Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me that the albies showed up in Connecticut waters in the middle of last week, and the bite has been pretty good ever since. Large anchovies and squid were their preferred grub, at least for the first few days. One-ounce Game On EXO Jigs and Hogy Epoxy Jigs in pink, silver, and gold were working well. Beyond the funny-fish, fluke and sea bass action is still solid in 50 feet of water and deeper. The sea bass bite seems better than the fluke bite, but the expectation for either species should be to pick through shorts. There really is no “easy button” for keepers this year for either species. Try big squid baits for both species, along with metals for sea bass. Stripers have been on and off, with better action earlier and later in the day. There are still plenty of large stripers over 45 inches in the area, and they should stick around through much of September if it stays warm. Eels are great this time of year for easy bites. Try smaller offerings, like swimbaits, Mag Darters, SP Minnows, and other swimming plugs for smaller fish. Porgies are running well right now, with some really big fish coming on hi-lo rigs baited with clams and squid.
Heather from the Black Hawk in Niantic reports: “We had a busy week with some great people and some great fishing trips! Our bottom-fishing trips had good numbers of porgies, with some nice triggerfish and sea bass in the mix as well. Some trips produced limits of porgies for those who wanted. Our last After Work Special of the year, on Friday afternoon, had some nice blues coming over the rails for our dedicated anglers. One of our favorite trips of the year was on Wednesday; it was our annual veterans’ trip with the Northeast Saltwater Fishing Club. We love taking this group out; it’s the least we can do to thank them for their service. The veterans had a great trip reeling in porgies all afternoon. Now is the time to come fishing and fill the freezer for the winter. Grab your tickets and join us!”
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Captain Chris of Elser Guide Service told me that they’ve done well this week with bonito and Spanish mackerel, and it seems to be improving each day. They will consistently hit ¾-ounce and 1-ounce Game On EXO Jigs, with pink and white working the best. The mackerel and bonito have been closer to his home port this week and are feeding predominantly on silversides and peanut bunker. He hasn’t seen albies mixed in just yet, but the feeds have been pretty large, so there’s a good chance they are in the mix. Striper fishing has been good during brief periods of the daytime tides, with live eels and 13-inch Duratech pink eels being their presentations of choice. Of course, tube trolling is very productive as well.
Geno from Total Tackle in Old Saybrook said the big news this week was the arrival of false albacore to the Sound, but that headline was closely followed by reports of very good late-season fluke fishing. Albies are in the Sound, and he heard from customers who said they’d seen pods of them from Soundview east to Black Point and beyond, and as far west as Westbrook. Fishing has been a challenge, but tins and epoxies are getting it done, especially in a silver finish. He said he’s loaded up with Game On EXO Jigs, Hogy, 24/7, and Johnny Jigs for anyone looking to gear up and chase local speedsters. Reports of good late-season fluke fishing have filtered in from more than a few customers. The biggest he’d seen was a 28-inch doormat that came from deep water. One thing folks still targeting flatfish have noted is the abundance of small squid in the area. Beyond the funny and flatfish, other local bites have been slow to get going. Geno said he expects that once water temperatures begin to drop a bit, they will start hearing more, particularly about striped bass around the river. Right now, the river has plenty of blue crabs and snapper bluefish to keep folks busy locally while they wait. Crabbing has been steady, and snapper fishing has continued to improve, though this most recent round of rain might take a couple of days to clear up. As far as offshore, the local recreational reports are slow, but giants are close, and there is some strong bigeye fishing at the canyons. The shop is open seven days a week. Monday through Friday, they are there from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Anthony from Game On Lures provided the following report for the week: “This week has been nothing short of phenomenal! Although the water is still warm, the fall run is on and booming. Bass are still, for the most part, on summer patterns, but there’s been much more topwater activity and fish willing to hit artificials. Small plastics, glide baits, and eel imitations have all been working great. Live eels will also always get it done. The big news is the full-blown invasion of the false albacore! They showed in massive numbers all through the eastern and central Sound and are quickly moving west! One-ounce electric chicken and pink EXO Jigs have been the hot ticket! For the most part, I found them spitting up small bay anchovies and silversides. However, I ran into some albies on the past trip that were actually spitting up baby bluefish, which was very cool to see. The fishing is lights-out and only going to get better, so get out there!”
Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters said they are starting to see some signs of fall-run-style action with each trip out and are looking forward to the frenetic fishing that comes with the season. With fall approaching, they expect to see good fishing for stripers, blues, albies, and bonito, as well as the departure of the brown sharks that have been hard to avoid during the summer season. Striper fishing is good now, especially for big fish. Live bait is a best bet, but soft plastics are proven winners and can be fished at various depths depending on the presentation the fish respond to on any given day. As the fall run gets going, they will be fishing for bass of all sizes, many times blitzing on the abundant small bait that is loaded up in the region. They have heard of some albies and bonito around as well, and when they show in force, they plan to chase them around, too. It’s time to book your spot for fall-run action. Captain Mike and his team have availability over the next few weeks and throughout the season ahead, so give him a call to book a spot.
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Connecticut Fishing Forecast
For the first time in a few years, the false albacore patterns across Connecticut seem normal, with solid reports of fish moving in from the east around Groton, along with an influx of fish starting to hit the Western Sound from Long Island. Regardless of what you’re targeting, there is an incredible amount of small bait, topwater, and bird activity. All that equates to getting in the boat, going for a ride, and keeping your eyes open for disrupted water. It shouldn’t take you that long to find life. Bonito reports, while not always consistent, have been coming from just about everywhere in the state, so that’s another species you’re likely to run into while working the small bait schools. There also seems to be increased numbers of Spanish mackerel as far east as Niantic this week.
For those looking for bigger fish, the popular late-summer reefs and rips are holding bigger bass and the occasional gator bluefish, with the fishing still being better overnight or during low-light periods. A lot of these bass are feeding in shallow water, so live eels and large soft plastics have been getting the job done. Shark sightings have gone down a bit, but there are still a good number of brown sharks and threshers around, so if you have some heavier gear, be sure to bring it along! Scup are coming from just about every piece of structure, regardless of depth, while the sea bass season has fired up nicely as the water starts to cool, albeit with short fish still dominating the catch. Some late-season doormat fluke have also joined the party, with fish to 28 inches reported from some of the Eastern Sound’s deeper reefs. Options are plentiful for the Connecticut angler, with fall knocking on the door while some summer patterns persist.