New England - Connecticut Fishing Reports

Tyler at Fisherman’s World said local fishing has been consistently good as we enter the heart of the fall run. Lately, they’ve been hearing about bass blitzes along the shoreline fueled by peanut bunker, anchovies and silversides. Good striper fishing has boaters and shore anglers in on the action alike, chasing birds and favoring long casting lures like epoxy jigs and tins. The blitzing bass have generally ranged from slot to over slot size but one especially determined customer aged 12-years old took a 44-inch lineside from the beach on a 9-inch plastic eel. The deep water structure is holding bass as well and the fall run Diamond Jig bite at 11B and 28C is a staple of later fall run action in the region. Tog fishing has been steady with most fish coming from shallow water, less than 30 feet, with a few solid reports from deep water wrecks. They expect blackfish action to be consistently good throughout the remainder of the season. There was a solid weakfish bite going in the harbor and inshore and they are good sized ranging to the high 20-inch range, about 6 or 7 pounds. Bluefish have been scarce in the region save for the cocktail sized fish cruising in shore and around the islands. Sea bass fishing has improved and should continue to get better as water temperatures drop. Tyler said that as we look ahead into November the name of the game will be all bass and blackfish as other species depart the region. Blackfish action should get better on deep water pieces and piles once water temperatures begin to drop steadily. He said for stripers, targeting areas around the mouths of major rivers and estuaries where the fish tend to winter over will be the best bet. Specifically, catching bass as they stage around the mouth of the Housatonic is a tried and true late season winner. The shop is open seven days a week.

Bobby J’s said fall fishing is on whether it be for blackfish or bass. Striped bass can be found throughout the area at any hour of the day inshore, around the river or out at the reefs. Bass are blitzing on small bait, peanut bunker, silversides and bay anchovies and diving birds are giving away their location. Fishing is good for shore anglers as casting eels and plastics well. The only blues that are around at the moment are cocktail sized cruising the beaches. Blackfish action has been solid to start the season with anglers reporting limits from boats and some keepers from shore as well. They weighed a few fish up to just shy of 7 pounds over the weekend. Most of the fish they heard about were caught with crabs on jigs though rigs were effective for those casting from shore as well. There are some keeper sea bass showing up as bycatch for tog anglers. Scup fishing is fantastic from shore and boat but especially from the rocks, jetties and piers. Hickory shad have arrived in the harbors and estuaries as well, making for some fun light tackle fishing. The shop is open six days a week closed Mondays.

