J&B Tackle

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.”

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.”