Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt Stone, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook, told me that fishing this week was very similar to last week. The blackfish bite has been very good at all depths, but most of his buddies are focusing on 30 feet and shallower for fun fishing. Finding some current helps, too, and pinpointing the spot within the spot becomes more important as the season progresses. Reports have been solid throughout the area, but those from east of the Connecticut River seem to be improving more than those to the west.
There are still plenty of striped bass around as well. This is usually the time of year when reports start to slow down, but that hasn’t happened just yet. Matt has heard some killer reports from around the Connecticut River and east through the Thames over the past few days. Glide baits like the Game On X-Chop have been flying off the shelves, and Lunker City Slug-Gos are also going quickly. Overall, there’s a lot of fun to be had out there, and it was an incredible October.
Heather from Black Hawk in Niantic reports: “We had our first blackfish-specific trips last Tuesday and Thursday. Thursday was a beautiful day out on the water, with some nice keepers coming over the rails all day! Our Friday mixed-bag trip produced a true mix of fish, including blackfish, porgies, and sea bass.
“Saturday’s Halloween mixed-bag trip started with us heading back to the grounds we’ve been fishing for the past few weeks. We had some fish going into the coolers right away, but the bite slowed down, and Capt. Matt made the decision to head to Block Island. The weather wasn’t the best, but we had sea bass and porgies coming over the rails right away. It looks like we started our Block Island trips a few days early, and we’ll be heading out that way for the rest of the season.
“We continue to fish every day, as long as Mother Nature cooperates. Our trips are now very weather-dependent, so be sure to get your tickets in advance so we can notify you of any changes due to the weather. Now is the time to come fill the freezer for winter! Don’t just read the reports; get out there and make them with us!”
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Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters said fishing for both striped bass and blackfish is going strong. Striper activity has been solid, and the fish are definitely in fall-run mode. They can be found in the river and to the east along rip lines, reefs, and rocky outcrops. Small bait has been fueling most of the blitz activity, so keep that in mind if you see fish feeding on the surface.
Tog fishing has been good, and anglers are finding plenty of hard-fighting fish in the keeper size range. Mike will continue to focus on both species for the remainder of the season. He plans to run trips through November 25 and still has openings, so give him a call to get in on the late-season action while it lasts.
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Anthony Charnetski, from Game On Lures, provided the following report for the week: “The blackfish bite has really picked up this past week! It seems like many shallow areas have reloaded with large fish, improving the short-to-keeper ratio. Fishing under 20 feet with light jigs has still been the most productive. Water temperatures continue to hover in the high 50s, so we’ve got plenty of good togging ahead.
“Plenty of striped bass are still moving through the Sound, with some starting to enter holdover areas. There’s been a ridiculous amount of peanut bunker around, and I think we still have more waves of fish on the way, so fingers crossed they meet soon! It’s getting late in the year, but it looks like temperatures will stay steady, so don’t put those rods away just yet!”
Geno, from Total Tackle in Old Saybrook, said there was good fishing to be had for customers he’d talked to, mostly for stripers and blackfish. The mouth of the Connecticut River had seen what he described as “knock-down, drag-out” fishing, complete with surface blitzes.
For the most part, bass in the river mouth and along the local beaches are feeding just below the surface and aren’t always showing. However, you can generally get them to rise on topwaters, especially with the recent warming trend. Besides topwaters, bass are falling for glide baits, soft plastics in a range of sizes, and live eels. There are bass to be had away from the river as well, around nearby rocks, reefs, and rips.
Blackfish action has been steady, although reports from anglers consistently catching keepers seem to indicate that they have to move around a bit before settling on a bite that produces a steady stream of keeper-sized fish. Geno has yet to weigh in any giants for the shop tournament, but plenty of nice fish have been hitting the scales. The tournament runs through Sunday, so there’s still time to claim the top prize.
The main tournament is decided by the combined weight of each angler’s two heaviest blackfish. There is no minimum weight requirement, but each fish must measure at least 16 inches and meet all applicable state and federal fishing regulations for the region. Fish may be caught anywhere in compliance with applicable state and federal fishing laws. All weigh-ins must take place at Total Tackle.
Sea bass fishing has improved with falling water temperatures, with a number of customers reporting some of the best sea bass fishing of the season. Scup are still in the mix as well, although the average size has decreased.
The shop is open seven days a week through the end of November. Monday through Friday, they’re 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.
Tyler, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, said local fishing has been good for stripers, blackfish, sea bass, and scup. Tog and bass lead the way in both action and interest, though mixed-bag bottom fishing has been productive as well.
This week, they heard about better numbers of bigger blackfish and weighed the largest one they’ve seen so far this season at 9.6 pounds. While they haven’t weighed any double-digit fish yet, they’ve heard about more nice fish in the 8-pound-plus range this week. The majority of the action is still in shallow water, from 10 to 30 feet, but some nice fish are coming off wrecks in the 40- to 80-foot range as well.
Jigs are popular in shallower water, while rigs are more productive when the current is moving in deeper water. Tog anglers are also reporting good action for both scup and sea bass in the shallower zone, and mixed-bag fishing has made for lots of work back at the fillet table.
Striper fishing has been good, and this week, schools of bass connected with some recently arrived bunker, making for explosive surface action. Fishing along the shorelines has been productive, but the fish are on the move, so you might not find them where you left them on your last trip. Early mornings are seeing the best blitz activity, with bass working schools of adult and peanut bunker, anchovies, and silversides.
The Housatonic River is also producing bass to 35 pounds on both bait and artificials, and this bite should hold strong as we work through November.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Tautog fishing remains the main draw for saltwater anglers across Connecticut, and the weather this week has made it a little more conducive to getting out on the grounds. The fishing has been as consistent as ever for anglers who have gotten out, but most recommend trying to find pockets of cleaner water, if possible. Fish can still be found as shallow as 10 to 15 feet, but the bigger fish are starting to move around and are being caught anywhere from 20 to 60 feet and deeper, with the 30-foot range, give or take, being the sweet spot for the week. This 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 and central Sound continue to see large, plentiful striped bass blitzes along the shore and inside the rivers. Fishing in the Western Sound 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. In fact, striped bass reports have been coming in from all our major river systems, with the Thames, Connecticut, and Housatonic rivers all mentioned favorably in reports this week.
Flows are generally low to moderate in the trout streams, despite the rain, and fall trout results have been solid. Crisp fall mornings, blitzing fish, and that distinct thump of a big tautog will only last so long, so don’t let the weather discourage you!