Stripers – The lower Connecticut River has been giving up some good bass. Some reports of fish up to 35 inches have come in. The action in the western Sound has definitely been steadier. Joe Diorio says the stripers are just getting bigger and bigger out in the Eastern sound, though. Here he is with a great linesider. He caught five that night and 41 inches was the biggest. Fishing eels at night has been very productive for the bigger bass. Bucktails tipped with squid being worked low and slow have also been producing some decent fish.
Pike – Pike fishing is still hot this week. Lake Zoar and Lillinonah have been giving up some great pike. Large bait fish like alewives or even live lined sunfish have gotten the attention of Mr. Toothy. Fish are still holding really tight to weed lines and timber but the average size being reported is a lot better this week, some up to 38 inches! A lot of fish are being caught in less than 6 feet of water. Shady areas turned out to be more productive with the hot temperatures this past weekend. The water has also been partially cloudy on the weekends due to increased boat traffic so big and loud is what gets the job done. Pictured here is Galen Rhodes with a nice pike that he landed on his kayak with a 1-oz Booyah spinner bait with a Keitech trailer.
Bass – Fishing for both largemouth and smallmouth has been amazing as of late. Places like Saltonstall, Moodus and Candlewood lake have had explosive action! Water temps have been in the high 60’s. A lot of fish are being caught in 5-10 feet of water on or near beds. Fish are very aggressive, slamming topwater early on but calm down by late morning. Bass have been more receptive to various soft plastics throughout the day. A few anglers have found great success with the old “Spook n’ Fluke” combo when transitioning from that morning bite into the afternoon. Pictured is Peter Wilson and Brandon Jasenky with some nice bass after a tournament this past Saturday.
Bluefish – The bluefish action has stayed consistent from both boat and from shore. Anglers are hooking up with some great bluefish whether they are trying to or not it seems. A few anglers reported going out for fluke only to get chomped and broken off by blues repeatedly. Diamond jigs have been the go to for blues from boat. From shore, anglers are still hooking up by chunking bunker and some topwater action as well. The chopper blues are being caught more at night, at least from shore. Pictured is Wayne Biroscak with a 37″ blue out of Milford that he caught on fresh bunker.
Kyle Quine
Fishing CT
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