July 22, 2024 - 08:16:24
Tyler at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk said fishing at Saugatuck Reservoir remains the same as it was last week, the best action being with largemouth and smallmouth bass on shiners. Although Tyler did not mention any other species, we remind anyone planning to fish the reservoir, especially in early morning or late evening, to bring heavy spoons such as 1- to 1.5-ounce Kastmasters or Krocodiles and outfits capable of handling such lures in case trout are seen chasing alewives on the surface. Aked where at the reservoir he would send youngsters who just want to catch panfish, Tyler recommended the small cove on the east side of the bridge in the north end of the impoundment where the Saugatuck River enters.
July 22, 2024 - 08:16:21
I talked to Tyler at Fisherman’s World who said fishing was good again this week but bites were changing a bit as the summer wears on. The biggest change in the region is the flood of bunker that has moved inshore. Schools of menhaden can be found frfom Stamford to Fairfield in shallow water. The bait has brought the gamefish in with it and where the deep water structure in the area had been the best bet for the last month-plus, finding the schools of bait is now your best strategy if you’re looking for striped bass. Live lining has been the best strategy for tangling with a lineside this week as the fish are pretty keyed in on the real thing. That said, topwater lures have had their moments during low light periods. There are some bluefish mixed in with the bass but they aren’t yet present in big numbers. Tyler said he expects that to change very soon and the blues will find the mass of bait. Scup fishing is incredible and every piece of hard bottom is holding fish. Shore anglers are doing very well around Calf Pasture and Sherwood Island. If you’re looking to catch some fluke heading to the north shore is still the play even though that bite is cooling down to some degree. Fishing around Eaton’s Neck, Smithtown Bay and Port Jeff is good idea. Jigs and Gulp are working on both sides of the sound but the fish have shown a clear preference for bait. Customers reported doing well with squid, Peruvian smelt and especially frozen sand eels which the shop has in stock. Sea bass action is getting going and anyone who’s caught them large enough to keep is fishing deep water, from 60 to 80-feet. The bunker also brought some big bluefish inshore with them and the topwater fishing has been good during low light periods. Live lining and chunking have been good during the day. There are also large schools of bluefish mid-sound and they can often be found finning on the surface, making for fun top water and fly action. Fluke fishing is still good across the sound along the north shore. Anglers out looking for them are reporting catching summer tog in 20 to 40-feet of water.
July 15, 2024 - 10:00:14
Rich at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk heard from several customers that largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing remains very good at Saugatuck Reservoir, shiners being the preferred bait. No one reported catching any other species, but Rich reminded readers that anyone fishing the reservoir should keep an eye out and be prepared for trout chasing alewives to the surface, especially in the early morning or late evening. Also, there were no reports this week from anglers fishing local trout-stocked streams such as the Mianus River and Norwalk River. Rich explained that interest in those flowages wanes in summer.
July 15, 2024 - 10:00:10
I talked to Tyler at Fisherman’s World who told me fishing throughout the region is still very good overall. Striper fishing is keeping the majority of their customers busy and the bite is still going strong for mid-July. One difference they noted from this week to last was the arrival of bunker inshore. For the last month and a half or so the large schools of bait were glued to deep water structure. This week though those schools began to break up a bit and move toward their typical inshore areas like off of Westport, Southport, Rowayton and inside the islands. The bunker brought some big bluefish inshore with them and the topwater fishing has been good during low light periods. Live lining and chunking have been good during the day. There are some bass with the schools but not in big numbers yet. Tyler said he expects the stripers to follow the schools eventually. The best bass fishing is still in the same areas it has been all year – deep water structure around 11B and 28C. Top water fishing is good at dusk and dawn and trolling is still productive during the day. There are still large schools of bluefish mid-sound and they can often be found finning on the surface, making for fun top water and fly action. Fluke fishing is still good across the sound along the north shore. Fishing around Eaton’s Neck, Smithtown Bay and Port Jeff is good idea. Jigs and Gulp are working on both sides of the sound but the fish have shown a clear preference for bait. Customers reported doing well with squid, Peruvian smelt and especially frozen sand eels which the shop has in stock. Anglers out looking for them are reporting catching summer tog in 20 to 40-feet of water. Scup fishing is excellent and fish can now be found on just about every rock in the region. One difference from this week to last is the shore bite has lit up and anglers are reporting lights out fishing from any hard bottom they are fishing.
