A strong striped bass season persists, with great reports from the west end of Connecticut to Newport, Rhode Island. Bottom fishing gets steadier every day, with great scup action, solid sea bass, and improved fluke fishing.
Connecticut Fishing Report
According to the Blackhawk II out of Niantic, the bottom fishing continues to be excellent with plenty of porgies to go around. The sea bass catching is steadily improving with every day, with limits of knotheads all around the boat. Book your spot online to get in on the action as space is limited and reservations are required.
Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters, told me that there is still a healthy amount of large striped bass and bluefish in the area. Most of these fish are willing to hit topwater plugs in the mornings and evenings. The night bite is also starting to pick up for anglers dunking eels in the wee hours of the night. Light tackle and fly anglers are also cashing in on a good bass and bluefish bite, due to the abundance of sand eels in the area. The river bite seems to be slowing down a bit in terms of quantity, but the fish that are still up there tend to be on the larger side. The sea bass bite has slowed a bit in local waters, but those fishing deep structure are still finding some good fish, while the scup bite seems to be picking up throughout the area. Fluke fishing seems to be picking up steam, with some larger fish being weighed in this week, including a few in the double digits. The blue crab action has picked up once again in most of the tidal estuaries, with most crabbers reporting plenty of keepers to be had.
Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters told me he is still finding a steady pick of quality bass, both in the Connecticut River and on the reefs. The crowds continue to get larger, but with the fish spreading out you can certainly move around, avoid the crowds, and still find some nice fish. Sea bass fishing has picked up quite a bit in eastern CT, and the hubcap scup have started to show up as well!
Mike, at Light Bite Charters in Norwalk, told me that the fishing out west remains consistent, with some larger bass starting to move into shallower water. Those live-lining or dunking fresh chunks are getting it done around the bunker schools. Along with fresh bait, large Danny swimmers and topwaters are producing as bunker imitators. If you’re more into soft plastics, the Game On Big Occhi’s are getting plenty of attention, along with Al Gags 5-inch paddle tails. Big bluefish have been elusive, and they seem to be residing in deeper water; but if you can find a bunker school, you can usually find a couple big gators blowing up on them.
Over at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, they have been reporting big bass in deeper water at the Triangle and Middle Ground on chunks and trolled tube-and-worm rigs. There have also been some big bluefish on the surface that are easier to find when the seas are calm.
Captain Chris at Elser Guide Service told me that the striper fishing in the western sound has been stronger than he has seen in years. He is finding large bass chasing bunker near mid-Sound and close to shore. The best part about these bass is that they have been just as willing to hit a topwater offering or a 10-inch Occhi soft-plastic as they are to take a live bunker. The amount of surface activity is also providing an excellent chance for fly anglers to hook into that personal best! 10- to 15-inch buoyant yak hair bunker-pattern flies and large white flatwing patterns have been getting the job done recently. Large bluefish are more abundant than the past several years and are popping up around the same bunker schools that the bass are on. Black sea bass action has remained steady in deeper water, and there are finally some reports of larger fluke showing up out west.
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Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Connor at Tall Tailz Charters in Newport told me that bigger bass have started to settle in off Newport. He’s seeing big numbers of bass from slot size to 40 pounds or so. The topwater bite has remained particularly good in the mornings. Fluke fishing is getting more consistent, with more keepers in the mix each day. High/Low rigs with whole squid have been the top producer for larger fluke, while sea bass and scup action remains very consistent in the deeper water. All signs are pointing to a very productive summer in the inshore waters.
Captain Kelly of C-Devil II Sportfishing in Point Judith told me that fishing has been great this week, with the water warming up and bringing some bigger bass out toward Block Island. The Westerly beaches and adjacent reefs are also holding some decent schools of bass. They are having equal success with live bait and a mix of artificial plugs and plastics. It has been tough to find slot-sized fish, but the trade-off is that most of the fish have been over the 30-pound mark. Bluefish are starting to appear in the mix, with a steady pick of gators to 10 pounds. The fluke bite seems to be picking up, with keepers getting more plentiful, but it has not hit its full stride yet. Sea bass are a bit fussier but, there are still plenty of nice ones around the 5-pound mark. They are starting to book some offshore tuna trips, as the bite is picking up, so be sure to check the live booking calendar on the website.
Captain Greg of Frances Fleet in Narragansett reported a good day on the full-day grounds, with great sea bass fishing and a good showing of nice-sized fluke. The boat had a full limit of bomber sea bass to 5 pounds, and the biggest fish of the day was between 6 and 7 pounds. Big 6-inch Berkley Gulp curly tails were the way to go. The boats are booking fast, so call ahead!
Mike, at Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly in Westerly, reported that the fluke fishing seems to be improving along the local beaches, but you still have to weed through a big number of short fish. Despite the shorts, limit catches have been coming from the Misquamicut area, as well as the south side of Fishers. Striped bass action has been strong, with some larger fish showing up on the local reefs and around Fishers.
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Rhode Island.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Striped bass reports are strong across the board with great reports from the western sound, Newport and pretty much everywhere in between. Bunker seems abundant in most locations, and the bass haven’t been too far behind. Bottom fishing is improving with steady scup and sea bass action, along with steadily improving fluke results. Bonito seem to be popping up with more regularity in Rhode Island, so be sure to pack the light-tackle gear just in case!