Bass and bluefish blitzes continue, fluke fishing improves in the southern L.I. Sound and Spanish mackerel appear on schools of rain bait.
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, especially on the outgoing tides. 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 snapper bluefish have shown up in full force, and bluefish of all sizes seem to be more prevalent over the past week. A few false albacore reports have trickled in here and there, but we are still a week or 2 away from the eastern sound blowing up. The large schools of peanut bunker in the area should ensure that the albies hang around once they get here.
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, a nice mix of sea bass, and quite a few triggerfish. 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. The timing of a few trips also change in September, so be sure to check their website for the exact schedule and to book a spot!
Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters reports that the striped bass fishing remained steady this week. A few bigger topwater fish have shown up at low light, but live bait remains the ticket for consistently catching big bass. Big bluefish are still in the mix, and they are taking diamond jigs and Shimano Current Snipers around The Race and Plum Gut. 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!
Joe at Diorio Guide Service had another strong week of fishing, with great local striped bass catches to 38-pounds. Bass have been coming on a number of offerings, including bunker, eels, docs, and Joe Baggs BI eels. School bass blitzing on peanut bunker has been much more common this week and is providing some great light tackle action. The local bluefish action around the Race and the gut has been very good, and the fish have been big, so anglers fishing the tournament this weekend should have some success. Joe has also been spending some time offshore this week and has been getting bluefin on jigs and some nice yellowfin on topwater plugs. Joe has some openings over the next few weeks, so be sure to reach out before it’s too late.
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. Chris is looking forward to putting some time in this weekend fishing the bluefish tournament, as there have been quite a few nice bluefish out his way. 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.
Daniel’s Bait, Tackle and Charters in New London reports that after the heatwave snapped for a bit, anglers were able to get back out to their favorite spots and get back on top of the amazing fishing this year. The stripers are just fantastic, eating just about anything you throw; Bucktails on drifts, squid strips, and sea worms are all landing solid fish. The morning feeds are a great time to throw soft plastics and spooks under working birds. There is a mass of bait fish forming along the shoreline, so keep your eyes peeled while driving I-95 or any of the 20 beaches with fishing access, because you may happen upon a feeding frenzy that lasts for a good hour. We are wrapping up the summer tautog season with a good few bushel of green crab left, but it’s hard to focus when the summer fluke have been more active than usual, hitting eel chunks, peanut bunker or spearing on wide gap hooks with beads or skirt teasers. Porgy from shore in New London and Groton is cant-miss fishing, and several public access spots are pulling in fish 12- to 16-inches long from shore! Get out and enjoy a great week!
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. This mass of bait should help with the hardtail bite, which has been quiet thus far, besides a few nice Spanish Mackerel that were caught this week. 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 started to tick down, but if you grind it out around the big bait schools you can still find some nice flatties. Blue crabbing remains tremendous in the area, and the shop will be an official weigh station for the upcoming bluefish tournament this weekend.
There are signs of the hardtail run being right around the corner, but as we wait for the temps to drop and the fall run to pop, we have plenty of inshore/offshore options.
Connecticut waters have no shortage big striped bass, but the big fish remains a low light or nighttime bite. Fishing after dark has worked out well for those that are doing it, with some big striped bass being reported from Connecticut surfcasters and anglers drifting eels on the shallow reefs. The resurgence of bluefish also continues, with strong reports of 12- to 15-pound fish from Norwalk to The Race, which portends well for the WICC Bluefish Tournament this weekend. Rumors of a few bonito/false albacore have come in, but it is far from confirmed just yet. 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 and ends after this weekend, while scup also remain plentiful. The blue crabbing has also been very strong in the lower CT River tributaries and the Western Sound tributaries for those looking for a nice change of pace closer to home.
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