Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me that it is really starting to feel more like fall, with the solid north and east winds starting to work its magic. Striped bass blitzes have become much more prevalent over the past few days, specifically on peanut bunker. A few anglers have reported upwards of 50 bass a trip all on topwaters and albie snax, without traveling too far from home. There are still some bigger bass in the 40- to 50-pound range as well, that are willing to hit GT eels and live eels in the shallows after dark. There has been a few confirmed albie sightings in the Eastern Sound since the blow, but not many. The lack of reports can be due to anglers not being on the water with this weather, as much as a lack of fish. We’re anticipating some improved hardtail reports as the weather settles over the weekend. The sea bass bite has been solid and should improve as we progress into October, while giant porgy are still prevalent all over the area.
Heather from the Blackhawk in Niantic provided the following report: “It was an interesting week. Sunday’s porgy trip showed excellent fishing for anglers of all ages, as we had some youngsters on board who had a blast reeling them in all day long. Monday’s bass and blues trip was another beautiful day, with the fishing alternating between an all-out bonanza and a few fish per drift. As you may have seen in our Facebook videos, we had a few days of golf trips in the middle of the week, so we had a little fishing break for a few days. When we got back out there, our private charter on Thursday had a great day with a combo trip of blues, porgies and sea bass. The end of the week brought some wind, which limited where we could fish, impacting the catch. Our Friday and Saturday trips were slower than we’ve been used to lately. Sunday was better, and we’re hoping when the wind drops off, we’ll get back to what we’re used to. We’re heading to Block Island this week for the first time this year; come join us! We will still have bass and blue trips once a week leaving at 7 a.m., the day varies based on our charter schedule each week. Check the website for details and grab your tickets to come join us soon.”
Joe at Diorio Guide Service provided the following report after another week of strong fishing. “With the heavy winds this past week, our main focus was stripers and man, they haven’t disappointed! With the heavy northeast/east winds and colder nights, a good amount of bait has pushed out of the tributaries into the Sound. With all the bait around, it has created phenomenal topwater action from sunup to sundown. We have been doing best throwing the 8.5-inch Joe Baggs Skipper and 9-inch Doc. Great areas to target right now have been estuaries, rip lines and rocky point areas. Hoping with the east winds this week, we will we see more “funny” fish move into the area. October is typically one of our best months of the season and it’s shaping up to be that way.” Contact Joe to get in on the action!
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Anthony from Game On Lures told me that everything seems to be a week or two behind schedule this year but things are finally getting into place and the fishing has been the best it’s been all year! Stripers and blues of all sizes have been tearing through the area feeding on a variety of smaller baits, primarily peanut bunker. Larger bass still seem to be in their summer patterns hanging around shallow boulders and eating best at lowlight hours, however some very large fish have been getting caught mid-day recently. Gator bluefish have been very spotty, but the snapper/chopper blue bite has been unreal on the 3/4oz EXO Jigs. Live eels, Live bunker, 13” Duratech eel, and 8” X-Walk have been doing extremely well for the larger bass and the 1-ounce EXO Jig has been crushing for the schooling bass. Sea bass fishing has been fantastic out in deeper water with most anglers having the best luck on “snap jigging” light bucktails and vertical jigging the 1.5oz EXO Jig. Porgy fishing has been awesome with some dinner plate sized fish being caught very shallow. Reports of albies, Spanish mackerel, and bonito in the Central Sound have been circling but it seems you have to have a rabbit’s foot to run into them outside of RI/MA/NY. Large pods of albies and bonito were reported on from Weekapaug to Watch Hill recently, so they aren’t far! This past week’s heavy NE wind and swells followed by heavy south wind forecasted later this week and the absurd amount of bait in the area should really fire things up, hopefully causing a big push of these hardtails in the area!
When I talked to Captain Chris of Elser Guide Service he was sad to report that he had mostly been blown off the water this week because of the strong easterly flow, which really takes a toll on Central/Western Long Island Sound. Fortunately, the few times he has been out there has been bonito and false albacore spread throughout the region. They are difficult to target, due to the conditions and the schools constantly being on the move, but they should be around when things settle. Luckily, the Housatonic River is starting to show some fall patterns, with some big bass and bluefish actively feeding on peanuts and adult bunker. This has been a savior on many of the high wind days, as it’s always a great place to salvage a trip. Chris is looking forward to a week with less wind and getting his clients back out on the hunt for hardtails!
Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters reported that the recent northeast winds have fired up the fish into fall run mode. Good fishing for stripers of all sizes has been the norm on recent trips and the fish have been much more receptive to artificial lures, not just live baits. Topwater action has been excellent and now is the time to book a trip if you’re looking to get in on some explosive action. This past Sunday’s trips saw over 100 bass on topwater offerings and small soft plastics. We are also seeing lots of bluefish gorging on sand eels. In addition to the sand eels, there is a ton of peanut bunker around. There are still plenty of bottom fish, including porgies and sea bass and all the reefs, so they’ve been able to finish off trips by filling the cooler. Captain Mike and his team have openings over the next two weeks, which should be primetime Give him a call today to book your spot.
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Connecticut Fishing Forecast
The recent blow has kept anglers tied to the docks and reports to a minimum for this time of year, but the early returns are also showing that this weather has helped to get the fall run fired up. Scattered false albacore reports from the Western Sound have been coming in for a few weeks now, and while it hasn’t seemed to intensify, it does seem to have remained status quo. In terms of the Eastern Sound, the weather seems to have really set things off. Massive blitzes of quality striped bass have multiplied in size tenfold since last week, and the sizes of the fish have been good, with the main bait source being large peanut bunker. The first false albacore reports from the Eastern Sound and Fishers Island Sound have hit the board as well, and while far from lights out, it’s encouraging to hear reports of these fish where they should be this time of year. Reports have been scant, which is as likely due to less boats being on the water than the actual number of fish, but if it’s ever going to really pop off this season, it should happen this week. Hardtails or not, it’s safe to say that if you’re targeting topwater fish, you’ll find no shortage of action, whether it’s bass, blues, albies or bonito. Big bass are still feeding well on the reefs and rips, and this is a great time to fool a giant in shallow water before they move on. In that same breath, the major river estuaries have big bass and bluefish feeding on bunker before they make their move south. This provides a steady big fish bite, as well as a chance at refuge when the winds are strong. Tautog season is right around the corner, but in the meantime, anglers pounding the hard bottom are still filling the coolers with big scup and enough keeper sea bass to make it worth it. For the freshwater enthusiasts, the fall trout stocking program is firing up, and flows are great. This is a great time to keep a fly rod or ultra-light in your car, and quick hit a local trout stream for the fish or the fall scenery.
It would be useful if you included some reports from tackle shops about the shore scene. Thanks