Sea bass and scup catches remain solid, as blackfishing slowly heats up. False albacore can still be found throughout our range, alongside plenty of striped bass and bluefish.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, told me that some anglers were finding some quality bass around the mouth of the river, which is the norm for this time of year, but is a bit strange since most of the bait has been flushed out. Hopefully Thursday’s rain doesn’t flush everything out once again. Small striped bass continue to be seen blitzing on small bait along the eastern sound shoreline, but blues are a bit scarce. False albacore have spread out throughout the sound, but just about everyone targeting them has been able to find a few at all the local hotspots. Early blackfish reports have indicated way more shorts than keepers, but some better fish are still being caught if you work for them. The bite should improve greatly in the coming week, with the lower temperatures that are forecasted. Andrew is hosting a $10 dollar buy-in blackfish tournament, and winner takes all. Be sure to enter!
Hillyers in Waterford reports that those who have braved the weather over the past week or so have been rewarded with some good catches. The albies have spread out, but there have been plenty in local waters to keep both shore and boat anglers busy. There are still tons of school striped bass and small bluefish along the coast, along with some bigger bass and blues at The Race and Bartletts. Sea bass action has been steady, but shorts are dominating the catch. The start to the blackfish season has been up and down, but things are looking good for the weekend when the weather settles and temps drop.
Black Hall Outfitters reports that blackfish catches seem to be improving by the day, so things are shaping up nicely. The eastern sound shallow rockpiles are producing best for anglers dunking crabs on light jigs. Albie fishing remains strong throughout the sound, but has been especially good from Meigs Point – west. Striped bass have been very active at the mouth of the CT River, with big topwaters and dannys producing some nice bass in the morning hours.
Blackhawk Sportfishing in Niantic reports that the strong fall fishing continues, with jumbo scup and huge sea bass biting ferociously. A few cod and trigger fish have been in the mix, so customers are having no problem catching limits and filling coolers. Bluefishing remains excellent in The Race, with both tides producing equally well. They’ll have night bass trips this upcoming week with the new moon, and if it’s anything like the last full moon cycle, it should be great. Be sure to check in with Heather in the office for updated sailing schedules and reservations.
Captain TJ, at Rock and Roll Charters, reported another good week of striper fishing, with keeper fish to 30-pounds taken throughout the week. There are huge schools of small bass around as well, which is providing a blast for anglers fishing light tackle. Bluefish have thinned, but they are still around; while sea bass and scup action is still red hot. TJ is all prepped for blackfishing, and those trips will be kicking off this week as well. TJ will continue to sail until November 18th, book your trip today!
Captain Mike, of Light Bite Charters in Norwalk, told me that the blackfish season got off to a bit of a slow start with the warm temperatures, but the light tackle action for albies, bass and blues has made up for it. The albie bite is very strong throughout the western sound, and there are a number of big bunker and bluefish chasing the bunker schools around.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Narragansett battled some less than ideal conditions last weekend and was still able to manage some decent fishing. Many anglers went home with a good sized bag of scup and limits of sea bass, with many of the sea bass hitting the 4+ pound mark. A decent number of cod to 15-pounds also made an appearance, so rods were bent and coolers were filled all day. Monday’s trip was similar to the weekend, in that the weather was worse than forecasted, but they were still able to gut it out and land some nice fish. The weather improved greatly by Wednesday and so did the fishing. Captain Matt reported a full boat limit of sea bass to 6 pounds by noon, and a decent pile of cod to 10-pounds. In addition to the cod-sea bass-scup trips, the fleet plans to start their fall blackfish trips this Saturday, depending on the weather!
Captain Russ, of The The Seven B’s in Snug Harbor, reports that the recent scup and sea bass trips have been very consistent, with customers catching plenty of 2-3 pound scup and good numbers of sea bass to 3-4 pounds. There have been a few cod and bluefish in the mix, which has kept things interesting. Sea bass and scup trips will continue run from Wednesday through Sunday from 7 to 4 until at least the middle of October when they may start to transition over to tautog fishing. Reservations are required and there are a few private charters scheduled in the coming weeks so be sure to call ahead before heading down to the dock.
Captain Brian, at Big Game Sportfishing, checked in this week and told me that the local cod bite has been hit or miss, but there have been some good sea bass mixed in, so most trips have been successful. Block is still producing some decent numbers of striped bass in mixed sizes, along with a good pile of monster bluefish. The crew has also still been running offshore quite a bite, and they are doing well at the Canyons. In two consecutive trips last week they managed 24 big eye, a nice pile of mahi, some wahoo and some makos!
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that the albie bite is still strong in the bay and throughout most of South County. There are loads of peanut bunker that are keeping the albies around, and for the most part keeping them less spooky than when they are on smaller bait. There are some good sized bluefish at Sandy Point and Conimicut, and the striper bite has been best around Prudence Island. The tautog bite has been picking up along the shoreline in Narragansett and Newport; while tautog and scup have been caught in decent numbers at Brenton Reef and India Point Park.
Mike, at Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, reports that there is still a ton of bait up his way, including large schools of peanut bunker and anchovies. Striped bass and false albacore can be found hot on the tail of all this bait, both along the beaches and in the breachways. Light tackle action for striped bass is also pretty darn good right inside the salt ponds. Surfcasters are scoring a nice mix of bass, blues and albies; while boat anglers are still finding some bigger bass at Southwest and on the local reefs. Sea bass fishing hasn’t shown any signs of slowing just yet, and tautog action is steady but should benefit greatly from the upcoming temperature drop.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
The weather is taking a turn towards fall this weekend and so should the blackfish bite. Keepers are being taken in both states, and with cooling temperatures we should see more keepers and fewer shorts in the coming weeks. Sea bass and scup are around in good numbers and will help you fill those coolers. False albacore remain spread out throughout both states in good numbers, and you should be able to locate a few no matter where you are looking. The same can be said for striped bass, which can be found in most of the same locations as the false albacore, and vary in size from 25-inches to 25+ pounds.