Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook reported that not much has changed over the past week, especially with the warm weather keeping the water temperatures above their normal range for early November. There was an increase in school striped bass blitzes, some of which were acres in size! The fish have been keyed in on silversides and peanuts, so matching the hatch has been relatively easy—smaller baits have been performing better than large presentations in most cases. Four- to five-inch topwater poppers and spooks, as well as five- to seven-inch soft-plastic flukes, Mag Darters, SP Minnows, and paddletails are fall run staples. The cloudy and windy days present a chance at all day blitzes and/or topwater action, and they don’t show any signs of slowing down with these mild temperatures. Blackfish action has remained very good, with fish across a number of depths and structure. Matt’s best catches have been coming from 20 to 25 feet of water, but you can find quality fish from 15 to 80 plus feet. Light jigs in the 5/8- to 1-ounce range are still getting the job done in the shallower areas, while heavier jigs or conventional rigs have been doing work on deeper structure. Per usual, bouncing around to lesser-known spots this time of year, until you find a fruitful pile, tends to be a good strategy. Bigger fish have been starting to show themselves as well, whether it’s due to less pressure or the season just moving along. It seems that fish in the 6- to 10-pound range are showing up much more often than in October.
Heather from the Blackhawk in Niantic provided the following report: “Lots of porgies, some nice blackfish, a good showing of sea bass, and even a few cod to round out the coolers made for a great week of fishing. The sea bass fishing was excellent on Tuesday, then the dogfish moved in mid-week. We lost our trip on Friday due to the wind, but had a great day on Saturday, with probably the best showing of sea bass we’ve had all year! Some nice blackfish were in the mix each day along with a few cod. We’re looking forward to more cod as the season progresses. Now that it’s November, all of our weekday trips are our 12-hour Block Island blackfish/bottom fishing combos. As expected, these trips are weather dependent, so you definitely want to get your tickets ahead of time so we can reach you in the event Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate. As always, new tickets for each week will be posted online on Monday night at 8 PM. Grab your tickets online and come fill the freezer before the winter! We look forward to seeing everyone soon!”
Joe at Diorio Guide Service had a short week on the water but was able to get out a few times. As far as early November goes, the fishing has been pretty darn good! Lately, they have had an abundance of adult size bunker in the area. Once you find the bunker, the fish aren’t very far away. Live lining bunker has worked very well this past week. That said, they have also found success using the Joe Baggs 6-inch Skipper. They are generally blind casting around the reef points and river flats when not fishing around the bunker pods or on blitzing schools of fish. Tautog fishing has been really good as well. This will be Joe’s last week of the season for saltwater. Next week, he will make the switch over to trout fishing here in Connecticut. Joe wants to thank everyone who has had a chance to get out with them this season. He’s looking forward to getting out with more of you next season!
-
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Connecticut
Anthony from Game On Lures provided the following report for the week: “It feels like early fall on the Sound, despite the calendar turning to November and a continued lack of hardtails. These spats of warm weather are keeping water temperatures very steady, and this week should be no different with some beautiful days ahead. Tautog fishing has been unreal this year with the keeper to short ratio better than we’ve seen it in a long time. Not sure whether it’s the lack of albies forcing everyone to commit to the tog bite or what, but the fishing has been phenomenal! With water temps still in the upper 50s, these big blackfish seem to be coming from the 15- to 30-foot range, with the 1-ounce Rock Bottom Jig proving perfect for this depth range. The bait has remained plentiful and there has been a big push of schoolie- to slot-size bass pushing through the Sound, feeding on silversides and peanut bunker. The EXO Jig and 7″ DuraTech Jerkbait rigged weightless with the Grappler setup has been working the best when the bass are around. The season is moving quickly so get out while the fishing is good!”
Captain Chris of Elser Guide Service missed a couple charters this week due to strong winds, but a few solid trips prior to the blow has him looking forward to the weekend. Topwater striped bass action had picked up before the blow across the Western Sound in terms of both numbers and size. Warm weather and plethora of bait have kept the bonito and false albacore in the Western Sound. The albies have set up in a few odd areas, and not always in huge numbers. That being said, they’re available and definitely worth targeting. Peanut bunker fly patterns and the pink and white Exo jigs have been getting the job done. Despite the wind, water temperatures have remained high, so the fishing should pick up right where they left off.
Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters reported that fall fishing has remained steady, and another stretch of mild weather should keep the bass around and active. Stripers have been on the move, with schools of bass chasing peanut bunker schools along the beaches. With the steady movement of bass and baitfish, it is hard to pattern them from day to day, but warm weather trends like the one we are in now usually help. Blackfishing has been very good—they’ve had to weed through a lot of shorts but there are plenty of quality, keeper-class fish in the mix. Captain Mike and his team have openings over the next two weeks, so give him a call today to book your spot.
View this post on Instagram
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
As we head into November, tautog generally become the main focus for Connecticut anglers across Long Island Sound. This is the case once again this year, but another warm streak of weather has also kept a number of other options available, especially as you move west of the Connecticut River. November tends to mark the witching hour for the Connecticut saltwater season. While the recent weather may have you feeling otherwise, things could always change on a dime this time of year, so take advantage of some of the best blackfishing of the season. These fish can be found across a number of depths and hard structure, from boulders to reefs and wrecks, and the amount of fishing pressure is thinning out daily, so early November is setting up to be primetime for blackfish anglers. The warm weather has also kept the light tackle jig bite prominent.
Fall run fishing for stripers has grown less consistent from day to day, as the fish continue to move around, but you’re apt to run into a school of blitzing fish on most trips. The majority of these fish are schoolie to maybe slot size and they’re feeding on small bait, however, there are still some big girls hanging out throughout the Sound. The better bass fishing, in terms of size and quantity, is coming from the Central Sound and points west. These areas are also home to the remaining schools of bluefish, bonito, and false albacore.