Connecticut Fishing Report 6-5-2014

The first week of June has arrived and brought with it some much warmer temperatures and hoards of bait in the saltwater across Connecticut. Good numbers of big striped bass have arrived in western Long Island Sound. The waters from central Long Island Sound to the Connecticut/Rhode Island border have seen their first early arrivals of large bass as well, and with the combination of climbing water temperatures and masses of bait, saltwater fishing across the entire region stands to blow wide open any day now.

Connecticut Fishing Report

Eastern Long Island Sound has shown its first few signs of life this week and the guys at Hillyers Bait and Tackle in Waterford reported that some larger striped bass have moved into The Race over the past few days. Historically, as reports pick up at The Race it is only a few days before some better fish are taken at the eastern sound reefs and some medium-sized bass have already been reported from the west end of Bartletts Reef. Niantic Bay has seen its first push of keeper fluke, both on the inside and along the adjacent reefs, while winter flounder fishing remains steady in the bay and at Bluff Point. Summer flounder weren’t the only arrivals to Niantic Bay this week, as bluefish have shown up for the first time this season and have been hitting poppers and metal artificials.

River’s End in Old Saybrook reported that the numbers of bass in the lower Connecticut River have dropped but the bite remains pretty good, with the quality of fish taking a turn for the better this week. Keeper bass have been taking topwater offerings in Essex and around Great Island, while bait dunkers have been taking advantage of the large schools of bunker and scoring good catches at the Dock and Dine and the DEEP docks. There are medium-sized keeper bass, along with a few larger outliers on the Westbrook Reefs and at Long Sand Shoal, which is a standard large-bass hotspot in early June. Bluefish numbers are thin in the sound but plenty of gators are being caught at The Race and Plum Gut. Keeper fluke have been reported from Niantic Bay and the rise in water temperatures should be bringing more fish to the Old Lyme and Waterford shorelines this week.

Andrew, at Fishin’ Factory III in Middletown, had some first-hand proof that there are still plenty of bass to be had in the Connecticut River. Andrew made his way down to the lower river on Wednesday morning and was able to manage over 20 keeper bass between himself and a friend, with all fish coming on topwater poppers and spooks. Andrew also mentioned that reports have still been solid from the upper river where some larger bass are still hanging around the Windsor area, feeding on the last few schools of river herring.

Captain TJ of Rock & Roll Charters had an excellent weekend trolling and drifting the central sound reefs and was able to put his clients on plenty of 25- to 30-pound bass without much interference from bluefish. TJ still has plenty of openings for bass and fluke trips later in June and believes the bite should only get better in the upcoming weeks.
Captain Bruce of The Otter had to do a bit of searching but was able to find some good bass in local waters last week. Last Thursday, Leo and friends took 6 bass to 38 inches; while on Friday Bobby Calafell had 4 bass to 39 inches with 12 year old Rachel taking bass of 39 and 36 inches.

In the western sound, the guys at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk were happy to report the loads of bunker and good bass that were being reported in New York waters made their way to local waters, and fishing has been excellent. Good numbers of bass have been keyed in on bunker schools from Norwalk to Stamford, and anglers fishing large chunks and livelining have seen bass up to 40 pounds this week. The large amounts of bait coupled with optimal water temperatures should keep the bass fishing red hot for a few more weeks, and the gator bluefish that are now in the mix should be there all summer.

Fishing Forecast for Connecticut

Early June is right up there with the October fall run as one of the best times to wet a line in the saltwater of Connecticut, and this year appears to be no exception, despite the cold spring. With highs in the 80s forecasted for the weekend, surface temperatures will continue to rise and so will the amount of bait, bass and fluke in the region.