Connecticut Fishing Report – August 5, 2021

Connecticut Fishing Report

Heather, from Blackhawk Sportfishing reported another great week of mostly beautiful weather and great fishing! Limits of jumbo porgies and huge sea bass have been filling the coolers all week long. The fluke bite has improved quite a bit, with a few trips being full of “doormats”, along with some even better sea bass action, including full boat limits. The Blackhawk Take a Kid Fishing program will get going each Saturday afternoon in August, and the crew can’t wait! These are shorter trips specifically created for families and children, and each adult must be accompanied by a child. Reservations are required for these trips and the rest of their trips, including the private charters, so be sure to contact Heather to book before it’s too late.

At Black Hall Outfitters the guys reported that bass and blues of mixed sizes can be found on nearly any rocky reef or point in the Eastern Sound. Drifting those areas at low light has been the most productive, but there are also some nice blitzes popping up sporadically of fish feeding on rain bait. 3-waying the reefs with eels, bunker or scup has worked well, while anglers anchoring up and soaking fresh chunks are finding solid results as well. The Race has also been red hot for bass and bluefish, so if you’re struggling inshore, it may be worth the ride. The sea bass bite has picked up locally on the rocks and wrecks in 80+ feet of water, while scup are available on just about any piece of hard structure over 30 feet. The fluke action has been sporadic, but the best results are also on the deeper humps and shoals in the Eastern Sound. Offshore anglers are still reporting an incredible bluefin bite close to the island, with spreader bars and jigs producing equally well this week.

Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown was back from vacation and told me that the scup bite has continued to keep the shop busy. Sandworms are flying out the door, along with rigs, lead, and hooks. Shore anglers are cashing in on all the local outcroppings from Hammonassett to Watch Hill, while boat anglers are scoring everywhere. Striped bass anglers are still catching and releasing trophies at Block Island and Montauk, while local surf anglers are finding some fish on eels during the night shift. The sea bass fishing has improved in Long Island Sound, but you need to target depths of 80-feet plus. For once the fluke fishing has seemed to improve this week, with fish to 9-pounds coming from the Black Point area and the Rhode Island beaches. The offshore bite remains steady for bluefin of mixed sizes and sharks off Block and some bigger threshers have been reported closer to home. The blue crab and snapper bluefish action has been very good in the lower river, whenever the river is clean enough to fish, which hasn’t been the case the last few days.

Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters was happy to report that the presence of bait has increased exponentially on his trips this week. Giant schools of mixed-size rain bait have been present on all their trips, so things are setting up nicely for the fall run. They are already seeing surface feeding bass, mackerel, and gator bluefish, while the rest of the hardtails shouldn’t be too far behind. Sea bass fishing has also improved locally and is a great way to round out a trip and bring home some fish for the table. Give Mike a call asap to book a spot during the home stretch of the summer, or to get out there during the peak of the fall run!

Captain Chris Elser continues to find some of the best striped bass fishing he’s seen in years in the Western Sound. They are still finding several bass over 40-pounds, while an influx of bay anchovies has led to excellent topwater action for schoolie to slot bass and 3-5-pound bluefish. The ¾ ounce Exo jig in green mack has been the top producer ever since the anchovies made their appearance. There has been plenty of bird activity since the arrival of the anchovies as well, and we shouldn’t be too far away from the hardtails making their appearance.

Over at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk the guy’s report that there is still some good inshore striped bass fishing to be had, but you need to focus on the dusk, dawn, and nighttime hours for the best results. Those fishing during the day should look to work deeper water trolling the tube and worm, bunker spoon, or a mojo rig. Fish to 40-pounds have been taken on the troll this week around Middle Ground, 28C, and 11B. There’s a good number of bluefish in the mix at all these locations, along with some nice schools of 5-8-pound fish around the islands. The fluke fishing has slowed down in the area, but those drifting deeper water around 26, 24, 28C, and the OB are finding a few nice keepers on M3 Spoons. Some big scup can be found in all the usual haunts, while big sea bass can be found consistently on all the deeper structure. The bluefin bite is still going strong south of Block, from South Gully out to the Mudhole, with fish coming on jigs around first light and traditional trolling spreads taking fish throughout the day.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

The Frances Fleet in Point Judith has seen quite in uptick in results on their half-day trips this week. Captain Greg was able to put a sold-out crowd on a limit of sea bass, along with some nice fluke to 5-pounds on Monday. Captain Keith took another nice crowd out to some close to home grounds on Tuesday and found plenty of sea bass and some slammer fluke to 29-inches! Captain Rich has reported some strong results on the full-day trips as well, with sea bass limits most days and fluke limits on a few trips. The fleet will continue to sail daily, so be sure to check with the office for reservations.

