Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt Stone at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook provided the following report for the week: “With the blackfish season now open, I’d focus on 30 feet and shallower, although I know a lot of guys like to fish deeper than that. I just find the shallows easier to fish and quicker to rebait, and they still produce a lot of good fish. That has been the case so far this season, with a number of anglers reporting limits from shallow water.
“The striper bite is excellent right now, with lots of good fish coming on plastics, eels, and topwaters. We’ve seen some of the best topwater blitzes of bass in a few years, with some of these blitzes consisting entirely of large fish. Porgy fishing has also been very solid, and lots of guys are targeting sea bass, although I haven’t heard much feedback either way on whether the fishing has been good or bad.
“Our upcoming TogTober Tournament runs from October 22–25, and the angler who catches the single biggest tog wins. Last year, first place paid $4,000 and second place paid $1,000, with 154 anglers participating. There will be a big raffle and an afterparty on Sunday, the 25th, at 3 p.m. Fish anywhere, but all fish must be weighed in at the shop. Details are available on our website. Entry is $50 for the main tournament, with optional calcuttas available for $20. You can sign up online, by phone, or in the shop.”
Heather at the Black Hawk in Niantic reported: “We had another good week of fishing! We had to contend with some strong tides and wind this week, so on some trips we were forced to move around a bit more than usual. Still, we produced good numbers of porgies, with some sea bass in the mix as well. Some trips produced easy limits, while others required a little more time to reach the limit. On other trips, some anglers limited out while others didn’t, but that’s fishing.
“Our bluefish trip produced good numbers of gator blues, with a few bass mixed in as well. We continue to fish every day. With the opening of blackfish season, we’ll have crabs on board for our mixed-bag trips. Our famous 12-hour combo trips start in November, so get ready for those. Now is the time to fill the freezer for winter. Get out there and join us!”
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Captain Chris at Elser Guide Service told me that the weather once again forced him to cancel several trips this week. When he was able to get out, however, he found false albacore on every trip. They weren’t around in huge numbers in the western Sound, but there were still a few to be caught. Bonito are still being caught as well, although most have been holding on the Long Island side.
Striped bass fishing has remained very consistent, but the bluefish bite never really materialized. Chris was glad to finally see some light-tackle bass in the 26- to 33-inch range, with much larger fish in the mix as well. With a few weeks left to capitalize on the western Sound’s fall run, anglers are hoping conditions settle down and return to normal after Saturday’s blow.
Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters said fall-run fishing for striped bass and false albacore continued this week. The bass migration is progressing, and he has been seeing regular blitzes under birds. Lures that imitate the small bait the bass are feeding on have been effective. Shimano Current Snipers and soft plastics on jigheads have worked well for smaller fish, while larger, cow-sized bass have been falling for live eels.
False albacore have been around sporadically, but on days when they show up in good numbers, they have been willing to eat tins and epoxy jigs. Mike plans to target tautog later this month and into November as well. If the past couple of years are any indication, that fishing should be good. They still have openings for fall-run fishing, so now is the time to book a trip with Captain Mike.
Anthony Charnetski at Game On Lures provided the following report for the week: “Fishing has remained steady as the fall run progresses. Striped bass are spread throughout the Sound and around river mouths, feeding on a lot of smaller bait. Low-light periods have been the most productive for numbers and larger fish. The X-Chop, straight-tail soft plastics, and topwaters have all been working great. Jigging small EXO jigs has also produced some solid bites when the fish are in a more negative mood.
“The bass aren’t as spread out as they have been in years past, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t find them in the first few spots you check. Some albies and bonito have been kicking around eastern Connecticut, tempting anglers to leave spot lock while togging. Surprisingly, they haven’t been very picky, and if you can get a cast to them with the proper gear, they’ll most likely eat it. The 1-ounce silver and electric chicken EXO jigs are the ticket, as always!
“Blackfish fishing has been lights-out, but a lot of anglers are reporting that they’re sorting through a ton of shorts throughout each trip. As the water cools, we should start seeing a better size average. It seems like we’re in a crab-shortage crisis right now in Connecticut, but if your local shop has them, make sure to stock up and get out there!”
Geno at Total Tackle in Old Saybrook said it had been a busy week at the shop following the opening of blackfish season. He had heard from customers who caught their three-fish limits while fishing shallow water east of the shop. The reports sounded like fairly typical early-season action, with anglers sorting through shorts to find a few keeper-sized tog.
The biggest challenge for tog anglers right now is securing crabs, which have been difficult to find on both weekends so far. The shop hadn’t heard of any especially large fish yet, but Geno expects some good competition in its upcoming tournament, which runs from October 17 through November 8. The main tournament is decided by the combined weight of each angler’s two heaviest eligible blackfish. There is no minimum weight requirement, but each fish must measure at least 16 inches and comply with all applicable state and federal fishing regulations. Fish may be caught anywhere permitted under those regulations, but all weigh-ins must take place at Total Tackle.
Striped bass fishing has been solid, especially at Plum Gut, where good numbers of quality stripers in the over-slot and 20-pound-plus classes have been mixing with bluefish of various sizes. The Fishers Island Sound area has also seen some large striped bass blitzes recently.
False albacore have reappeared as well. Reports have been strong from the Thames River east, with reliable reports extending as far west as Westbrook. Other customers reported improving local sea bass fishing on squid and jigs.
The shop is open seven days a week. Hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
The fall blackfish season opened with a bang across Connecticut, with just about every shop and charter captain reporting strong tautog fishing to start the season. The first few days were frenetic, with shops flying through crabs, jigs, and rigs as anglers faced some sporty conditions following a beautiful opening Saturday. The biggest challenge for tog anglers right now is finding a shop with crabs. The great crab shortage of 2026 rolls on, so secure some while you can—or flip a few rocks the day before you plan to fish.
For gamefish, the eastern and central Sound saw large, widespread striped bass blitzes along the shoreline and inside the rivers last weekend. The wind over the past few days may have actually helped the topwater bite, with anglers reporting some epic action this week. Some anglers landed as many as 50 bass on a single trip.
False albacore numbers in the central and eastern Sound improved significantly this week, and the fish seem to have reappeared throughout the state.
Flows are generally low to moderate in the trout streams, and fall trout fishing has been solid.
Crisp fall mornings, blitzing fish, and the distinct thump of a big tautog won’t last forever, so get out there and capitalize on some of the best fishing of the season.