classes of fish.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Narragansett has continued their strong fall season with more successful tautog and cod trips this week. Last weekend saw some great tautog trips, with multiple limits on all trips. The weekend cod trips had a good pick of market cod, and nearly all anglers had limits of sea bass to 5 pounds. The tautog success continued Tuesday, with nearly a full boat limit and a pool fish of 8 pounds. Wednesday’s trips saw fewer anglers, but the tog trip had fish to 10 pounds; while the cod trip was a good mix of cod to 15 pounds and a bunch of sea bass limits.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, reports that bass and bluefish have hit the beaches, and anglers are catching well around the Narrow River and along Charlestown Breachway. Tautog fishing remains excellent around Newport, Jamestown and across South County. A fresh crab on a rig or jig continues to produce on all of the shallow, leeward rockpiles. Local freshwater anglers are now cashing in on an excellent carp bite. One of Dave’s customers was able to put together a 28-fish day earlier this week! Dave is now an exclusive dealer of carp fishing gear for Big Carp Tackle in RI and SE Mass. He has nearly completed his exterior renovations, and will be expanding his shop to accommodate all of the new carp gear. Be sure to check his Facebook page or website for updated fall hours.
At Cardinal Bait and Tackle in Westerly, Mike reports that there are great numbers of large bluefish feeding on bunker along the local beaches. Bluefish to 16 pounds have not been uncommon, and there has been a decent slug of striped bass mixed in. The bass fishing has been hit or miss, but solid results have come for anglers fishing after dark. Block Island anglers have reported a few good striped bass this week, but action is now getting very spotty. Tautog is going strong throughout South County, Newport and Jamestown. Cod anglers are reporting a few decent cod and some great sea bass action at Coxes and the East Grounds.
Mike, at Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, was pleasantly surprised at the number of false albacore across the Watch Hill reefs at the early part of the week. We are likely on borrowed time with these fish, but this weekend could provide one more good shot to land a few. Tautog fishing was also excellent on the reef, and continues to be solid throughout Fisher’s Island Sound. There is still a healthy population of striped bass and bluefish feeding on bunker along the beaches. There is also a load of bunker in the Pawcatuck River, and the hickory shad have started to move in as well. The offshore guys were happy to report a fresh yellowfin bite at the Hudson Canyon, with many of them managing 8 to 10 fish per trip.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Plenty of options are still available for those looking to make one more saltwater trip before putting the rods away. The tautog bite shows no signs of slowing, and the same can be said for sea bass. Striped bass, bluefish and false albacore are on the move, but there seems to be plenty of each species to intercept them on their way.