Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me that the fall run mayhem has remained steady across Connecticut, especially since the weather has started to stabilize across the state. The false albacore have had an interesting run this year. They showed up, immediately got blown out, showed up again, and decided to hang around. The bite has remained tenacious, and many anglers are reporting an albie hookup while sitting on the blackfish anchor. There is no shortage of bluefish/striped bass blitzes throughout the sound as well, although the river bite has slowed down since the last bout of rain. Bottom fishermen are still finding plenty of blackfish across a number of depths, and while there are loads of shorts, the overall quality of fish seems to be slowly improving.
Heather from Black Hawk Sportfishing reported productive bass and bluefish action once again. Contrary to popular belief, the bluefish haven’t left just yet, with a consistent bite of gators on most of the trips this week. Their bottom fishing trips were a bit slower than they would like, due to strong tides/winds, but those who kept grinding were rewarded with full coolers. The weather has started to stabilize about as much as it has in weeks, so things should just keep improving for the bottom fishermen this week. The combination trips continue to be a fan favorite, and they will likely result in coolers full of tautog, scup and sea bass. These trips always fill fast, so be sure to check their website for reservations before you miss out!
When I checked in with captain Mike Roy, at Reel Cast Charters, he told me that the striper fishing has remained steady for his anglers that want to go that route, and the bottom fishing for tautog has been excellent as well. The river bite has slowed a bit following the last rain event, but there is no shortage of fish on the reefs just outside of the river. Soft plastics and small topwaters are a safe bet for those fish, which are genarally blitzing on small bait, but there are still enough bigger fish hanging on the reefs to make it worth hanging a flutter spoon or live bait offering. The bluefish have thinned out a bit, but they still like to rip through your offering when you’re not paying attention, and they’re big, so be prepared! Chasing false albacore is a fool’s errand, as there are still so many around that you should have no problem finding them while bass fishing or sitting on the blackfish anchor. Speaking of blackfish, limits have gotten easier each day. If you want to fill the cooler, Mike and his crew could fill those needs as well, so be sure to book a trip before it’s too late.
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Dan, at Daniels Bait, Tackle & Charters in New London told me that the local tautog fishing has been going strong, with plenty of fish coming on the wrecks and rockpiles in 15 to 20 feet of water, and some bigger fish have been being pulled off the deepwater wrecks. Boat limits have been common for most, and shore anglers are getting in on the action as well. As is usually the case early in the year, both jigs and rigs are getting the job done. The porgy bite has slowed down for the shore anglers, but some hubcaps are being caught as tautog by-catch out on the reefs. Striped bass fishing is still steady out front and, in the rivers, while offshore anglers are still reporting yellowfin and bluefin without too long of a ride.
Captain Chris, at Elser Guide Service told me that the albies have not left the area, despite last weekends blow, and that same swell seems to have helped out the bass and bluefish bite. All three species are feeding heavily at the moment, and we’re about at the peak of western sound fishing, especially in terms of light tackle action. The bass, bluefish, and false albacore have been feeding in the same areas, and anything that imitates a silverside seems to be working. There is no shortage of bigger bass in the area as well, and they’re hitting the Doc, X-Walk, or the 10-inch Duratech soft plastic. The albies have been hitting 1-ounce exo jigs, and on the rare occasion they get finicky, downsizing the leader weight has worked better than downsizing the offerings. Chris hasn’t seen any signs of the Atlantic herring push in the area, but that should be right around the corner, and will almost certainly cull out the remaining big bass in the area.
Tyler at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that the blackfish bite has been as strong as ever, and the keeper to short ratio seems to be improving quite a bit over the past few days. They haven’t weighed any giants just yet, but the overall quality is improving, and a glut of double-digit fish should be right around the corner. There are still some very large sea bass and scup mixed in with the blackfish making for some nice mixed bag fishing. The local inshore bite for bass and bluefish is about as good as it gets, with mixed schools of both species around the islands, beaches, and in the harbor. Topwater plugs, soft plastics and paddletails are all working well for these fish that are highly keyed in on the massive schools of peanut bunker they are chasing around. There are still false albacore around as well keeping things interesting for anglers looking to chase birds and blitzes. Decent albie feeds can be found most days around the mouth of the harbor, and there are still some massive feeds just to the east around Westport.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Connecticut anglers have also still been focusing on blackfishing, but word is the amount of false albacore has been distracting while trying to anchor. Ever since they re-arrived, the albies don’t seem to want to leave, so keep the light tackle gear ready if you want another fix before it cools down. There has been no shortage of tautog since the opener, and shorts are prevalent, but the last few days has seen an upward trend in the overall quality of fish. Weeding through shorts is still a reality, but better numbers of quality keepers are being reported daily. There is still no shortage of mixed sized striped bass to play with, and they generally have left the rivers, so they can be found concentrated around the river mouths. Big bluefish are also still around in solid numbers, in their usual haunts, but they are starting to thin out, so the tropical weather this weekend should provide one more great shot at playing with those gators. Freshwater anglers are reporting good bass and pike reports from the lakes, while the fall trout fishing is starting to perk up.