Captain Morgan’s emailed over their report to say, “And the green crab saga continues to plague toggers as they scurry around looking to fill their buckets or flip rocks at low tide. There is nothing shell fishers would like better than to see them disappear because of damage they cause. On the other hand, being a high producer, toggers would like more of them. The season moves forward with multiple throwbacks hooked but also more keeper limits caught on both flood and ebb tides. Tog jigs are performing quite well in the shallower incoming and rigs with 6- to 8-ounce weights on the outgoing. The majority of keeper blackfish have been under 18 inches, while the notable ones from local waters have been 7 to 8-pounders. Catching larger togs caught in deeper water also resulted in hooking into keeper sea bass, but, the shallower, the smaller. Porgy catches remain solid. Snapper blues have been having a good run as well. Schools of small menhaden sparked some harbor bluefish action bolstered by larger choppers feeding at either end of the Sound. Weakfish have been mixed in with those schools of bass and blues while single average-size weakies have been caught mid-Sound. The hunt for albies and bones continues locally, however of the hardtails, bonito have been more of a reality to the sight-fishers working the nearshore reefs. With 62-degree water, the action should be better! The rest of the bottom fishery remains solid for now including most of the migrating shark population. We started off with a ‘hot’ bite and we’ll wind up the briny with another: striped bass. The reefs and shoals are being embraced by over-the-slot linesiders! Live eels, chunk baits, diamond jigs and bucktails are really connecting out on the reefs and shoals. Three-waying land trolling are producing. Closer to shore and in the lower tidal rivers, switching over to hard/soft lures fished on either the surface or just below are producing bass below, in, and above the slot. Although these stripers have been taking small live and chunk baits, artificials have been playing a larger role especially, in the shallows and during surface feeding. There has even been good action farther up in some of the tidal rivers where small baitfish have been pushed up during a flood tide. On the freshwater side, trout anglers are smiling ear-to-ear as ‘personal bests’ keep mounting. Double-digit rainbows into the low 20-inch range are providing lasting memories as the fruits of fall stocking are paying off. There have been good catches of well-developed browns, colorful hefty brookies and feisty tigers that have battled right through their releases. Now is the time to stretch your adventures into the back country, native brookie waters after testing out the heavily stocked parks, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Fire up your bass initiatives and target large/smallmouths as well as fast-attacking, hard fighting torpedoes and bottom-hugging feeders. Expand into some great panfish territory and look to the upper tidals for huge carp and hungry catfish. Colorful surroundings and peacefully-calm waters await. For more on this year’s fall fishing season and much more, click over to Captain Morgan’s fishing blog. Captain Morgan’s (an Authorized PENN Premium and Daiwa Tournament Dealer) is on top of the fall season while supporting the fishing community. Calling ahead and leaving a message is advisable. Pay us a visit at 21 Boston Post Road, Madison and you will see why, as a seasoned full-service fishing outfitter, we say, ‘We don’t make the fisherman, we make the fisherman better!’”

Captain TJ Karbowksi at Rock and Roll Charters said his trips have been solid for stripers, scup and sea bass. Water temperatures in the region have been hovering around in the lower 60’s but that should start to change with shorter days and cooler nights. He said the red-hot striper bite had cooled to some degree but there are still plenty of fish around albeit if they are on the move. Stripers from 26 to 40 inches plus are still hitting the deck and making for good action. Bottom fishing is good. Scup and sea bass are on the move and will soon be gone but black fishing is just starting to heat up. He said they will increasingly focus on tog trips as we get into November and the water starts to cool down. Captain TJ and his crew plan to fish through November 15th and they still have some availability so give him a call to book your spot and get in on the action before he’s done for the year. TJ typically wraps up around Veteran’s Day so don’t wait!

Matt from Black Hall Outfitters emailed over their report to say they are hearing, “The tog bite is very good. Most guys are sticking shallow around 10- to 30-feet of water. The shore bite is also really good. Nothing really unique at the moment, just your normal start tog season. Lots of really excellent striper fishing as well with some really big October fish coming in. Glide baits like the Game On X-Chop have been absolutely flying, and Slug-Go's are also going fast. Overall, it’s a lot of fun out there. Our upcoming TogTober Tournament is a week away (October 22-25), and the biggest tog wins it. Last year first place was $4,000 and second was $1,000 and we had 154 anglers. There is a big raffle and after-party on Sunday the 25th at 3 p.m. Fish anywhere, but your fish must be weighed in at the shop, details on our website. Sign up is $50, $20 for optional calcuttas. You can do it online, by phone, or in the shop.”

Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters said the fall striper fishing has been solid for a variety of sizes. They continue to see some very large fish, falling to bait and lures while slot to over slot fish blitz on the surface throughout the day. Multiple techniques and presentations are effective and matching your offering to whatever the fish are eating is key to consistent catching. Larger fish glued to structure are more apt to slurp and eel, large soft plastic, glide bait or topwater lure off the surface while blitzing fish on the move are better targeted with tins like the Shimano Current Sniper. He said once the waves of migrating bass start to thin in the month of November, they will turn their focus to tog to close out the season. They plan to run until November 25th and have openings, so give Captain Mike a call to get in on the late season action while it lasts.

