Connecticut Fishing Report – June 15, 2017

Connecticut Fishing Report

According to Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, the slow start to the local striped bass season has continued, but things are starting to look up. The lower Connecticut River is starting to see a better population of bass feeding on the bunker that has moved in. Reports from the local reefs remain slow, but the 6-mile has seen a few fish this week, and The Race, Plum Gut and the Sluiceway are producing. The fluke bite has been good around Fishers and through Rhode Island, but most are dealing with a ton of shorts. Working deeper structure around the bait balls has equaled quick limits for a number of anglers though.

Jon, at Hillyers in Waterford, reports that local anglers are also complaining about too many short fluke, but none are complaining about a lack of action. Stay on the move, look for bait and work good structure and you should be able to find a local limit. Striped bass reports are quiet locally, besides some schoolies at Millstone and in the river, but some better fish are being taken at Plum Gut, The Race and Valiant. The first reports of some scup in local waters have come in from anglers fishing the rocks around the Niantic River, and that bite should improve with the warming water.

Nick, at Blackhall Outfitters in Old Lyme, told me that anglers are taking advantage of the shallow water fluke bite before the water warms up too much. Anglers are finding some nice fish in and around the local tributaries on small jigs tipped with plum island curly tails or gulp. The slug of striped bass in the lower Connecticut River seems to have thickened, and a nice pile of bluefish is in the area as well. Fresh chunks and live bunker still produce the most fish, along with large bunker imitating plugs. The fish should be starting to move to the local reefs very soon, so look to 3-way some live eels in the darkness or at first light.

While striped bass fishing hasn’t been lights out to the east, Captain TJ, of Rock and Roll Charters, reports that he is having one of his best June bites in recent memory in the central sound. There haven’t been too many bass that he would qualify as “cows”, but the bite has been tremendous for fish ranging from 20-40 inches! It is nice to see so many different year classes represented, and TJ thinks the recent regulation changes are working for the better! The sea bass bite was slow until the recent warm spell, and it appears someone flipped the light switch, as the fish are starting to feed like crazy.

Stephanie Ortiz, of The Fancy Fluke, told me that the warm temperatures have brought the fluke out of hiding. They are seeing nice fish on both the Connecticut and New York side of Long Island Sound. Most fish seem to be feeding on sand eels out that way, but Stephanie also noted seeing a bunch of juvenile scup in the bellies of some recently caught fish. The striped bass fishing remains best out west, but it appears they are still making their way east on a daily basis. Reports aren’t stellar, but they are very consistent and are covering a wide range. Fresh bunker remains the number one producer, but fish are coming from spots all over the west to central CT coastline in both shallow and deep water. They are also just starting to see some nice black sea bass in the mix. Those fish are hitting green and chartreuse jigs with gulp, along with hi-lo rigs tipped with fresh clams.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

The Frances Fleet in Narragansett is getting into the heart of their summer fishing schedule, with the bite really starting to heat up after the last heat wave. Some quality fish have come over the rails the last few days, and each day seems to be a little better than the last! Monday’s fluke trip saw quite a few anglers get close to a limit with pool fish in the 7- to 8-pound range, and the boat nearly achieved a full sea bass limit. Tuesday’s trip saw similar results, while Wednesday’s trip saw the quality of fish increase once again. A number of fish in the 4- to 8-pound range were landed, with the pool winner coming in at 8.2 pounds. The runners-up came in right around the 7-pound mark, so there was quality all around. The boat managed a full limit of sea bass, with a quite a few humpbacks in the mix. The fleet will now be running two half-day trips, seven days a week. They will also start sailing at night for striped bass this upcoming Saturday night. Following this week they will sail for bass each night from Wednesday through Saturday if the interest and weather allow.

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, reports not much has changed in terms of the fantastic striped bass bite in the upper Providence River. Quality bass of all sizes are still patrolling the river and upper bay, and feeding ferociously on the wealth of menhaden in the area. Fish are being caught in all the usual haunts such as Warwick Light and little Compton. If you can liveline a fresh menhaden you have a great shot at a big fish, but quality keepers are also being taken on topwater, large SP Minnows and magnum Bombers. Fluke fishing remains very consistent throughout the bay, and the scup fishing has been strong for anglers at Goddard Park in East Greenwich, and throughout Narragansett and Tiverton.

Mike, at Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, reports that the striped bass fishing seems to be picking up around Block Island, with a good number of bass in the 24- to 36-inch range being caught. There is still a healthy population of smaller bass in the breachways and salt ponds as well, but the large fish haven’t really seemed to settle in locally just yet. The fluke fishing has been very strong around the local beaches, with some easy limits of fish to 24 inches this week, while the bite around Block Island has also remained very consistent.

Connecticut Fishing Forecast

The weather looks good for Father’s Day weekend, and it should be a great weekend to head out and catch some fluke with dad. Reports are strong in Rhode Island, Block Island and picking up across the Connecticut coast. Striped bass fishing has also been steady in Rhode Island and most of Connecticut, and the eastern CT coast is finally starting to show signs of waking up. Sea bass and scup action will pick up with the recent change in water temps, and we should have a wealth of fishing options in the coming weeks.