Stripers – Great fish are still being caught in the lower and mouth of the CT river. There are a lot of bunker around in the river and in the sound. Pictured is Sam Smith with a nice striper from the eastern sound. He said he has been catching a lot of quality fish on live eels but I will use bunker when they are around. This day in particular he netted a bunch of bunker in the morning which led to an epic day on the sound. When there is a lot of current he would three way rig bunker for bass and around slack tides he will troll the biggest eels he has. Rocky shorelines have been the most productive areas for him. Fishing in the eastern sound is getting better every day and the bass are really setting up on the reefs. Find the bait and you’ll find the fish!
Fluke – Anglers are finding fish in 35-45 feet. The fluke are feeding heavily on squid right now. So white is the go to color with pink holding it’s own. A lot of shorts are being caught. It seems for every one keeper, four shorts are being caught. But the action is consistent, nonetheless. These fish are fat too. Some have bellies so big it looks like they are going to pop! Pictured is Justin Solak with two nice keeper fluke.
Bass – Fishing for bass has been on again,off again. Topwater is still producing from dusk til dawn. However, temperatures have been way up there and the sun has been brutal so fish are seeking cover and shade. The weeds are getting bad on some lakes and ponds too. However, those weeds provide excellent cover for bass to ambush their prey. Anglers are finding success by dragging frogs across that same vegetation. The Booyah Pad Crasher has been a popular lure. If fish aren’t enticed by something above, then punching holes through matted vegetation is the way to go. You’ll need a heavily weighted bait to smash through those thick weeds in order to get to the bass below. Pictured is Josh Obermeier with a hefty largemouth.
Carp – Small ponds are great to fish right now. Carp are very active in the evening. They feed consistently through the night and into early morning while the water is still cool. Lately, these fish can be spotted in the shallows while they sun bathe. Bryan Fogelstrom is pictured here with a chunky carp out of Lake Zoar. He reported sight fishing for them in 4-6 feet of water as they cruised around and grazed off the bottom. A good bait for carp is sweet whole kernal corn or bread balls. Small panfish or circle hooks are perfect when fishing for Mr. Rubber Lips. Carp fishing is very excellent right now all over the state!