Geno from Total Tackle said he talked to customers who reported good fishing for blackfish, stripers and sea bass with a few albies in the mix. The main draw for most folks he’d talked to was tog and that will likely continue to be the case for the next few weeks. Blackfish action is reportedly steady, though working through short fish seems to be a common refrain for lots of anglers. As the water cools and fish move deeper the smaller fish and interference fish should be less of an issue. He reminded me about the blackfish tournament the shop is running and it goes on through November 8th. The main tournament is decided by the combined weight of each angler’s two heaviest blackfish. There is no minimum weight requirement, but they must be of legal length. All weigh-ins must take place at Total Tackle. For details and to register, visit their website He said striper fishing is good and there are some big fish spread out throughout the river and beyond on a few of the local reefs. Sea bass fishing has improved with falling water temperatures. The shop is open seven days a week through the end of November, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Andrew at Fishin’ Factory 3 said most of the talk at the shop these days is about blackfish, though they are hearing of good action for stripers while other customers are in to gear up and hop aboard head boats for deep water bottom fishing. Tog fishing has been good to start the season. He said most folks he’d talked to were able to scratch up a three fish limit. For some it was easy while others had to work but enough 16- to 20-inch fish are around to keep most people happy. Andrew highlighted that the weather the last couple of seasons has made windows shorter so picking your spots and taking advantage when the wind isn’t howling is key to capitalizing on good bites when they’re happening. The shop’s blackfish tournament has been competitive again this year and runs the full six week tog season; the heaviest fish will take the total pot at the end in the form a shop gift card. There will also be weekly prize winners each week of the season from different sponsors so keep an eye on their social media to see what’s up for grabs. Fish can be weighed at the shop or at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle and you must sign up in person in Middletown to get in. Last year they had over 75 participants and at $30 a head to get in the payout should be a good one. Andrew said that if this November is like those of the past couple of years we should expect good tog fishing whenever seas are calm enough to get to deeper water to catch them. Striped bass fishing should be steady as well, especially around the mouths of the major rivers and estuaries. He also mentioned that the state has been stocking again for the fall and lots of the local bodies of water have been refreshed with some nice trout. The Salmon and Coginchaug are popular streams and Black Pond and Cedar Lake seem to consistently get stockings of good sized trout. The shop is currently open seven days a week.

Over at The Saltwater Edge they continue to hear reports of solid fishing for striped bass around the islands and off of the south county beaches. Schoolies and fish up to 20 pounds, have been pushing bait in close to the beaches during the day making for good surfcasting and boat fishing opportunities. At night, the numbers of fish have been fewer but the changes for catching a large fish go up. Tautog fishing is already very good and should continue to improve as we get deeper into the month of October. There are still some nice sized fish in shallow water making them accessible from shore. Black sea bass are still around and being caught mixed in with tautog or by anglers targeting them drifting over deeper pieces of structure. There are still some false albacore and green bonito around but they are becoming tougher to target.

Heather at The Blackhawk office reports, “Fall fishing is definitely upon us! With some chilly temperatures this week, it finally felt more like fall! We had to contend with some wind on some trips, and lost Friday due to the weather, but overall, we had a great week of fishing! Lots of limits of scup around the boat, with some nice sea bass in the mix as well. Those that wanted to stick with the crabs were rewarded with some nice blackfish to round out the coolers. Now is definitely the time to come and fill the freezer! Last week's bluefish trip produced plenty of blue blues that kept our anglers busy all day! Our bluefish trips are winding down, our last one is this week. We continue to fish every day, as long as Mother Nature cooperates. Our "mixed bag" trips are now through November, then our famous 12 hour combo trips will start! We also have a few blackfish specific trips coming up, so check the website and grab your tickets to join us! Now is the time to come fill the freezer for winter! Don't just read the reports, get out there and make them! ”

