New England - Connecticut Fishing Reports

Max at Fisherman’s World said they are looking forward to a good fall season ahead as we move into October and the heart of the fall run. The fall tog season has become increasingly popular and the shop is ready to get you geared up and in on the action. He said that the early season is generally all about the shallow water bite and they typically see a few double-digit-sized fish come from the shallows in the first few weeks. That said there are a mix of sizes around early so don’t be afraid to move around if you aren’t getting keeper-sized fish. The shop and customers alike are hoping more hardtails show up. They have had some reports of scattered albies, bonito and Spanish mackerel around so far. When the albies do show, it’s typically in October and Max said places like Sherwood Island, 11B, Eatons Neck, Middle Ground and Port Jeff are all good spots to check. The bass bite picks back up in October and historically bites like Diamond Jigging on the local reefs or fishing in the mouth of the Housatonic can produce some great action. There are some mixed sizes of bluefish around with large gators over at Middleground and cocktail blues cruising inshore and around the islands. October typically sees the biggest scup of the year from shore with some true hubcap size porgies coming from places like Calf Pasture Beach and Sherwood Island. If you’re looking for Black Sea Bass your best bet is fishing deep earlier in the month until the fish move shallower. The shop is open seven days a week.

Bobby J’s said fishing in the region has been steady but changes are ahead. While the best bass bites have generally been relegated to low light hours, October will bring back broad daylight blitzes and fall run fishing. For the time being, striper fishing has been good for boaters and improving from the beach as well. The best fishing is still being done with live and plastic eels though topwater action will become more persistent in the days and weeks ahead. Shore bound anglers are catching on eels and plugs alike. There have been some roving schools of bonito in deep water mid-sound. The hope is that easterly winds blow some albies into the region to join them. Scup fishing from shore has been excellent, especially locally. The fish can be found along rocky structure from the shoreline out to 20-feet or so and the action has been lights out. Snapper bluefish are abundant throughout the area and there is tons of small bait around as well. There is a decent weakfish bite going though they are running on the smaller side this year. Customers report doing well in 35-feet of water but having to pick through lots of 14- to 17-inch fish to find a few larger ones. While there have been some local sightings of spanish mackerel, confirmed catches are harder to come by. The shop is open six days a week closed Mondays.

Captain Morgan’s emailed over their report to say, “After a few summerlike days Saturday was the day that most fishers geared up for. Temperatures went from 8 degrees above the seasonal average down to 2-degrees below the norm. The cool-down was welcomed considering it was on the cusp of the fall migration that is hitting edges of the Sound. The bulk of the action began taking place in the turbulent rips of the eastern Sound. Charging bait schools forced out of valleys, rock structures and peaks, a mix of striped bass, gator bluefish and hardtails responded to the transition into lower water temperatures. On the whole, that effect did not translate into anything meaningful representing a Fall Run although, we did experience more bait movement in local waters and an overall increase in fish activity. A few over-the-slot fish, too! Schoolie striper activity picked up in the rivers and along some of the beaches. Schools of small menhaden began showing up being pushed by harbor blues with some snapper blues moving in/out with the tides. Large porgies and average weakfish are being caught more regularly but primarily from reefs and rock piles. Inshore, the porgy bite has been about average. Black sea bass are everywhere but for keepers head, out. Fluke catches were slightly up from last week but not much in mini-doormats. Fish to about 22 inches and not much bigger were hooked with a few dinner-worthy getaways frustrating anglers. The rest of the bottom fishery hasn’t changed much except for fish putting on some weight. Sharks are still around (stingrays included) - most notably protected browns and sand tigers that need to be released (unharmed) without removing them from the water. Blue crabbing is on/off again, but when on, softies and hard shells are making a good meal! Fresh water activity keeps getting better especially, bass, pickerel, and panfish. For more on this unusual but good fishing season and much more, click over to Captain Morgan’s fishing blog. We are open for business as usual and still packing the walls with weekly deliveries to meet demand. To accommodate, we are fully-stocked with natural, artificial (including flies) and live baits, to fill your fishing needs - including servicing rods and reels. Gift Certificates, too! If you are looking for popular productive spots in the Sound and want to set up your electronics for your specific fishing needs, swing by the shop and check out one of our marked and recently updated charts for sale. Captain Morgan’s (an Authorized PENN Premium and Daiwa Tournament Dealer) is getting ready for the fall season while supporting the fishing community. 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 they are seeing fish in transition in the area right now. Fishing is still good by any measure but resident populations of ground and gamefish are on the move. He said where stripers has been missing for the past month, they are now starting to see a few pods filter into the region. The consistent action for small bluefish is beginning to spread out as they feed on hordes of rainbait. As we head towards October, he said more bunker should show in the region and with their arrival should bring the bass and bigger bluefish with them. Ground fishing for sea bass and scup should only get better until they depart for the season. He said scup fishing has been phenomenal for the last couple of months and should remain so until they start to move out about the third week of October. The same can be said for sea bass though they generally take off in November. Whatever is lost in those two species will be more than made up for when the fall blackfish season opens up on October 10th. Captain TJ and his crew are fired up to get into some fall run fishing and if this season is anything like the past couple they expect to see good action for stripers, blues, scup and eventually blackfish. He’s reserving dates now for the coming fall season so give Captain TJ a call and grab your spot now.

