Connecticut Fishing Report- May 4, 2023

Connecticut Fishing Report

Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook, told me that the schoolie striped bass bite has been very good in the smaller tidal rivers and shallower tidal creeks. A few of the adjacent beaches are holding some fresh schoolies as well, and most of these fish have been willing to small soft plastics, along with small topwater offerings. The larger tidal rivers are still dirty from the recent flooding, but anglers dunking sandworms are still finding some nice bass, despite the floods. There are a few rumors of bluefish showing up along the beaches, but those reports are still sparse. We should expect to see more bluefish consistency by mid-May. Freshwater fishing patterns have remained similar, with good pre-spawn largemouth fishing and great crappie fishing on micro jigs and soft plastics. 

Heather from Black Hawk Sportfishing was happy to finally get back on the water! They had their first squid trips of the year last week, and while it wasn’t a bucket filling trip, they found plenty of signs of life. They are starting their porgy season this week, so be sure to check their website for tickets. They will also be adding more squid trips, along with starting to book private charters, so keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for scheduling.  

Captain Mike Roy, at Reel Cast Charters reports that the stripers are now moving out of their wintertime holding areas and are transitioning to their springtime patterns. Fishing has been good this week, despite the high water, with plenty of bass willing to take large soft plastics and topwater plugs. He also caught a few bass with adult bunker in their throats, which is a good sign that there is already plenty of big bait in the area. Be sure to check in with Captain Mike to schedule a trip before the schedule really starts to fill up.  

Dan, at Dan’s Bait, Tackle and Charters in New London reports that the recent wind and rain has made things difficult for local saltwater anglers. Things appear to be settling down, and most of the local guides expect to start seeing some fresh striped bass filling in over the next week or two. Freshwater anglers are still battling some high flows, but things are settling down and the trout anglers are still scoring good catches when they find some pockets of fishable water. The lakes and rivers that were stocked with this spring are producing best, including the bodies of water that got a lake trout stocking. Crappie and bluegill fishing has also been very strong for anglers fishing microjigs tipped with plastic tails around the grassbeds. Largemouth bass activity has been consistent, and the pre-spawn bite continues to materialize nicely.  

Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that striper fishing has really started to hit its stride in the area. There are quite a few opportunities for both shore and boat anglers. Locally, the harbors, bays and river mouths continue to fish well. The shallow mudflats on the incoming tides are producing the best fishing, especially for anglers tossing sandworms. Small swimming plugs, soft plastics on jigheads and the occasional topwater plug are also getting the job done. Most of the local fish are schoolies, although there are a few bigger fish in the mix, including a few around the 30-pound mark. Anglers dropping diamond jigs and flutter spoons to the west, out by Eaton’s Neck, are starting to find steady action of bass to around 35 inches. Further to the west, anglers are finding even bigger bass hot on the tails of the bunker schools. That action should continue to push east, so have your gear ready! Freshwater anglers are starting to report a better smallmouth bite on shiners at the reservoir, while trout anglers are reporting the best catches from the Saugatuck River and the Wilton section of the Norwalk River.  

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Connecticut Fishing Forecast

Connecticut anglers continue to see improved holdover striped bass fishing as more herring enter the rivers, and the shallow flats are warming up and drawing the attention of some hungry bass. Despite some of the rivers being flooded, anglers are still catching with sandworms, and the plug fishermen are finding some hungry schoolies in the smaller creeks and along some of the beaches. The larger tidal rivers should drop below flood stage this week and give us an opportunity to look for bass around the herring runs. Shad reports had started to improve but have also been halted a bit due to the high flows. Most of the trout streams are back to fishable flows and some quality trout reports have started to flow back in! Pre-spawn largemouth, a strong crappie bite and good action for the carp anglers are rounding out the freshwater catches.