Ed at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle said he heard of good fishing from customers who had been catching blackfish, striped bass, false albacore and squid. Early season fall togging was off to a pretty typical start. His customers caught plenty of fish though, they had to weed through lots of shorts on their way to fill a three fish limit. Jigs have been popular with customers in shallow water and this season has been no different. Striper fishing has been good for those customers he’s talked to that have focused on it. There are fish around the mouths of the major rivers, points and reefs throughout the region and they can be caught a variety of ways. Pods of albies are still cruising through the bay and beyond to both the west and east at least, for the time being. Other customers were in to buy squid jigs to take over to the mouth of the Thames River where the nighttime squid bite was reportedly very good. Ed says as we move in to November, the list of species local anglers are focused on will narrow. Blackfish will become the top priority for the majority of his clientele, though good fishing for striped bass should still be on the table as well. He said as the water cools, heading to deeper reefs and rock complexes will be the move if you’re looking to stay on top of the tog. If you find yourself fishing during times of heavy wind or current, it’s a good idea to be prepared with heavier lead and rigs as the light jigs of the early season have less times of the tide to shine. They will be open right through the end of the tog season.

Tim at J&B Tackle emailed over their report to say, “Many anglers took advantage of the beautiful weather, heading to their favorite rock piles for opening day of tog season. The crab supply became a problem because far more people than normal took to the water, causing area shops to run out of crabs by Saturday afternoon. We have restocked and have a good supply for the next week. Overall, tog fishing was very good with most keeper fish in the 18- to 20-inch range. Striped bass fishing continues to improve as the fall run starts to take shape. There are plenty of fish throughout the area with the south side of Fishers Island being loaded. White Albie Snax worked best, while live eels caught bigger fish in the early morning before sunrise. Albacore Alley is in full swing from the Thames River to Black Point. Larger pods are working giving anglers a better shot at them. Small white epoxy jigs are working very well. Most of the fish are on the smaller side with larger ones mixed in. They seem to be more aggressive halfway through the tide cycle. For offshore, there is still good water at Veatch and Hydro, and a few boats have been rewarded for making the trip. There is good water around Atlantis which may move depending on the weather. General Category closed this week and more quota will be available November 1st. Reserve quota was transferred to the Rec category so Rec bluefin will remain open for the late fall early winter fishery off Long Island and NJ. Be sure to sign up for the 2026 Mighty Tog Championship. The tournament schedule is November 6 Captains meeting on November 7 Fishing Day with November 8 a potential weather date used only if the November 7 Fishing Day is postponed by the tournament director. Entry and all other information may be found online. As always stop by or contact JB Tackle for the most updated fishing information before next trip. JB Tackle is open Monday–Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.”

Captain Mike at Tartan II said the fall fishing season is off to a good start. They are now transitioning most trips to target blackfish. The action has been good to start and they have had no issue filling the boat limit of tasty tautog. They plan to fish their regular schedule through the rest of the fall blackfish season. Right now, they still have availability for some weekday trips as well. They will run charters as scheduled with open boats on Tuesdays and Thursdays for bottom fishing so give him a call now to book your prime dates.

Karen at AW Marina said word from her customers is that the blackfish season is off to a good start, especially for those who are fishing from shore. Tog are biting around the rocks and piers and jetties according to folks passing through the shop to reload on bait, rigs, jigs and lead. The Fort Trumbull Pier isn’t just producing blackfish though as word was this week that squid fishing at night has been “lights out”. Anglers heading down to the dock with lights and squid jigs report really good action and lots of tasty calamari to take home. Besides the tog and squid, other anglers have reported catching weakfish and scup as well. There are still enough stripers in the river to target as well, from the mouth on up past the bridges, though angler effort for linesides has waned to some degree since the tog season reopened. Boaters report good fishing as well, mostly for blackfish though striped bass fishing is still solid as well. Most early season tog are coming from shallow rockpiles though a few of the deeper reefs have been productive too. There are albies still kicking around throughout the region as well. Karen said as we look ahead into November she expects good action for blackfish to continue, though eventually the shore bite will die out. Scup, similarly, will move on as well and waves of stripers can be expected to wash through the region, focused around the mouth of the river. They will be open seven days a week until the blackfish seasonal closure to support their customers.