Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt Stone at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me that the bottom fishing has been much better in Connecticut across the board. Fluke numbers have improved once again, with the best reports coming from 50 to 70 feet of water. Keeper sea bass are also showing up with a bit more consistency in 70-plus feet of water. Larger metal jigs or rigs with large chunks of squid will help pick out some of the bigger sea bass. The striped bass bite has been best early and late on big soft plastic baits, eels, and topwaters. The tube and worm is also a solid producer this time of year and can help you pick off some fish during midday lulls. Bonito reports aren’t just coming from Rhode Island—some are starting to trickle in from Fishers Island Sound. Bluefish are still quiet, but there are some rumblings of decent numbers of gators hitting The Race over the last few days. Offshore anglers are reporting an improved jig bite for rec-class bluefin south of Montauk.
Heather from the Black Hawk in Niantic reports: “Another week of good summer fishing. Our bottom fishing trips were, once again, excellent, with limits of porgies all around the boat on most trips. Some sea bass in the mix, along with some triggerfish and some fluke as well. Now is the time to get out there and fill the freezer! On our private charter on Friday night, while we were porgy and sea bass fishing, we ended up with a brown shark on the line! It was immediately released unharmed but definitely gave the kids on the charter a big thrill. We continue to fish every day, so get your tickets and come join us before the kids go back to school!”
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Captain Chris Oliver of Keepin’ It Reel Sportfishing out of New London provided the following report: “We had a couple of overnight canyon trips on the calendar for this past week that we had to convert to midshore trips because of the overnight forecast. Each trip we stayed south of Montauk and had success targeting temp breaks and focusing on tuna chicks and slicks rather than mammals. In the temp breaks, we found yellowfin and bluefin! The yellows and blues are eating live squid, so fishing the UVT Chief on a 7-ounce head with a pink tail is the ticket. We had some absolutely wicked bites using this method over the past couple days. The best day we had was when my 7-year-old son and I went out and went 3/7, all on the Chief, and we were back to the dock in time for pancakes! Memories that neither of us will forget anytime soon.”
Captain Joe at Diorio Guide Service provided the following report after another strong week: “Crazy week on the tuna grounds. This week we fished hard and were rewarded with some great action. We caught a lot of bluefin on jigs fishing that 130- to 150-line. Biggest producers were the Joe Baggs Resin jigs in white and pink, as well as the UVT Electric Chicken jigs. The first 20 feet is where we have been getting most of our hits. We also caught a few yellowfin tuna on the Joe Baggs Skipper and live squid under a balloon. Gotta look for the really warm water to catch these guys. We only have a few dates left for the season. Contact Joe to book!”
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Captain Chris of Elser Guide Service told me he is still having success finding striped bass, despite a lack of topwater action this week. He is picking up some nice bass by jigging 3-ounce EXO Jigs on some of the local rips, while the tube and worm continues to produce consistently at any time of day. Live eels are producing well at night as usual but are also accounting for some fish during the day. Bunker remains scarce, but with the fish eating eels and jigs, there’s no need to waste time trying to find the bunker. Looking back through his records, Chris believes that we will likely see Spanish mackerel arrive this week if the water cleans up, along with another push of bonito. There is plenty of small bait in the area, which is setting the stage for another strong hardtail season!
Anthony Charnetski at Game On Lures shared the following report: “This past week felt like we saw the first few signs of the fall run sparking up. Obviously, we still have a few weeks until it kicks off, but I’ve seen some small topwater feeds and birds diving, which is a great sign! The bass bite remains solid overall, and the shallow-water bite is starting to heat up again after a tough summer. Low-light hours are still best with large plastics, topwaters, and weightless fluke-style baits. The 13-inch DuraTech worked slowly along boulder fields has been money. Bonito have been popping around the Eastern Sound; however, they seem to have broken up into smaller, sporadic pods since their initial arrival. The 1-ounce EXO Jig is always a go-to when the bones start popping! Bottom fishing has also remained solid for the guys willing to put in the time. Recent trips reported lots of short fish. Larger baits and unconventional areas have been producing better quality. Overall, the fishing is finally starting to pick up a bit, and I think we are in store for a great fall run!”
Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters said they continue to see quality bass on most trips, with fish of all sizes around the river and the reefs. August is typically a month when they encounter the most consistent fishing for big bass, and so far, that seems to be the case this year as well. Live bait is the top producer of the cows they encounter, though artificials like soft plastics are very effective as well. Fin-S Fish and Slug-Gos are versatile lures that can be fished throughout the water column, and if you can find schools with your electronics, you can know where you need to present the soft plastics. Captain Mike said they continue to see lots of brown sharks just about everywhere they are fishing. They have some openings over the next couple of weeks, so give him a call to book a spot now.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Summer fishing has remained very strong across Connecticut despite increasing water temperatures throughout the Sound. Anglers who haven’t been taking advantage of the midshore tuna bite and have stayed inshore are still finding plenty of striped bass. The relatively cooler water in the eastern Long Island Sound is once again a haven for summer striped bass. An influx of peanut bunker in the central to eastern Sound has really fired up this striper bite. Slot to just-over-slot fish have been prevalent, while bigger bass to 50 inches are starting to come out and play. Live eels and GT Eels have been the consensus top producers, but topwaters, jigs, and spoons are all working at the right time. The best results are coming from early, late, or overnight, but trolling or dropping spoons will work during the day. The influx of brown sharks continues to be an issue, so hesitate to look for bass in shallower water than usual.
Bluefishing is still inconsistent, but word is that a few larger schools have entered The Race, so here’s to hoping that there’s a push before the fall. Spanish mackerel reports are popping up in the western Sound, while the first solid reports of bonito have started to trickle in from the eastern Sound and around Fishers Island. If the trend from Rhode Island plays out in eastern Connecticut, we should be seeing increased numbers of the green speedsters this week.
Bottom fishermen are reporting some of the best results of the season, with an improved fluke bite in 50 to 70 feet of water and some larger sea bass settling in around 70 feet and deeper. There is also still a consistent scup bite, with no shortage of hubcaps throughout the Sound. Those targeting summer blackfish are also finding some success, and you may just find some keeper tog as bycatch while targeting the aforementioned species.