Connecticut Fishing Report

Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me that the lower river striped bass bite has started to slow down a bit, as the fish seem to be moving in and out pretty often. At any given time, you may find some fish in the lower river, but if you cannot, you should have no problem finding them just out front. There are fish on the shallower reefs and rockpiles during low light hours and on the deeper reefs during the day. There is still plenty of bunker around the river mouth area, so you should have no problem finding some bait to bring out to the reefs. Along with bunker, eels, spoons, GT eels and topwater plugs have all accounted for some big bass this week. There are still big bluefish around, but the larger masses seem to be around Plum Gut and The Race. The fluke fishing has been inconsistent, but solid fish are being taken on both deep and shallow structure for the anglers grinding through the tides. At this point, the fluke seem to be more structure oriented than depth oriented. Sea bass is still closed in CT, but a strong scup bite has helped to fill that void. Make sure to sign up for Black Hall’s 9^th annual Fluke Fest which starts July 20th, 2023, and runs until Sunday, July 23rd at 3 p.m.

Heather from Black Hawk Sportfishing reported another solid week of fishing aboard the Black Hawk! They lost a trip to the wind, but the rest of the weekend saw good fishing for porgies and sea bass. While sea bass is closed for rec anglers, it remains open for party and charter boats! Last weekend saw an excellent Saturday family trip, and all the children had a blast reeling in porgies all day! They hold these special trips every Saturday afternoon and hope you can join them! They have also had many requests for bass/bluefish trips, so they will be running these on Sunday afternoons in July. All of their trips book very quickly, so be sure to contact Heather to get your group on the calendar ASAP! 

Captain Mike Roy, at Reel Cast Charters is still finding some really good local fishing and they are starting to see more and more monster bass each day. The fish have transitioned out of their spring spots and are starting to hold in their summer haunts. The eastern sound reefs are holding butterfish, sand eels and squid, and the bigger bass have started to take notice. Topwater school bass blitzes have also remained prevalent in and around the river mouth. The bluefish numbers remain very good, but they are starting to transition to the deeper reefs and rips. The local sea bass bite was strong before it closed for a couple of weeks, so it should fire right back up when it opens back up this weekend. Mike still has some open dates through July, so give him a call to book your trip before they fill up! 

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain in Connecticut!

Dan, at Dan’s Bait, Tackle and Charters in New London told me that the holiday weekend was a resounding success for anglers across eastern CT. Striped bass are plentiful and the full moon cycle fired up a strong bite of 30- to 40-pound bass on live eels. Boat anglers are finding loads of bass on the local reefs and rips, but there has been no shortage of action for shore anglers working the local rockpiles after dark. Anglers looking for porgies have had no problem filling coolers using squid, clams or worms from the boat and shore. The summer tautog season opened up this month, and the few anglers that have targeted them reported some decent catches. The sea bass season opens back up on the 7th and will provide another strong option for anglers this weekend.  

Joe, at Diorio Guide Service, reports that fishing is about as good as it gets right now. There is no shortage of big bass locally, and the bait schools have gotten much thicker this week. The bass and bluefish have taken notice of all the bait and can be found in the river and across most of the nearshore reefs. 3-waying a live bunker is the safest bet, but you can still find fish on live eels and occasionally on a large topwater offering. Joe still has some dates available in September and October, so contact him soon to book a trip.  

Captain Chris, at Elser Guide Service told me that the topwater bite has slowed down and the big moon tides have made things tricky. Despite this, he has been able to find big bluefish and some quality stripers to 32-pounds in his area this week. Ideally, he’d find fish on topwater or livelining bait, but if that is not working, there’s no shame in busting out the tube and worm and getting it done! Trolling tubes has been relatively consistent for stripers and the gator bluefish are loving them. As more bunker moves through the area the topwater bites will pop off once again, so get out there whenever you can! 

Tyler, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk said that the inshore fishing has remained hot throughout his area this week. Massive schools of bunker are inshore and especially in Norwalk Harbor and the gamefish are glued to them. Striper fishing is fantastic locally with fish taking up residence in shallow water boulder fields and reefs. There are also bass with the bait in the harbor. Anglers are live lining, chunking, and throwing big plugs like The Doc to tangle with fish from slot size up to 35 pounds. There are also similar bluefish reports, as they have found the bunker schools and continue to harass them. Fluke fishing has been decent for those grinding out the tides and putting time in. The best action this week seems to be coming from 26-40 feet of water. Sea bass fishing should pick up where it left off, if not better, when it reopens on the 7th. The scup bite is strong from both shore and boat, with plenty of keepers for both. Freshwater anglers are still finding trout in most of the local TMAs, while both largemouth and smallmouth are chewing in the reservoir.  

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain in Connecticut!

Connecticut Fishing Forecast

The big striped bass action is still going strong in Connecticut, although it has started to transition a bit. Bunker numbers have improved once again in the rivers and tributaries, but some of the bass have transitioned out, in search of some cooler water. Regardless, there is no shortage of big striped bass on most trips; whether it’s the lower river, the shallow reefs, or the deeper rips throughout the sound. Fluke fishing has been challenging, as consistency has been lacking from day to day. That being said, some big flat fish are being taken most days. You just need to work different depths and areas instead of chasing reports, and you will likely be rewarded with a few keepers at least. Sea bass fishing opens back up Friday and will likely produce some good fish in their summer haunts. Scup action is red hot, and don’t forget about summer tautog, which provides another strong bottom fishing option this month. A few blue crab reports have started to trickle in from the estuaries, and those numbers should improve greatly through July. Flows are moderate and clean for trout anglers on the TMAs, while the lakes and ponds continue to produce a nice mix of bass and panfish.