Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me it has been rinse and repeat fall fishing across Connecticut, with not much changing since last week. The water temperature has dropped a bit, so it’s time to start your tautog hunt in the 25- to 30-foot range, then work deeper from there. The hotspot over the past week seems to be 35 to 45 feet, so they’re not too deep yet. Short fish will still keep you occupied/drive you crazy, but over the past few days it appears that the quality of keepers has improved quite a bit. Anglers are reporting big waves of small fish, followed by some intense big fish bites; so, in total, the quality of fish is improving. Additionally, there are still some schoolie to 30-inch-plus bass biting around the beaches from Niantic to Saybrook. Anglers can also target holdover schoolie stripers in most of the tidal creeks around the river with small, slow-moving paddletails. The deeper holes are usually the preferred location, and light line helps as well. Freshwater anglers are reporting solid trout catches, and looking forward to the upcoming salmon season, especially if we can finally get some much needed rain! Both of these species can be had on inline spinners, flies, or a number of different offerings, so keep an eye on water levels and flows to make the best choices when targeting these amazing fish.
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Heather from the Blackhawk in Niantic provided the following report: “It was a pretty exciting week on the Black Hawk! We lost some trips early in the week due to the weather, and our first trip out after the wind wasn’t quite what we’d hoped. A good number of scup, some blackfish and some cod as well, but not as many sea bass as we’d been hoping for. On Thursday, though, after watching the bluefin fly out of the water for the last two weeks Capt. Matt and CJ said enough was enough! They put out their spread and many fish tried to eat, and after 15 minutes, they were doubled up with bluefin tuna up to 30 pounds. Everyone went home with the freshest of tuna steaks. We then moved on to a solid bite of blackfish and a mix of scup, sea bass, and a few codfish. Talk about a mixed bag! The rest of our trips for the week were good, with limits of sea bass, lots of scup, and a nice showing of cod. We look forward to more cod as the season continues. We have a few more of our 12-hour Block Island blackfish/bottom fishing combo trips. After that, all trips will be bottom fishing trips, as often as possible when the weather allows. Don’t forget about Small Business Saturday! As usual, we will have our gift certificate sale that day, so give us a call to get a deal on a gift certificate to use next year. As always, new tickets for each week will be posted online on Monday night at 8 p.m. Grab your tickets online and come fill the freezer before the winter! We look forward to seeing everyone soon!”
Hillyers Tackle in Waterford reports that things had slowed down in their neck of the woods, though there was still plenty of traffic coming through the shop. They heard from customers who were getting out locally as well as on head boats while others were already prepping for next season. There are some schoolies to be had in the tidal estuaries. Small soft plastics on light jigheads tend to work best this time of year as the cool water often demands a “low and slow” presentation. They have a wide variety of brands and styles of both plastics and jigheads in stock if you still feel the need to scratch that striper itch. We’re approaching the end, but the fall tautog season is the main draw in town. Dedicated tautog anglers who still have their boats in the water are reporting some of the best blackfishing of the year. There are still loads of shorts to weed through, but keepers are plentiful, and the overall quality is improving daily. The sweet spot appears to be 40 to 50 feet, but starting at 25 feet and working as deep as you desire is a smart play. The shop will be open weekends throughout the winter and now is the time to come in and grab your holiday gift cards to brighten the season for the anglers in your life. The shop is already stocking back up for next season if you’re looking for a little something for yourself as well. They carry all the necessities for clamming and will be selling scallop licenses, too.
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Anthony from Game On Lures provided the following report for the week: “The wind has been an absolute killer recently, but in the short windows of good weather, anglers are still having a ton of success targeting blackfish. The temperature dipped a bit, but for the most part it has remained steady, so both the shallow and deep-water bite should remain great till the season closes. Striped bass continue to filter their way through the area feeding on silversides and peanut bunker. These bass have been picky at times, so smaller baits such as the 5- and 7-inch Duratech soft jerkbait, 1-ounce EXO jig, and 5-inch paddletail have been getting the most attention. The striped bass have been making their way into the holdover rivers pretty heavy, so it’s shaping up to be a not-so-miserable winter! With the windy weather, I’ve looked into freshwater action. The bass, pike, and panfish have been the top priority, and it hasn’t disappointed so far. The lack of rain has dropped water levels on the rivers and lakes pretty significantly, but it hasn’t seemed to affect the fishing much. Small, grassy lakes are going to be your best bet for a good bass/pike bite this time of year. Find what remaining grass is left in the lake and pick it apart with chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and jigs! Coves and backwaters off the river are starting to load up with white perch and panfish. Using an ultralight rod to vertically jig small plastics on a light jighead is the most effective and fun way to target them. In the alewife lakes, the bass and pike are on the hunt and the key to success is locating the bait. Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, paddletails, football jigs and umbrella rigs are my favorite ways to target them. If you’re a fan of A-rig season, our new 3.5-inch Duratech paddletails are a perfect pairing to add on your favorite umbrella rig!”
Rich at Fishermen’s World in Norwalk reports that the local fishing is all about striped bass from here on out. There can be some small groups of straggler fish pushing through out front this time of year, but for the most part, if you’re looking for bass, you’re going to be targeting harbors, tidal estuaries and rivers. There are resident fish that set up locally, but the most consistent bite around can be found in the Housatonic River. Fishing there with big soft plastics is the best bet as the fish are still responsive to larger baits. There are also still a few anglers heading out into the salt after tautog, and while the wind has been a problem, the fishing has been solid enough to get out there whenever you can. There are some other local options to wet a line as well in fresh water. The Saugatuck Reservoir is open through the end of the month and typically fishes better and better the colder is gets. Some of the best trout fishing of the year there takes place as the month wears on, and walleye and smallmouth action can be hot as well. Lures and bait both work well—fishing with live shiners under a slip float is a popular approach. The stocked TMAs also fish well, and the Saugatuck and Mill Rivers are good options. Bait is usually the best bet amid colder temperatures, but small jigs and flies worked near the bottom will take their share of fish, too.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
The only thing holding back Connecticut anglers from excellent tautog fishing is the persistent wind, and the season ending abruptly on the 28th. The fishing is as good as ever right now, with steady keeper action coming in 30 to 100 feet of water, along with a sharp increase in double-digit fish being reported this week. The water is finally starting to cool down, so look to some deeper structure this week, but be willing to bounce around.
Fall run fishing for stripers has mostly wound down, but there’s been an uptick in reports of blitzing bass from Niantic to Westbrook, mostly coming from anglers sitting on anchor for blackfish. The majority of these fish are schoolie to maybe slot class and feeding on small bait, however, there are still some big girls hanging out throughout the Sound. While tautog fishing will holdover saltwater anglers until the end of season, it’s a different holdover which will keep them occupied through the winter months. Yes, that’s right, the holdover striped bass are setting up in all their usual haunts, and the numbers will only increase from here!