Signs of the Fall run slowly begin to appear, but the epic summer bass bite in the Long Island Sound continues.
Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me there’s a lot to choose from throughout the Sound right now. School to slot sized bass have been blitzing on small bait during most mornings and evenings. There is a plethora of different bait out there, but as long as you match the hatch, you should be in good shape. Anglers looking for bigger bass are doing well drifting eels, GTs, and some large plugs through the local reefs and rips. If you’re having a hard time finding the fish, the always proven tube and worm has been a great producer/fishfinder. The fluking should start to wane shortly, but anglers dropping green and white bucktails tipped with Gulp are still reporting some consistent catches.
Heather from Black Hawk Sportfishing reports another strong week of the same summer fishing they’ve seen for a while Their daily bottom fishing trips have shown excellent porgy fishing, and a nice mix of sea bass. The fluke fishing has gotten a bit tougher, but there are still a few nice ones here and there. The After Work special trips continue to be strong, with huge bluefish and plenty of stripers in the mix. The fishing had gotten a bit tougher around the big full moon, but things are getting back to normal. They will continue to add as many of these trips as they can, but they fill up fast, so be sure to grab your spots as soon as you see them posted. They will continue to run two trips on Saturday’s and Sunday’s and will keep fishing every weekday. They also are starting to book private charter trips into September, along with some Sunday afternoon bass/bluefish trips. Be sure to check their website for the exact schedule and to book a spot!
Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters reports that it is finally starting to feel a bit like the fall out there, as the temperatures have finally started to drop a bit. The fishing has been fall-like as well, with increased surface activity of striped bass across the Eastern Sound, and a steady pick of gator bluefish on jigs around the deeper structure. There are some rumors of hardtails to the east, but we’re still probably a few weeks away in Mike’s neck of the woods, but the water temperatures and bait supply are lining up nicely. Bottom fishermen are still finding some decent sea bass in the area, while the better fluke reports are coming from the New York side of the sound. Be sure to give Mike a call to book a fall run trip before it’s too late!
Dan, at Dan’s Bait, Tackle, and Charters in New London reports that the water temperatures are still on the warm side, so anglers are finding their best catches during the evening or late-night tide cycles. Shore bound anglers are reporting good porgy catches on squid strips or sandworms when available, and they have also been scoring some nice bluefish around Fort Trumbull and the New London Pier. The overnight hours are producing bluefish and some nice stripers on live eels around the same areas. The charters are consistently coming back with limits of slot stripers and have been releasing plenty of 40-inch plus fish. We have a few more weeks left of the summer tautog season, and the bite has been solid. The same can be said for fluke, which are biting well before they start their migration in the coming weeks.
Chris, at Elser Guide Service told me that he had another strong week trolling the tube and worm, along with casting flies and soft plastics to gator blues. Large topwater plastics and spooks such as the Game On X-Walk have also been triggering some bass and bluefish strikes in shallow water. The action is improving daily, and the fish can now be found on deep and shallow structure. The fall run is setting up nicely, with more peanut bunker than Chris has seen in years, along with a solid amount of adult bunker in the local harbors. Spanish Mackerel have been elusive, but the days that they’ve shown up, they tend to be feeding around the sandy beaches.
Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that things have remained consistent for mid-August, with quality bass hitting plugs around dawn and dusk, along with some big bass taking chunks after dark. Daytime anglers have a bit tougher time, but diamond jigging the deeper structure in the area is producing some fish. Those looking for bluefish can find plenty over 10-pounds around the islands and off the local beaches. There is an incredible amount and variety of bait in the area, so things shouldn’t be slowing down anytime soon. Sea bass fishing has been tougher, but 50-60 feet of water is still producing some decent fish on jigs tipped with squid. The fluke fishing has been steady enough in the area, but you really need to locate the large clouds of bait in order to catch flatties in good numbers. Blue crabbing remains tremendous in the area, and the shop will be an official weigh station for the upcoming bluefish tournament.
It’s a little premature to claim that the hardtail/fall run is upon us, but increased reports from the east, coupled with some tremendous schools of bait have things lining up nicely.
Connecticut waters have no shortage big striped bass, but the big fish remains a low light/nighttime bite. Fishing after dark has worked out well for those that are doing it, with some big striped bass being reported from CT surfcasters and anglers drifting eels on the shallow reefs. The resurgence of bluefish also continues, with strong reports of 12-15-pound fish from Norwalk to The Race, and at most spots in between. Local surfcasters are also starting to find better results from Groton to Niantic. Fluke fishing seems to have improved this week, with better reports from throughout the state, but the sea bass action has gotten tougher and is dominated by shorts. Connecticut’s summer tautog season has remained fruitful for those that are actually targeting them, while scup also remain plentiful. The blue crabbing has also been very strong in the lower CT River tribs and the Western Sound tribs for those looking for a nice change of pace closer to home.
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