Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me that the fall fishing has remained strong across Connecticut. The tautog fishing has been strong for most, and with water temperatures still around 60 degrees, they can still be found across most depths. They probably won’t stay this shallow for long, but Matt managed a kayak limit in 15 feet of water on Wednesday. The warmer water has also kept some big scup and sea bass in the mix, with both species being common bycatch for tog anglers. The false albacore have thinned a bit, but Matt has still seen them and had a shot at them on almost every trip this week. There is no shortage of small bait across the sound, and it has kept the bluefish/striped bass blitzes going, although they have become a bit more scattered.
Heather from Black Hawk Sportfishing reported that their final bass and bluefish trip of the season was excellent, with plenty of gator blues coming over the rails. They are already looking forward to next season but will now be focusing on bottom fishing for the rest of this season. The regular bottom fishing trips for sea bass and porgies are on the weekends, and while results have varied, all trips have seen some quality fish coming over the rails. They are starting to see some nice cod on these trips as well, and that should only continue as the season rolls forward. The combo trips in which they also target blackfish have been even more successful. Most anglers are scoring some nice keeper blackfish on these trips, and they saw fish to 11 pounds this week! Be sure to check their website or Facebook page for schedule updates and to book a late fall trip while the fishing is still good.
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 strong as well. The tautog action seems to be improving every trip, although you still must weed through a lot of short fish and/or try to find some pieces of structure that aren’t heavily fished. While the number of stripers in the area has been steady, they are quite transient. They seem to be moving around day to day, making it a little more time consuming to find. There are still plenty of false albacore in the area as well, although they have started to get a bit more finicky as well. Captain Mike and his team still have a few openings for November, so be sure to give him a call 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 still showing up on the shallow structure 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 with some fish being shallow, the shore anglers are still cashing in. 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. False albacore are still popping up throughout the Eastern Sound, although they’re starting to get more sporadic and spookier. There is no shortage of striped bass, but they are moving around quite a bit as well. You’re apt to find a blitz just about anywhere in the Eastern Sound, while the Thames and Connecticut River mouths are starting to provide more consistency.
Captain Chris, at Elser Guide Service told me that it was another up and down week due to all the weather changes, but he had excellent false albacore and bass action before the most recent cold front. The fish have been split up and feeding on either very small silversides or 3- to 5-inch peanut bunker so switching up your offering is key to getting them to strike. In most cases, Chris is having solid success with the Exo jig in 1 to 1.5 ounces in white or pink. When the fish get finicky, a switch to a small soft plastic like a Duratech or Sluggo on a weighted worm hook has gotten the job done. Some very big bass have started to filter through the area as the migration starts, so it’ll be time this week to throw live or plastic eels and big topwater plugs near the shoreline structure and subsurface boulder fields.
Jesse at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that the shallow water blackfish bite has been lights out, as the water temperatures have hovered at a point where you don’t necessarily have to go deep yet. There hasn’t been anything massive weighed in yet, but there are plenty of quality fish in the 5- to 8-pound range, and a few almost touching the 10-pound mark. Rigs and jigs are both getting the job done, and there are still plenty of big sea bass and scup in the mix. The inshore big bluefish bite hasn’t quit just yet, with big schools of gators around the islands, beaches, and up in the harbors. Striped bass action has been good as well, but the overall size has ticked down a bit. Most fish being caught are in the schoolie to slot range, although there are some 20- to 30-pound fish taking some bigger plugs and bigger soft plastics. False albacore are still around in decent numbers as well, but they never seem to be in the same place from day to day, so some traveling, or good luck may be necessary. Freshwater anglers are reporting better trout action throughout the area. Big browns and rainbows have been taken at the Reservoir, where they are feeding on alewives around dawn and dusk. The TMAs have also come alive this week, with better fishing reported from all of the usual hotspots in the area.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Connecticut anglers have also still been focusing on blackfishing, with temperatures in the sound staying warm enough to keep the bite spread out through a number of depth ranges. Weeding through shorts is still a reality, but the overall quality keeps improving, and the water temperatures being elevated has provided shorebound anglers with another week of opportunity. There is still no shortage of mixed sized striped bass to play with, but they seem to be moving around quite a bit from day to day. If you’re looking for better concentrations of smaller fish, the river mouths are starting to see fish stage up before the winter. False albacore are still prevalent throughout the Sound, so the hardtail enthusiasts should look to get out soon before this cool weather sends them packing. Freshwater anglers are reporting an uptick in trout action in the lakes and ponds, along with steady action in the TMAs. Pike and carp reports are starting to intensify a bit as well and should continue to improve throughout November.