New England - Connecticut Fishing Reports

Max at Fisherman’s World said local fishing has steady for blackfish, stripers and scup. Tog fishing is driving most of the activity at the shop but there are some good bass bites locally and beyond to make putting in the time and effort to target them worth the while. Blackfish reports have been pretty typical for the early season. The best fishing is still shallow, though this week they did start to hear more reports coming from wrecks south of the islands where they heard of better numbers of 5- to 8-pound fish. That said, the biggest number of blackfish in the region are coming from 30-feet of water or less with good action for shore anglers as well. Striper fishing is good and there are a few different bites to get in on depending on your preferred flavor. Early mornings are seeing the best blitz activity with bass working schools of peanut bunker, anchovies and silversides. 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. The Housatonic River is also producing bass to 35 pounds on both bait and artificials. Scup fishing has been good from both boat and shore as water temperatures are still warm enough to support them. Sea bass fishing has improved and should continue to get better as water temperatures drop. Hardtail sightings have been sporadic locally with more bonito around than false albacore. There is a bit more reliable action across the sound in front of Port Jeff and Smithtown Bay. The shop is open seven days a week.

Bobby J’s said fall fishing continues to produce both blackfish and 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 casting eels and plastics well. The only blues that are around at the moment are cocktails 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 about 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 sized 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, “The limelight shone brightly on precisely two marine fish this past week and into the weekend. Blackfish (tautog) and striped bass were hooked under cooled-down fall conditions, calmer seas and a full moon phase. Two fish that generally begin and end the salt season. Blackfish crushed shop crabs as more short fish were caught in shallower waters during flooding tides - including high numbers of throwbacks. Simple rigs and tog jigs worked well in depths under 12 feet. Moving out to 20 to 25 feet and deeper, touched off catches of larger fish in the 6- to 8-pound range requiring weights of 6 to 8 ounces - greater in faster moving water. Nevertheless, toggers managed limits not only for dinner but to add to the freezer. Although daily size and bag limits are managed regionally and therefore the same (3 at 16 inches), anglers should check on the seasons and the use of live green crab for bait in Long Island Sound. Striped bass have been smashing small artificials in many of the tidal rivers. From soft plastics, bucktail jigs, midget-tubed diamond jigs, and some baits to surface poppers and flies, bass have been running up and down the channels - and not deep at all. Some of these fish look as if they can use a few more pounds and are ready to bulk up while others are plump and are over the slot. Slot-to-over is what’s happening out in the Sound. Linesiders continue their run but making a much slower signs of exiting due to the availability of forage and the warmer than normal water temps. The last couple of days however, saw the real first cold dips that will bring things into focus. Umbrella rigs, three-waving and diamond jigging have been good producers. The recent full moon cycle had a positive effect! Bluefish remain spotty, bonito have been catchable but scattered, albies ranged from hard to impossible to find and weakfish have not vacated. Scup and black sea bass remain good target fish for the freezer while the remainder of the bottom fishery is reasonably intact but some are sliding into deeper water. November looks promising! Nothing shocking to reference about the freshwater activity. It still continues to be over the top! Trout and salmon stocking is ongoing; the basses, toothy predators, panfish and bottom feeders are intensely foraging and are taking live baits and artificials. For more as this year’s Fall fishing season unfolds, 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 (203-245-8665) 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, but 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 it’s done for the year.

Matt from Black Hall Outfitters emailed over their report to say they are hearing “The tog bite is very good. Most guys 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 Lunker City Slug-Go's are also going very quickly. Overall, a lot of fun out there. Our TogTober Tournament was a great success with lots of anglers and great weekend weather. Out top three anglers were as follows, third place went to Rob Caranzo for his 9.34-pounder, second place went to David Macha and his 9.94-pounder and the big winner with a 10.59-pound tog was John Derosa. Congrats to all the anglers and thanks for making our 13th TogTober tourney a huge success!”

Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters said that while striper fishing is still very good, they are beginning to focus on blackfish with each passing trip. The tog fishing has been solid and they caught fish up to around 10 pounds this past week. They will continue to focus on both species for the remainder of the season. They plan to fish 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’d been busy keeping up with weighing fish for the shop’s blackfish tournament. The leader as of when we spoke was at 15.95 pounds for their two fish total and second and third were hovering in between 15 and 16 pounds as well. He said lots of customers have been focused on togging and while the fishing has been good for filling the freezer, the water needs to cool a couple more degrees to get the bigger fish moving. The tournament will run through November 8th. The main tournament is decided by the combined weight of each angler’s two heaviest eligible blackfish. There is no minimum weight requirement. Each blackfish must measure at least 16 inches and meet all applicable state and federal fishing regulations to qualify. Fish may be caught anywhere in compliance with applicable state and federal fishing laws. All weigh-ins must take place at Total Tackle. To see more details and register, visit their Instagram page or website for full details. He said striper fishing is good and there are some big fish spread out through 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 they are there 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 told me that while most of the talk of the shop these days is about blackfish, he is also hearing from customers catching stripers, the occasional false albacore, squid, trout and salmon. The great weather over the weekend made for busy times at the shop with just about everyone with any interest in catching tog getting in on the action. Customers caught from both shore and boat with a few impressive catches in the mix. While the tournament leader still sits at 8 pounds and 10 ounces, a few customers reported catching and releasing fish to 25.5 inches. The shop’s blackfish tournament has been competitive again this year and will run right through to the end of the season. The tournament runs the full six week tog season and the heaviest fish will take the total pot at the end in the form a Fishin’ Factory III 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 each week. 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. Striper fishing has been good for the customers they heard from who are still focused on it. There is a bite in the mouth of the Connecticut River but it seems to be hot one day and lukewarm the next. There are also some fish on structure adjacent to the river mouth in both directions. Plum Gut is also holding schools of bass where they are being caught primarily on flutter spoons as well as on the surface occasionally. False albacore are still popping up here and there with most reports coming east of Black Point by anglers who are ‘on the hook’ blackfishing. There is a squid bite going in the mouth of the Thames River that some customers were taking advantage of. Trout fishing is gearing back up with recent stockings. The Salmon River was stocked before the weekend 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 have been hearing reports of very good fishing for tautog around the islands and the mouth of the bay. Many boats reported limiting out on nice sized tautog and having so keeper black sea bass as a welcome addition to the catch. Fishing for striped bass remains very good around Newport. The bass have been feeding on smaller bait and there is often a surface feed going on somewhere around the island. Topwater plugs have been effective especially early in the morning and late in the afternoon. There are still a few green bonito around, but they are starting to thin out. Some anglers have been out looking for squid but the fall bite doesn’t seem to have started up just yet.

