Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me that the continued high winds and surf have dirtied things up in the sound, and made the false albacore hunt difficult. Reports were encouraging before the last bout of wind, so hopefully the hardtails haven’t made their exodus out of the area yet. There are still peanut bunker, silversides, and juvenile butterfish throughout the Eastern Sound, so the albie fishing should fire right back up as we clean up. There is no shortage of mixed class striped bass on the tail of all that bait, so finding some light tackle action shouldn’t be a problem. The adult bunker schools have thinned out in the river, but if you can locate one, you can usually locate a big bass pod close behind. Bluefish of all sizes are also still plentiful, with blitzes of big fish throughout the Sound, and great snapper action in the tributaries. Scup fishing is as strong as ever, and there’s enough keeper sea bass around to keep things interesting.
Heather from Black Hawk Sportfishing reported that they lost a few trips due to the recent weather, but the trips pre and post have been very solid. They had several private charters last week, and were able to fill the boat with porgies, sea bass, bluefish, and even a few cod. The full boat porgy trips since the blow were a little slower than before, but anglers still found a nice mix of keeper scup and sea bass. They still have plenty of trips on tap for this fall, so be sure to check their website for availability!
When I checked in with captain Mike Roy, at Reel Cast Charters, he told me that fishing is good when they’ve been able to get semi-decent weather. There’s still plenty of topwater schoolie to slot-class bass, along with some gator bluefish. Soft plastics have been working great when the bluefish aren’t around, when they are, Mike has been turning to the Shimano Current Sniper Jig. There have been albies scattered all over the area, but the consistency from day to day isn’t there, they seem to still be moving around quite a bit. Black sea bass fishing has been good and is providing another nice option on these fall trips. Things are shaping up nicely for the fall run, and Mike still has a few dates available, so be sure to reach out soon.
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Dan, at Daniels Bait, Tackle & Charters in New London told me that the recent storms and wind has made things difficult for local boat anglers, but anglers chunking fresh bait from the beaches and rocks are still scoring some nice bass and bluefish. Large schools of small bait have been in the wash line as well and is helping to produce a good school bass bite. False albacore and bonito have been spotted on most days, in which they weather wasn’t too terrible, so hopefully we get a little more consistency as it settles down. Connecticut tautog fishing is right around the corner, and Dan will have everything you need for the start of the season!
Captain Chris, at Elser Guide Service has been blown off the water for the week, but previously he had albies in several different locations across the Western Sound, so hopefully they’re still in the area this weekend. Pink 1-ounce Exo Jigs has been the hot ticket! The fish are feeding on 2- to 3-inch peanut bunker, but they can still be finicky at times. Big striped bass are still here and very catchable on the troll, while bluefish are still hanging out on pretty much every piece of structure and/or rip line. Despite the recent wind and tough weather, things are shaping up nicely for another great fall run!
Tyler, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that things have remained good in the region when the weather has allowed. Striped bass and bluefish have been caught regularly around the islands and from the shore this week. The fish have been quite aggressive and have been eating just about everything from tins to poppers. Anglers fishing from shore after dark have been finding some better fish in the mix, including a few over the 40-inch mark. Some bigger striped bass and gator bluefish are still occupying the deepwater structure in the area and will willingly take diamond jigs. The red hot albie fishing from last week has dried up a bit with the east wind, but there are still sporadic hardtail sightings in the area. Bottom fishing has been solid, with a few big fluke, tons of big scup, and some better-quality sea bass showing up this week.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Connecticut anglers have also been dealing with some tough conditions throughout the sound, but improving water quality should fire the bite back up later this weekend. The Eastern Sound is still seeing spotty false albacore pods, so here’s to hoping that the numbers increase as the weather settles. The Western Sound remains the more consistent bet for hardtails, but it’s not as lock and load as last week. The giant schools of small bait continue to grow, so these blitzes should get easier to find as more fish settle in. There is no shortage of mixed sized striped bass to play with, whether you’re out east, west, or any points in between. Topwater blitzes are becoming more common, while the bigger fish are still prevalent on the reefs; so, you should be able to find them one way or the other. Big bluefish are also still around in good numbers, with the best reports coming from The Race/Plum Gut area to the east, and on the deepwater reefs in the Western Sound. Fluke fishing has ticked down, as that season comes to an end, but the sea bassing has picked up and the scup fishing remains as reliable as ever.