Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook was happy to share that bunker reports are (finally) improving exponentially from day to day. The influx of bunker has helped the Connecticut River bite, but it still has been hit or miss from tide to tide. It should only improve in the coming days, but the warm temps could also throw things for a loop. Fear not though, the inshore bass reports from the local reefs have improved, while reports from The Gut and The Race have remained steady. Three-waying eels and/or bunker (when you can find them) has been the ticket, but Matt also noted that they can’t keep diamond jigs and flutter spoons on the shelves at the shop, so there is your backup plan. Fluke fishing has been surprisingly strong throughout the state in 50 feet of water or so, while sea bass are being taken in 70 feet, and the scup bite improves by the day.
Heather from the Blackhawk in Niantic provided the following report: “We had a full week of charters and saw some great fishing! Most of the charters did a bit of a combo, spending some time porgy fishing and sometimes bass and bluefishing. The porgy fishing wasn’t as good as we’d hoped earlier in the week, but then on our porgy trip on Friday, we made some moves and were able to find a pile of ’em! The holiday weekend showed good porgy fishing, with some trips better than others, but overall better than it’s been in the last few weeks. The bass fishing remains excellent, with limits of slot-sized fish coming over the rails. We’re starting to see some more bluefish around as well, making for some nice After Work Special trips. We’re still booking charters- we have only a few dates left for the summer, so be sure to book your date soon! New tickets for each week will be posted online on Monday night at 8 p.m., just like in past years. Be sure to check out our calendar so you see what’s coming up!”
Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters reported that things continued to improve over the past week. Many of the reefs in Long Island Sound are chock full of bait and the bass are feeding heavily. On top of that, there was finally a nice push of bunker into the lower river. The bunker bite is far from lights out and could be inconsistent from day to day, but it has certainly added another dimension to the local fishing. The results from The Race and The Gut continue to be very strong over the past few days, so there’s no need to panic if you don’t immediately find fish in the lower river. Mike also reported that the sea bassing has improved quite a bit over the past few days, so he has been able to end most of his trips with a quick sea bass limit.
Joe at Diorio Guide Service told me that fishing local had been hit or miss, but it’s starting to trend in the right direction. The recent warm weather/sunny days have made for tougher conditions, but there have been plenty of bass around during the low light hours. These bass tend to be less picky and will generally hit the 9-inch Doc or the Joe Baggs Skipper. When the sun gets higher, it’s time to find live bunker, or move out to the reefs and rips and work jigs. Three-waying Miracle Minnows or live eels has produced solid results on the reefs, so there’s no shortage of action right now if you come prepared.
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When I talked to Captain Chris of Elser Guide Service, he was coming off another long week of chartering but had solid results to report. It’s been lock and load for anyone willing to troll tube and worm, but more of a challenge for fly and light-tackle anglers. Because of this, Chris has been shifting his trips and accommodating all his clients. They have been finding light-tackle and fly-fishing action on most trips, but it hasn’t been as easy as the tube and worm trolling, which is producing quality fish every trip. Adult bunker are scarce in the area, but there is no shortage of peanut bunker and sand eels, which have made the comeback of fluke fishing a real deal. They limited out on fluke on several family trips the past week, and there are bass in the mix, but not as dialed in as the fluke. So, while fishing can be unreliable from day to day, there seems to be no shortage of action!
Captain Andy of Carolyn Ann Sportfishing has continued a strong start to his season. He told me that the Watch Hill Reefs are producing, while the fishing closer to home has required a bit more work. The striped bass have become a bit pickier locally, but he’s still finding plenty of slot fish, along with a few giant overs. Bottom trips have been successful, with more than enough keeper sea bass and fluke to keep things interesting. There is also still a massive amount of bait in the estuaries, so things should only improve from here, in terms of all species.
Max at Fishermen’s World in Norwalk reports that striped bass fishing is at its peak in their neck of the woods. Large stripers are pouring through mid-sound and feeding heavily on immense schools of bunker. Fish up to 50 pounds were reported this week and there are plenty of fish in the 30- to 40-pound range as well. Fishing with bunker chunks, especially at night and during the very early morning, has been the best bet to tangle with a cow bass. The daytime bite is also very good, and diamond jigging during the outgoing tide has been particularly effective. Big schools of gator bluefish have joined the party, adding some extra chaos to the already lights-out fishing, and they can generally be caught using the same methods. Fluke fishing is still better on the New York side, but if you’re looking to grind out a few fish locally, try jigs tipped with squid, clams, or Gulp. Scup fishing is improving, with a solid bite on both the shallow and deep local structure.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Fishing throughout Connecticut continued has taken another turn for the better over the past week or so. The usual June bite of big bass on bunker had never really materialized, but over the past few days it seems to have seriously taken a turn for the better. The usual big bass/bunker areas are firing up, whether it’s the Western Sound, Central Sound, or in the rivers; however, it does appear to be a bit more inconsistent than in years past. If you can’t find bass on bunker, there are still plenty of big bass to be had at the Race and the Gut, along with most of the early summer reefs. While patterns tend to change, they ultimately stay the same; meaning that if you work the usual areas, you will likely be rewarded, even if timing is a bit off from years past. As fluke fishing slowed down to the east and water temperatures rise in the Sound, it makes sense that some of the best fluke reports of the season have come in from Milford to Niantic. The initial sea bass results have been fruitful as well, while scup fishing is borderline full summer mode, where it’s so easy to find them, you have a hard time striking out. Don’t forget about the freshwater bite either, as we get close to extremely hot temperatures, there’s currently a great opportunity to find some big largemouth and smallmouth, with the largemouth taking refuge in the weeds and the smallmouth looking for deeper, cooler water.