Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook, told me that reports were similar to last week, with strong blackfishing and some big striped bass blitzes, in between some bouts of extremely rough weather. Fall has been just as tough as spring, with the recent winds causing comparable issues to the early spring rainstorms. That said, he’s still finding tautog as shallow as 15 feet, so there are options to bend a rod while ducking the worst of the wind—which seems never-ending. Matt also mentioned that there are still loads of striped bass going crazy in the Eastern Sound, and while they’re generally smaller, there have been a few reports of bigger bass blitzing. Smaller spook-style topwaters, along with 5- to 7-inch soft plastics have been getting these bass to eat. Matt also mentioned that if you do get out and take advantage of a weather window, look for areas that have a good tidal flush, as these generally consist of much cleaner water. Clean water is important for both tautog and striper fishermen, but water quality is lacking following these wind events.
Heather from the Black Hawk in Niantic reports: “Due to the wind, we didn’t get out much this week. Our last bluefish trip of the season, or at least the trip that was supposed to be for bluefish, ended up being a mixed-bag outing, with some porgies, sea bass and blackfish. Tuesday’s trip headed to Block Island, where the sea bass and blackfish were ready to bite. It was a great trip! We lost the rest of the week due to the wind. Our 12-hour combo trips have started, and we’re looking forward to those on weekdays in November. Grab your tickets so you can get out there with us!”
Middlebank Sportfishing out of Bridgeport provided the following report: “While the winds didn’t let us off the dock much this past week, the few days we have been able to fish have been nothing short of excellent. Seasoned anglers are catching easy limits. Anglers new to the fishery are quickly catching on and have been able to bring a meal or two home. Jigs are doing the job, as we are still fishing fairly shallow. There aren’t too many days left in the season, so if you’re still “waiting for it to get good” you’re missing out! All trips sail limited load by reservation only. Book online at middlebanksportfishing.com.”
Captain Ben Burdine of Apex Angling reports that striped bass fishing has remained steady over the past 2 weeks off the Fairfield and Bridgeport beaches. Most fish have been schoolie to slot-size, but plenty of fish up to 40 inches have been caught. While a number of soft plastic offerings or swimming plugs have been working, paddletails have been the top producers. Tautog fishing has been excellent with green crabs on jigs over relatively shallow structure between 15 and 25 feet. The vast majority of tautog that came over the gunnel were keeper size, up to 24 inches. There were a few sightings of albies, or more-likely, bonito over the past week in Western Sound, but no confirmed catches. It’s certainly the last call for potential hardtails, but it may not be over just yet. Ben has plenty of dates available if you’re looking to get out before the season ends.
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Captain Nick Pace, at Reel Mayhem Outfitters in Greenwich, had another week of strong blackfishing, despite the brutal winds. The fish are starting to spread out with the temperatures dropping, so the bigger fish are transitioning to deeper water and getting more active. After this northeast blow, Nick believes the fishing should be even better on the deeper reefs. They were able to put together a full boat limit (or close to it) just about every time they have made it out, with a few fish over the double-digit mark hitting the scales.
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Anthony Charnetski of Game On Lures provided the following report: “The wind has made it very tough to get out recently and it looks like the blow is going to continue this week. That said, things are cooling down fast but there are still some decent bites to be had. Blackfish season is going strong and the drop in water temps got the bigger fish chewing! The 15- to 20-foot range has still been the deal for me, but as the season progresses, they will start to move out deeper. Stripers have really thinned out in the Sound but there are some schools feeding on peanuts as they make their way west. Most bass have either vacated south or started to make their way into the rivers for the winter. Smaller paddletails, jerkbaits and topwaters are all great options to target late season bass. The state has also done some stocking recently, providing great action for trout anglers.”
Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters said fishing for both striped bass and blackfish is good this week. Bass fishing has been solid, though the fish are definitely on the move. Last week they found plenty of bass in the 30- to 40-inch range. The beginning of this week saw comparable action, but there were many more schoolies in the mix. They will continue to intercept stripers as they move through the Sound, and sizes will vary based on where and when they find them. Blackfish action has been very good, and they are catching a boat limit on nearly every trip. They plan to offer trips through November 16th and have openings. In November, the focus will be mostly on blackfish but they’ll also target schools of stripers as they migrate into their winter holding areas. Give Captain Mike and his team a call to take advantage of those open spots while they last.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Tautog fishing is the main draw for saltwater fishermen across Connecticut, although anglers continue to check the forecast and pick their days wisely. The fishing has been very consistent as ever for the tautog die-hards who have gotten out, and finding pockets of cleaner water has been key. Fish can still be found as shallow as 10 to 15 feet, but the bigger tog are starting to come from 20 to 60 feet or more. The wide range of fishable depths leaves anglers with no shortage of hard structure to fish from one side of the Sound to the other.
In terms of gamefish, the eastern to central Sound continue to see large and plentiful striped bass blitzes along the shorelines and inside the rivers. The Western Sound fishing has improved a bit as well, with good bass reports from Fairfield to Bridgeport, and it won’t be long before the Housatonic starts fishing really well. False albacore seem to have fizzled out, but there were encouraging bonito reports on each side of the Sound. Bonito fishing has been good all season, and it looks like these tasty funny fish are giving us one more chance to play.
Flows are still generally low to moderate in the trout streams, despite some rain, and fall trout results have been solid. Brisk mornings, blitzing fish and hungry tautog will only last so long, so don’t let the weather discourage you!