Connecticut Fishing Report

Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me that the water is still stained in certain areas due to the Connecticut River flooding, but the fish are absolutely still biting. Big striped bass are still begin fooled by the same offerings; live eels, GT eels, needlefish plugs, and live bunker if you can find some. A lot of the bunker remains outside of the river and along the adjacent shorelines. There are still giant blue fish around, particularly at the race and the gut where top waters are working, even at midday with high sun. Sea bass fishing has been good in 50-feet of water and deeper on Daiwa SK jigs in blue, pink or gold. The fluke fishing has been inconsistent, but they’re available if you focus on good structure.

Heather from Black Hawk Sportfishing reported another solid week of fishing aboard the Black Hawk! Their bottom fishing trips this week showed excellent porgy fishing, with jumbos coming over the rails and into the coolers. A good mix of sea bass made for an excellent week of fishing! Their Saturday afternoon family trip was successful, with many young anglers spending the afternoon with their families reeling in some nice porgies. These trips are some of their favorites, grab your tickets and hop on board!! The after-work special trips and afternoon charters were also excellent this week, with huge blues and some nice bass all night long. These trips have been fantastic, so come join us soon! They look forward to seeing everyone soon! 

When I checked in with captain Mike Roy, at Reel Cast Charters he said that the water is cleaning up nicely since the floods of the past few weeks, and he’s seeing much less debris. The stripers have settled into their summer patterns, with big fish holding on the reefs and hitting live baits. There is a ton of small bait in the area, and Mike is starting to see more schoolie blitzes. The gator bluefish also remain plentiful, and they can often be found feeding ferociously on topwaters. Mike still has some openings for August big striped bass trips, so be sure to check in soon before they fill up! 

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain in Connecticut!

Dan, at Daniel’s Bait, Tackle and Charters in New London told me that striped bass fishing has remained consistent in his neighborhood, despite the warmer water temperatures. Three-waying bucktails and live bait is a top producer, along with trolling the umbrella rig during the day. There are plenty of bluefish to play with as well, including a nice slug of gators taking pencil poppers at The Race. Anglers fishing from the shore, especially during the low light hours, are scoring nice bass on live eels. The scup and sea bass bite has been very good, with keepers being plentiful for anglers dropping clams, sea worms and jigs. Anglers targeting tuna and sharks offshore are doing well, while anglers staying closer to home are finding good blue crab action in the local tributaries.  

Captain Chris, at Elser Guide Service is still finding excellent striped bass and bluefish action while trolling the tube and worm. He is also finding the occasional light tackle bite on the Duratech 13-inch eels on a 1-ounce jighead. Fish are planted in place during daylight hours in their safety zones, but they can be coaxed into attacking a trolled tube, Duratech Eel, or live bunker at any time during the day. Most of the bass are in the 20- to 35-pound range and the bluefish tend to be on the very large side. Chris is anticipating finding some Spanish Mackerel in the next week or so, which will be a welcomed sight for his fly and light tackle clients. 

Joe, at Diorio Guide Service, reports that fishing has been good whenever they have been able to get out. The weather hasn’t been conducive to river fishing or offshore fishing the past few days, but the local reefs have been very productive. Striped bass are hitting 3-wayed live baits, along with Joe Baggs soft plastics fished on jigheads. The bigger bass have been on the reefs and hugging structure, while blitzing bluefish can still be found spread out through the area. Joe still has some dates available in September and October, so contact him soon to book a trip.  

Tyler, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reported that things are still going strong locally, including a nice mix of bass and bluefish in the harbor and around the islands. The harbor is loaded with bunker and that bait is keeping the bass and bluefish interested. Better quality fish can be found in deeper water around 11B on diamond jigs. There are plenty of bluefish to be had, both inshore, and out on the deeper structure.  The fluke bite has been decent for those that are trying, with the best flatfish action coming from 30-60 feet of water around can 24, 26, and 28C. The sea bass bite has been steady in depths over thirty feet on bucktails and jigs. Scup fishing is lights out and they can be found on just about any piece of structure that usually holds them. Freshwater anglers fishing the Saugatuck Reservoir reported an improved bite this week for bass and walleye, specifically at low light hours on live shiners. 

• Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain in Connecticut!

Connecticut Fishing Forecast

The big striped bass action is still going strong in Connecticut, and the striped bass continue to hunker down into their summer patterns. The water is still dirty around the tidal rivers, but it has cleaned up to a point of fishability, and the bass are hanging around their usual haunts on the adjacent reefs. With the fish holding tight to the bottom on the inshore reefs your best bet is a 3-wayed live baits, jig, or soft plastic. The bunker schools have mainly been hanging outside of the rivers, but they are starting to come back in as the water cleans. Fluke fishing has been challenging, as consistency has been lacking from day to day. That being said, some big flat fish are being taken most days. Make sure you’re using a smelly offering to help counteract the dirty water and attract a doormat! Sea bass fishing has been going strong since it reopened, with the best results coming from 60-80 feet of water. Scup action is red hot, and don’t forget about summer tautog, which provides another strong bottom fishing option this month. A few blue crab reports have started to trickle in from the estuaries, and those numbers should improve greatly through July. Flows are starting to clean up in the TMAs, while the lakes and ponds continue to produce a nice mix of bass and panfish.