It’s a great time to target a fall mixed bag in the salt, with a strong tautog bite and false albacore still hanging around in Long Island Sound.
Connecticut Fishing Report
At Hillyers Bait and Tackle in Waterford, reports from the blackfish guys continue to be very solid. Catching a limit of 4- to 6-pound fish has been pretty easy around the Groton/New London area, although heavier fish have been harder to come by this season. Shore anglers are reporting keeper blackfish in the shallows at Harkness and Ocean Beach. False albacore continue to be prevalent in the area, with the stretch between Ocean Beach and Pleasure Beach being the most consistent. Large scup and black sea bass are still biting in the eastern sound, but they are now a strictly deep-water game at 40-plus feet of water. The Millstone Power Plant outflow has seen an influx of ladyfish recently, which is generally a rarity for this area. Ladyfish catches were common over the last week or so, and while they are not very big, they are excellent light-tackle fighters. Ten- to Twelve-pound bluefish also continue to run through the eastern sound, although they are running in very small schools and are quite widespread. Locally, Black Point remains a hotbed for just about anything: Blackfish in the shallows, scup and sea bass down deep and big bluefish across the water column.
At Rivers End in Old Saybrook, word is that the Rhode Island surf has slowed a bit, while the Montauk surf fired back up. Locally, schoolie striper blitzes have been common at dawn inside the Connecticut River, stretching from Old Saybrook to Essex. Bunker is still all over the river, but the schools seem to be thinning quickly. Plum Gut and The Race are starting to fish better for both bass and bluefish, while the local reefs continue to disappoint. Blackfishing has been excellent throughout Long Island Sound, and Tom Lemire took the top spot in their tournament so far with a 12.25-pound beauty.
Andrew at Fishin’ Factory 3 in Middletown found some good bluefish and striped bass action at the mouth of the river early this week. Topwater spook-style plugs have been a top producer at dawn, while anglers dunking fresh chunks of bunker have scored some good fish after the lights went out. Blackfishing has been great in the eastern sound at Seaside, Hatchets and Black Point, and has been even better west of the river from Cornfield Point to the Westbrook and Clinton Reefs. False albacore have been all over the eastern sound, and Andrew was able to land multiple fish without chasing them while fishing for blackfish Monday.
Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters reported that false albacore are still pretty easy to find throughout Long Island Sound, and he was actually able to get into them pretty good in his home waters around Milford over the weekend. The nighttime striped bass bite is also picking up out west, with some 20- to 30-pound class fish taking live eels around the mouth of the Housatonic. Schoolie bass and some small bluefish have been hanging around Short Beach and Milford Point, while blackfishing has been excellent in the shallows from Bridgeport to New Haven.
Rich at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reported excellent blackfishing across the western sound but noted that the more common spots are beginning to be fished out. Anglers moving around often, to smaller, lesser-known areas are having better success with keeper fish. Scup and sea bass remain common out west, and the bite continues to be the best we’ve had in years. Overall, striped bass and bluefishing has been slow, other than a few of both species taking diamond jigs at 11B, 28C and the OB. The Norwalk and Saugatuck rivers have recently been stocked with trout and should be fishing well with more flow this weekend. The Saugautuck River has been slow due to low water levels, but that should also be changing after the heavy rains of the past few days.
Fishing Forecast
Strong winds are once again forecasted for the next couple of days, making tautog fishing a top option in the salt. Setting up for tog in the wind can be challenging, but doesn’t require much travel and can now be done in some sheltered areas. For a freshwater option in Connecticut, take a look at one of the many trophy trout streams that have now been stocked for the fall. Fish should be plentiful and the rivers will be flowing nicely after this rain system.