Matt from Black Hall Outfitters emailed over their report to say they are hearing, “Albies showed eastern sound which has been awesome. One-ounce Game On EXO Jigs and Hogy Epoxy Jigs in pink, silver, and gold were working. There’s lots of weather coming this week and that will scramble things for a bit and who knows where they go next. Everything else striper wise is definitely moving more towards a fall bite with birds overhead and creek and river outflows bringing lots of bait. Beyond the funny fish action, fluke and sea bass action is still solid 50-feet of water and deeper. The sea bass bite seems better than fluke but still the expectation for either species should be to pick through shorts. Try big squid baits for both species along with metals for sea bass. Stripers have been on and off. There is better action earlier and later in the day. There are still plenty of large 45-inch plus stripers. Eels are great this time of year for easy bites. Try smaller stuff for smaller fish, like swimbaits, mag darters, SP minnows, etc. Porgy are running well right now. Some really big fish coming on hi low rigs and clams and squid.”

Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters said as we move ahead into October, they will be in full on fall run mode. If the start of the season is any indicator, we should experience excellent action for striped bass and false albacore, and once blackfish season gets going, the tog fishing should be very good as well. Striper fishing has been good and as the brown sharks move out it will get even better. In addition to targeting cow-sized stripers, blitz fishing will kick into high gear as waves of migrating fish move through the region. Captain Mike said he’s hoping some adult bunker return as well. False albacore fishing has been solid to start the season and he’s hoping they stick around for a while. They plan to target tog as well later in the month and into November and if the past couple of years are any indication, fishing should be good. They have openings for fall run fishing and it’s time to book your spot now so give Captain Mike a call.

Geno from Total Tackle said that local fishing has been taken over by false albacore for the time being. Most customers he’s seen lately have been inflicted with albie fever and the bite locally has been as good or better than any in the last few years. He’s hearing reports from folks catching on Exo jigs but he’s also loaded up with Hogy, 24/7, and classic tins like Kastmasters and Deadly Dicks. Albies are being caught in big numbers from boats and beach alike from Old Lyme to the east. Striper and blue fishing is starting to pick back up after a bit of a hiatus. Geno says as we move into October, the action for both species should be good is history is any guide. Sea bass fishing has also improved recently and should be a good option for fall ground fishing. He said he’s looking forward to the fall tog season and the shop is all stocked up with jigs, rigs and all the tackle you need for the fall finale. The shop is open seven days a week, 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 said it up until the most recent big blow, the buzz at the shop has been about false albacore. Customers reported one of the better early season albie bites in recent memory with fish spread out from just about the mouth of the Connecticut River all the way east to Watch Hill. He said that what happens following this blow is anybody’s best guess but both he and his clientele are hoping the funny fish stick around into blackfish season. Speaking of blackfish they were tightening up the shop as we spoke with a fresh batch of Magic Tail tog jigs. He said the shop will be all stocked with jigs, rigs, rods reels and crabs for when the season starts on October 10th. He was also excited to share that the shop will run their fall blackfish tournament again this year. 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. The shop is open seven days a week for the season.

Chris at The Saltwater Edge reported that there were a lot of anglers focused on chasing false albacore and green bonito this past week with generally good results. There are still good number of green bonito around the islands, especially in Newport Harbor. False albacore have been a little more difficult to track down but those that are putting in the time are typically doing pretty well around the islands and the Narraganset shoreline. Fishing for striped bass is picking back up and reports have been good from the local reefs and along the beaches where surfcasters are getting in on the action. There is a lot of bait around including peanut bunker and bay anchovies, fueling some impressive topwater feeds from the hardtails and the bass. Tautog reports are starting to pick up and there are still good numbers of black sea bass and scup around. Not much for fluke reported this past week but there should still be enough of them around to make targeting them worthwhile. Offshore, reports for bluefin tuna were much slower with the fish seemingly moving out of the area for the time being. There have been reports of some good sized mahi not too far south of Block Island.

Heather at The Blackhawk office reports, “It was a good week of fall fishing!  We had a great bluefish and striped bass trip to start the week on Monday, and then a good bottom fishing trip on Tuesday.  Wednesday we changed it up a bit and took some golfers over to Fisher's Island; did you see our Facebook video?  Thursday's fluke trip was the last one of the season, and, much like the rest of the fluke season, wasn't as good as we'd hoped for.  Our trips on Friday and Saturday made up for it, with lots of porgies, a good mix of sea bass, and some triggerfish coming over the rails. Now is the time to come fishing and fill the freezer for the winter!  Grab your tickets and join us!”

