Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me that it has been the year of return thus far for big bluefish across eastern/central CT. They have been thick from the Connecticut River to Niantic, and they are big, with fish to 37-inches being reported. They have been so abundant that reports have come in of anglers catching them on every cast while blind casting plugs in 45 feet of water. The striped bass have also been abundant in similar areas, with most ranging from 24-34 inches, along with a few larger specimens that are just starting to trickle in. Once the large bluefish start to thin out/spread out a bit more, we should start seeing some larger bass move in right behind them.
Heather from Black Hawk Sportfishing reported that they have been getting out whenever possible and the results have been solid on the scup grounds. Good numbers of jumbo scup have been coming over the rails on the full boat and private charter trips, along with some nice weakfish, which has been a great bonus. Last week’s squid trips on Thursday and Friday were solid, and Saturday’s trip was excellent with full buckets all around the boat. They will continue to add squid trips whenever they can, it’s a short season so they will get out whenever they get a window. Starting this weekend, the Black Hawk will be running 2 trips a day on Saturdays and Sundays, and those trips tend to sell out quick, so be sure to check the website for scheduling and reservations!
Dan, at Daniel’s Bait, Tackle and Charters in New London, reports that the start of the season has been all you can ask for locally. Holdover striped bass in the Thames estuaries are getting aggressive, with fish to 36+-inches being taken consistently on soft plastics, especially if they are tipped with a strip of bait. Expect the bite of schoolie to 36-inch fish to continue and based on the amount of 40-inch class fish in the Western Sound, we should be seeing some larger, fresh arrivals soon. Shore anglers are taking catching well on the dusk tides with bait and plugs, while boat anglers are having luck trolling tubes, as well as drifting with sandworms or bunker. Dan is stocked with all of your local fishing needs and will be getting consistent sandworm deliveries for the upcoming weeks!
Joe, at Diorio Guide Service told me that the fishing has been on fire for his early season trips, with steady striper fishing, along with big numbers of gator bluefish. He has been getting most of his fish on topwater offerings, such as the 9-inch Doc, Cotton Cordell Pencils, and weightless soft plastics. Each trip is also seeing more bunker in the area as well, so livelining is…and will continue to be a great way to fool some larger bass. Joe still has some dates available for June, so be sure to book soon before it’s too late!
Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters has seen the bite improve since the full moon. As is usually the case in the Spring, the fish have been finicky, but you can generally fool them with small soft plastics. Larger topwater offerings and swimming plugs are also starting to fool some fish on the right days. Big numbers of school bass have been common, and most trips are seeing plenty of slot fish in the mix as well. This week has seen a nice influx of bluefish, which is usually a sign that the late spring action is about to blow up. Reports of bunker are starting to trickle in the lower stretches of the river, so we should be close to seeing some bigger fish push in and for everything to blow open. Be sure to contact Mike for a spring-run trip before it’s too late!
Chris, at Elser Guide Service started logging more time on the water this week and found some great striped bass to 44-inches while chasing the bunker schools. The new Game On Lures X-Walk has been an excellent producer, along with Duratech topwater plastics. As more bunker shows up in the Western Sound, we will also start seeing more bass, and they will likely start moving onto some shallower structure. Sandeels have also invaded the area from Milford to Bridgeport and are providing some great light tackle and fly rod action for striped bass.
Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that the striper fishing in the area is right on schedule, with another strong push of big bass into the area this week. The slug of Hudson fish is on the move and can be found around the bunker schools at most of the usual hotspots. Anglers dragging bunker spoons, Mojos, and umbrellas are scoring good fish, along with those that are locating those bunker schools and dropping a live offering. The fishing is still good to the west from Greenwich to Execution Rock, so we should continue to see fresh fish show up closer to home. The area around the islands, beaches, and estuaries are also holding plenty of smaller fish that will take soft plastics and smaller swimming plugs. The fluke reports have improved, with fish taking bucktails and Gulp, along with M3 spoons in roughly 30 feet of water around can 26. Sea bass have been showing up on the usual structure in 30-50 feet of water, while the scup reports have improved locally as well in the same areas. The Saugatuck Reservoir regulars continue to report good largemouth/smallmouth bass action on shiners, while another recent stocking in the area should keep trout anglers busy for a while.
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Connecticut Fishing Forecast
An influx of striped bass across southern New England is the main draw in town for most anglers, but a part of the story across Rhode Island and Connecticut should be about comebacks as we enter this Memorial Day weekend. Rhode Island anglers should continue to take advantage of the arrival of large striped bass, with the Bay producing steady catches of large fish, and solid reports from Block Island likely foreshadowing an arrival of a larger glut of fish throughout the state. The comeback fish of Rhode Island is the weakfish, as reports do not seem to be slowing down, resulting in a steady option and solid table fare. Sea bass and fluke reports are just starting to pop off but based on the number of squid in the area, we appear to be right on schedule. Much the same in Connecticut, where striped bass numbers seem to be increasing exponentially throughout the state. The comeback king of Connecticut appears to be the gator bluefish, with very steady reports of large, aggressive fish from central CT to New London. It’s hard to say how long these fish will hang around, but right now they are providing some great action that anglers should take advantage of this weekend. Fluke, sea bass, and scup reports from Western CT have improved, and we should start to see a migration onto the Eastern Sound reefs and rips any day now.