Heather at The Blackhawk office reports, “Our last bluefish trip of the season was a success!  It started off hot, with jumbo blues over the rail and into the coolers. Drift after drift...until it started to fizzle out. The blues are getting ready to head offshore for the winter. We put the umbrella rigs out and were able to land a few more. Overall, our last bass and blue trip for the season was a success! Thanks to everyone who joined us, and come back to ‘Blackhawk 'em’ again in the spring! Unfortunately, we lost some midweek trips due to the windy conditions, but when we headed back out at the end of the week, we were happy to find the fishing just as we left it: maybe even better! We had some awesome October fishing in our backyard! Thursday's trip had limits of XL scup some quality sea bass, and the highlight of the day...blackfish! Many limits around the boat of blackfish to 8 pounds for those experienced blackfish anglers. The rest of the week and weekend was similar, with plenty of porgies, some nice sea bass, and good numbers of hefty blackfish. 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 that it had been all about blackfish at the shop though he did hear of some good bites for bass and squid as well. Blackfish action has been steady to start the season. While it isn’t lights out fishing for everyone, most folks who are working hard are able to fill a three fish limit. Water temperatures are still hovering around 60 degrees or a bit less and as such most of the better fishing is still happening in shallow water, 30-feet or less. As such, shore fishing is still going strong with the fish up shallow. 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 said the shop is well stocked up for the fall run with crabs, eels, jigs, rigs and two new styles of house jigs in standard green over orange, unfinished and with 24 hour’s notice, pick your own color options. They will be open right through the end of the tog season 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Tim at J&B Tackle emailed over their report to say “Tog fishing has been very good in our area for keeper size fish. Jig fishing has been the most popular and productive method from 10 feet to 30 feet. Asylum, Joe Baggs, Lunker City, Tsunami, S&S and Tidaltails make jigs in every configuration and color. Every angler has their favorite style and color for each situation. Tog rigs work better in deeper water where heavier weight is needed using white legger crab, or for less experienced tog anglers. Whatever your preference we have green crabs and white legger crabs in stock for what is shaping up to be a cold but great weather forecast for tog fishing all week. Striped bass have still been migrating through. We have had reports of bass being caught in the Thames River north of the Gold Star Bridge and the CT River. South side of Fishers Island continues to be good as the fish move west along the coast line. This is a good time of year for the surf casters to bundle up and get out for the after work evening bite. Albies and bonito are around but not as abundant as they were for the past two weeks. For offshore, due to weather not many boats went out last week. A few boats have called the shop for bait, planning to head offshore soon. As a reminder the 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. JB Tackle is open Monday–Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.”

Captain Mike at Tartan II said the black fishing has been very good for his crews and they are catching lots of fish up to the 10-pound mark. He said sea bass fishing is still holding strong as well making for plenty of fillets to bring home for the table. 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 spot before it’s a wrap for the season.

Karen at AW Marina told me her customers have been saying that tog fishing is “off the hook” so to speak. She’s talked to lots of happy anglers who are catching blackfish from both shore and boat. The best fishing still seems to be in shallower water and this is good news for the shore crowd. It isn’t just blackfish biting from shore though as her customers are still catching scup, squid, mackerel and striped bass all from terra firma. The scup fishing at the Fort Trumbull Pier and over at Avery Point isn’t as hot as it was at peak season, but there are still enough fish there to target. What has been biting at a torrid pace from the pier is squid during the overnight bite. Anglers are bringing lights and squid jigs down and filling five gallon buckets full of cephalopods. There are stripers still in the river from above the bridge on down to the mouth. Karen noted again that customers are reporting one of the better bass years overall from within the confines of the river. Out in front of the river, there are pods of albies popping up here and there on any given day, though they seem to be seen more than caught by most of the people she’d talked to. A report of mackerel being caught from shore over at Pleasure Beach came in over the weekend, not necessarily a typical fall bite. Karen reminded me that they will be open seven days a week until the blackfish seasonal closure to support their customers.