Ed at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle said fall run action has picked up in the region with arrival of big schools of false albacore. Many customers in to load up on tins and epoxy jigs reported seeing albies feeding from Black Point all the way east to Watch Hill. The blitz fishing and birds have local anglers fired up and Ed said he’s hoping some bass and blues move in locally like they usually do. He also said he’s already had customers coming in and gearing up for the upcoming fall blackfish season. He’s loaded up with up with all kinds of jigs including the shop special that’s been a hit in past years. Locally, there are snappers and scup to be caught from the rocks. Scup fishing is decent everywhere from the local rocks east to Watch Hill. A few customers are still picking away at local fluke but others are making the run to Montauk or Block Island where there is more consistent action for keeper sized flatfish. A few legal sized sea bass are being caught in deep water off of Black Point and at The Race. A few customers reported catching stripers in and around the moth of the Thames River.

Tim at J&B Tackle emailed over their report to say, “Fall fishing has officially kicked off. Albies are everywhere from Black Point to Fishers Island. Striped bass are feeding on the large amount of bait but have not begun blitzing. Bluefish ranging from snappers to gators are very active. For albies, prime locations include Avery Point, Sarah's Ledge, Ocean Beach, Harkness, Seaside, Niantic Bay and Black Point. Montauk Point was worth the trip on Friday morning with several big feeds. Locate breaking fish, establish their pattern and set up to intercept them. These fish are extremely leader shy; use 15-pound test or less, at least 6-feet in length. Joe Baggs long cast resins, Hogy epoxy jigs, Deadly Dicks, Yo-Zuri Monster Shot, Crystal Minnows and Shimano Current Sniper have been the most productive. Medium power rods with a moderate action will help cast light jigs and absorb the big strikes and blistering runs. Look for active feeding blitzes and tightly packed birds working a very small area around rougher water. Striped bass have been caught as they push bait into the shallows. When the blitzes start, you will want to have the Lil Docs, Yozuri Mag Pencil, Mag Dive (F), Joebaggs Skipper and Shimano Current Snipers available. Look for blitzes to start up around reefs and other structure as the fall run progresses. Bluefish have shown up throughout our area, with several large fish in the mix. Fish can be found at Watch Hill, Montauk, The Race, Sluiceway, Black Point, Rocky Neck, and Plum Gut. Cocktail blues are often found around albies feeding more consistently. Birds working that are not bunched up in calmer water indicate bluefish. Fluke and black sea bass fishing continues to improve. Fluke have been caught in shallow water as they push bait into areas as shallow as 15-feet. Regardless of what you are targeting some of the best fishing of the season is just getting started. For offshore fishing, bluefin and midshore activity continues with good action that then turns off. Coimbra Wreck remained the most successful spot for yellowfin and bluefin; some fish were caught trolling with a majority caught jigging and chunking butterfish. Most anglers continue to find success for bluefin using RON-Z, UVT Chief, pink jigs and stick baits. Jigging and bait fishing produce results when the fish cooperate. The lanes around high flyers continue to hold mahi with bigger sized fish mixed in. For canyon fishing, an abrupt temperature break is at Hydro and Veatch, moving inshore. Veatch Canyon has been the best for catching bigeye, yellowfin tuna and swordfish. With offshore conditions changing quickly, call JB Tackle for the most up-to-date fishing report before heading out. 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 aboard the Tartan II told me good fishing continues for his crews mostly for bottom fish though, they’ve had a few surprises this week mixed in. They aren’t seeing as many sharks around this week as they have during the past few. They are seeing albies pop up here and there though with one funny fish being caught on a clam meant for scup. The bottom fishing has stayed fantastic for both scup and sea bass. The scup they are seeing are both numerous and large making for some lights out action. Sea bass fishing has been good with a mix of sizes but plenty of keepers to fill up the fish box. The fall run is coming and Captain Mike and his crew are looking forward to another great fall fishing season. They will run charters as scheduled with open boats on Tuesdays and Thursdays for bottom fishing as well as open boat striper trips on Fridays at 4 p.m. so give him a call now to book your prime dates.

Karen at AW Marina said she was looking ahead to the coming tog season and she was going through her inventory of rigs and jigs as we talked. She said as it always is, the shop will be ready for full service for the entire season until the bitter end. She plans to have plenty of crabs for the opener and they plan to have them for all six weeks. For the time being though, it’s been all about albies. Customers have been flying through epoxy jigs and tins as albie fever has really taken hold. She’s hearing from customers who are catching them in the Thames and to the east and west alike. Scup fishing from shore has been the staple of local action all season and that should last the month. Sandworms, clams and squid have all been popular choices for those looking to produce some porgies. Other local shore catches have included striped bass and harbor sized blues, all from the Fort Trumbull Pier.