Captain Rick, at Priority Charters in Narragansett reports that he has been spending quite a bit of time targeting bluefin, and the results remain solid. They’re catching fish on most trips, with spreader bars working best one day and jigs working better the next. White marlin have also become more of a regular catch out there and the yellowfin bite has improved around the Ranger wreck. White marlin are becoming regular enough that they hooked one on an inshore fluke trip this week. The striped bass fishing remains best around Block Island, with the fish now heavily concentrated into a couple of areas. The fluke fishing has improved quite a bit this week, with fish to 25-inches taking spearing and squid strips, while the sea bass bite remains excellent throughout the state.

Connor, at Tall Tailz Charters mentioned that we are slowly approaching the summer doldrums, making the inshore fishing slightly trickier. The warmer water has caused Connor to work a bit harder for larger bass, but they are still finding 20-30-pound bass with some regularity. They are still seeing plenty of slot fish and gator bluefish on most trips. While inshore fishing has slowed a bit, Block Island is still red hot. They have made a few night trips out to the island and have scored dozens of 40-pound bass and a few over 50! These fish are hitting topwater plugs around the boulder fields at dusk and live eels after dark. Chub mackerel are still all over the place and are hitting small epoxy jigs on quick retrieves. The sea bass and fluke bite has remained steady and is providing a nice fall back when the striper action slows.

Ian, at Ranger Charters in Newport told me that the bass haven’t moved out of inshore waters just yet. Most of his evening/night trips have seen double digit slot fish, along with a few larger fish and some big bluefish. Most of the action is coming on topwater offerings, which is always a good time, with fresh chunks also producing when plugs aren’t. The sea bass action in the Newport area has also improved, as a slug of larger fish seems to have moved into the area recently.

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that the striped bass anglers are still scoring plenty of big bass around the island, but you have to keep an eye out for sharks, which are eager to take your catch. The bass bite has also remained steady inshore, due to an influx of peanut bunker. The peanut bunker has also attracted the attention of fluke and sea bass, with both species showing up with more regularity this week. The scup bite is also strong throughout the bay and along the hard structure on the south shore. Some keeper tautog are being caught by those targeting them with rod and reel and with the speargun. Spanish and chub mackerel are around in good numbers, while the best bonito reports are coming from Sakonnet and Little Compton. The school bluefin bite is still going strong around the island, with the jig bite being the top producer this week.

Nick, at Big Bear Hunting and Fishing reports that bottom fishermen are finding plenty of quality sea bass, and while fluke has been up and down, those doing short drifts in the right areas are finding some good fish. Fluke to 24-inches have been reported around Point Judith on salmon red, new penny and orange colored Gulp, as they are likely feeding on juvenile sea robins. The tautog reports from the opener have been solid, and the shop will be stocked with green crabs soon. Freshwater anglers are still reporting some nice largemouth catches, with the majority coming after dark on topwater offerings.

Dustin, at RI Kayak Fishing Adventures told me that the opening of the tautog season was a success, with some nice keepers taken close to home. Keeper fluke continue to require a bit of work to find, while the sea bass bite has picked up the slack and been as consistent as ever. Striped bass of mixed sizes can be found in most areas during most tides, and there seems to be more bluefish in the area than there has been all season. Chub mackerel continue to be all over the place, while anglers patiently await the arrival of more bonito and some false albacore. Freshwater anglers are still scoring some nice largemouth catches on frogs and walking style baits on the topwater or dropping the tried-and-true senko along the weed beds.

Jay, at Pamela May Charters in Narragansett, told me that the topwater fishing has been great nearly every day, as it seems that the fall patterns are setting up early. Large schools of rain bait have moved in, and the bass, blues and mackerel have taken notice. Sea bass have been all over the place and can be caught by just dropping down a small RonZ or epoxy jig that you are tossing at the topwater fish. The fluke fishing has picked up in around 65 feet of water along the south shore, while the bonito reports remain generally quiet. The bluefin jig bite remains steady off Block, and some more sharks have joined the mix.

Captain Ben, at Watch Hill Charters had another great week of fishing, with plenty of striped bass on the surface feeding on rain bait. The fish can be finicky at times but are generally willing to hit smaller offerings. There are also some big bluefish in the mix, including a 36-inch fish they landed this week on a small Storm shad and 15-pound leader. Slot bass have been coming on light tackle on nearly every trip, and there are plenty of larger fish to be had on live baits. With the fall run approaching, make sure you reach out to Ben to schedule a trip!

Connecticut Forecast

There’s no shortage of fishing options, as we wait for the summer season to officially transition to fall. Signs of the approaching run are here, loads of rain bait have invaded our waters and have caught the attention of surface-feeding bass and bluefish, along with a few mixed hardtails. Chub and Spanish mackerel can be found with some regularity throughout RI and eastern CT, while a few more bonito seem to have filtered into the area.

Those looking for larger bass should start to focus more on the low light or overnight hours, both at Block Island and on the inshore reefs. Bottom fishermen are still finding plenty of scup and sea bass to fill their coolers, and it was good to see an improvement in the fluke fishing this week. Don’t overlook the late summer/early fall tautog season, which provides another steady option through August in CT and RI. Offshore anglers should continue to cash in on any weather window they get, with the tuna, shark, and marlin bite still being one of the best in years.