Connecticut Fishing Report – September 27, 2018

False albacore showed up in a big way last weekend, while plenty of bluefish, striped bass and scup are rounding out the catch this week.

Connecticut Fishing Report

Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, reports that there is still a decent slug of striped bass around the mouth of the river. Sizes are mixed, but anglers fishing low light conditions are finding some good ones. There are some big bluefish in the same area, but the best bet for big blues is probably still The Race. Scup and sea bass action has been plenty steady in the sound, as well as in Rhode Island. Just as forecasted, the false albacore bite blew up last week with reported catches of big numbers from across the eastern sound and Rhode Island. Reports were a bit quieter this week due to the weather, but things should be kicking back up nicely this weekend.

Lou, at Hillyers in Waterford, also reported that tight schools of feeding albies were all over the usual haunts last weekend. Both shore and boat anglers were scoring good numbers, and there’s no reason to believe it won’t be the same this weekend. School striped bass are all over the place as well, often feeding around the false albacore pods. Some larger bass have also been taken on topwater plugs at dawn and dusk around Goshen Reef and Bartletts. There are still good numbers of snappers in the river; while larger blues are being taken in The Race, Barts and the Sluice.

Rivers End in Old Saybrook reports that striped bass to 30 pounds or so have been taken around the mouth of the river, with a good eel bite taking place at Long Sand Shoal. School bass in big numbers have been reported from Watch Hill, the Breachways and the Waterford area. The Saybrook and Westbrook beaches are seeing some larger bluefish over the past few days, and there has been the occasional blitz around Hatchets. Snapper blues are still being caught in the river tribs and in Niantic Bay, and are now in the 8-10” range. The scup bite is solid, especially at Hatchets and Cornfield, while the sea bass action is good but dominated by shorts (move around). False albacore numbers were excellent last weekend, and everyone’s hoping that this week’s weather didn’t scatter them too much.

Heather from Black Hall Outfitters in Niantic checked in this week and told me that the diamond jigging has been excellent in The Race whenever the weather has allowed a trip. Bluefish to the 14- to 16-pound range have been plentiful, and really testing the tackle. During the slack, they’ve been dropping clams and picking away on sea bass and scup. A few cod have been coming over the rails as well, which is keeping most anglers very happy. The crew will be fishing each day at 7 am if the weather allows, with bass and bluefish trips on Sunday and Monday, and scup and sea bass trips from Tuesday-Saturday. They may also be adding some nighttime bass trips this week, so be sure to check with the office.

Mike Roy, of Reel Cast Charters, is still hitting some very nice striped bass and bluefish, both on topwater lures and bait. The false albacore have shown up in good numbers, and Mike has been able to get his clients on good light-tackle and fly action. The next few weeks is historically one of the best times to target big bass and still have a great shot at false albacore, so be sure to check in with Mike if you want to get in on the action.

Captain TJ, at Rock and Roll Charters, reports that the bluefish action seems to have finally hit its fall run peak, with a good slug of big fish on most of the local reefs. 10-12 pound fish have been caught on most trips, and 5- to 8-pound fish are plentiful. Scup action remains very good, but the sea bass catches are dominated by shorts. The striped bass bite was slower this week, with mostly school fish, but there are a few keepers popping up on each trip.

Captain Mike, of Light Bite Charters in Norwalk, told me that the fishing was challenging this week due to unsettled weather, but things are looking better for the weekend. Big bluefish can be found on the bunker schools from Bridgeport to Norwalk, and are falling for live bunker or large topwater plugs. School bass are in most of the harbors and along the rocky coastline. False albacore have started to trickle into their usual haunts out west, but reports have been minimal due to the weather.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

The Frances Fleet in Narragansett had a tough week on the water due to the persistent winds. They made their first cod trip of the year last Saturday and were able to put together a pretty successful afternoon, with some nice fish to 15 pounds. There should be a nice break in the weather over the next few days, and they anticipate sailing Friday through Monday at 7 am. The fleet will also be adding some early season blackfish trips, with the first one sailing on October 5th at 6 am and the full season kicking off on October 10th.

Captain Russ, of The Seven B’s in Snug Harbor, was able to put a good group of anglers on some nice black sea bass to 5 pounds and dinner-plate scup over the weekend. There is also a nice mix of cod and pollock in local waters, making for a pretty diverse catch. The weather should be settling down nicely by midday Friday and there are some good sailing days ahead. Sea bass and scup trips will run Wednesdays through Sundays from 7 to 4 and they require a reservation.

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that the albie bite has been pretty consistent for shore anglers across Rhode Island, with most anglers turning to 1.25-2 oz. epoxy jigs and Daddy Macs. Some nice bass are still being taken at Block Island, while South County has been putting up nice bass numbers for both shore and boat anglers. The mouth of the Narrow River has been particularly strong for striped bass anglers, and a strong scup bite is still going on around Providence. The cod fishing has really started to improve at Coxes and there are some nice sea bass in the mix out there as well.

Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly reports that the fall run is getting going in local waters with striped bass and bluefish feeding on mullet, peanuts and anchovies along most of the beaches and on the reefs. The false albacore numbers are improving and they can be found in the same areas as the bass and blues most times. Black sea bass and scup are still pretty thick on all the local hard bottom and the tautog fishing should really be picking up any day now.

Connecticut Fishing Forecast

As expected, the false albacore bite blew open last weekend, with great numbers across Rhode Island and Connecticut. The weather slowed the reports this week, and hopefully, it didn’t scatter the fish too bad. Bait remains very plentiful and the bite should materialize once again as the weather settles this weekend. Good numbers of school bass can be taken across the region, and the bigger fish should be starting to feed heavily as the fall run is getting going. Bottom fishing for scup remains very good, and some quality sea bass are still in the mix for those willing to move around a bit.