Connecticut Fishing Report

Matt at Black Hall Outfitters In Westbrook reports that they have had a very good start to the tautog season and a number of customers have reported relatively easy limits. Matt recommends fishing shallow, in the 15 to 25 foot range, with the lightest jig you can get away with. At this point in the season you can find these fish almost anywhere there is a bit of current and rock structure. The sea bass fishing has been excellent and the guinea pig fishing is still very good so the coolers are always full. Matt also reported that flash strikes are becoming more common among anglers targeting striped bass. The cloudy and windy days offer the opportunity to experience daytime lightning and topwater action. At this time of year, smaller lures tend to perform better than large presentations. Four to five inch poppers and spooks, as well as five to seven inch soft plastic flukes, mag darters, SP minnows and paddletails of all kinds are fall running staples. Fish can be found in all of their usual fall haunts, but the area in and immediately adjacent to the Connecticut River appears to have experienced an upswing this week.

Heather from the Blackhawk In Niantic provided the following report: “Our weekly bluefish trip was once again spectacular, with large bluefish flying over the railing throughout the day. There are only a few left of these trips. Our bottom fishing trips this week faced some wind and strong tides, so some trips were more difficult than others. The highlight of the week was the opening of the blackfish season on Thursday, where some friendly keepers stopped by to round out the coolers. If our first two trips are any indication of what to expect, it’s looking to be a good smallmouth bass season. Don’t forget that crab is now available on our weekday trips. So if you want to catch some smallmouth bass in addition to sea hogs and sea bass, come to us. We would like to give a special thank you to everyone who joined us on our sunset cruise and seal watching on Saturday evening. We were able to raise over $1,500 to send to North Carolina to support Hurricane Helene relief efforts. We are honored to be able to help the community in this way. Thank you for all your support! As always, new tickets for each week throughout the season will be released online on Monday evenings at 8pm. We began publishing our Block Island smallmouth bass and bottom fishing combination trips in November. So please check availability on the website.”

Joe at Diorio guide service provided the following report after another week of intense fishing: “It is mid-October and the fish are in their mid to late fall pattern. Striped bass fishing remains very good on all of our trips. Lately we have been fishing near numerous schools of bass that have been catching small baitfish. We have had great success near beaches or rocky areas. Our top producers this week were the 6-inch Joe Baggs Skipper and the 5- and 7-inch Patriot fish. We’ve also been doing a lot of tautog fishing lately. The bite was extremely good every time we went out. We’ve gotten up to 8 pounds this past week and found fish in 8 to 25 feet of water. We only have a few dates left for the rest of the season.” Contact Joe to find your solution before it’s too late!

Anthony of Play with bait told me there were more small baits in the area than last week, but lately there seem to be more anchovies and silverfish. There have been a lot of bass around the Connecticut River lately and that has led to some good topwater action. Most of the fish in these schools were between 25 and 35 inches and were eating the 7-inch Duratech Jerkbait or the 6-inch X-Walk. When you find a group of mature bunkers, the fish on them tend to be larger, and the 8-inch X-Walk seemed to get the better bites. Large striped bass can still be caught on all reefs, but numbers appear to be declining as we approach mass migration. Live eels, live bunker eels and 13-inch Duratech eels provide the best results when locating the larger damselfish. Blackfishing is in full swing and will only get better as the weather gets colder! Tog fishing has also seen some large sea bass and even sea bass caught recently. The temperatures are dropping rapidly, so make sure you get out while it’s still good!”

When I spoke to Captain Chris Elser Guide Service He told me that the harsh north/northwest winds had challenged him all last week. Still, he managed to find a nearby refuge and find enough schoolchildren to catch striped bass. He’s still finding a few false albacore here and there in western CT, but last week it was really difficult to target the hardtails in the wind. Recent reports indicate that albies and bonitos are still abundant around Middleground and on the Long Island side. Things should look up again for Western Sound anglers as soon as the swell subsides and they can start fishing again.

Captain Mike Roy Reel Cast Charters reported that fishing increases significantly in the fall. There are absolutely tons of baits available, from small rain baits to adult bunkers. This week there has been an additional increase in bass feeding in the bunker, so the overall quality of the fish has increased. Stripers eat topwater, plastics, spoons and live bait. Mike also sees a lot of bluefish eating sand eels. There are still plenty of guinea pigs and sea bass on all the reefs, and if the first few days of smallmouth bass season are any indication, the season should be a good one! Captain Mike and his team have openings for prime fall fishing over the next two weeks. Call him today to book your place.

Connecticut Fishing Forecast

The fall blackfish season started with a bang throughout Connecticut, with almost everyone Shop and charter captain reporting some excellent variety during the fall opening. The first few days of the season were hectic, stores were busy, Jigs and rigs, and anglers who faced sporty conditions as the wind blew apparently everyone Direction. Despite the rough weather, anglers caught well at a variety of depths. There not There have been too many monsters, but as the temperatures cool and the winds die down, I anticipate There are some bigger fish hitting the scales this weekend.

As far as game fish go, there are still some in the Eastern to Central Sound pretty big Flashes of striped bass of varying sizes feeding on anchovies and peanuts. Light fishing and fly anglers are still making steady profits, but not Be afraid to throw a few larger offerings into the mix to try and pull out some bigger bass. Again, reports of bluefish get better the closer you get to the New York side, but this time of year there is often a push of large bluefish into the local estuaries, so keep an eye out for these gators. The western sound is supposedly still There are a few schools of hardtails, but the Central to Eastern Sound largely remains in place without the speedsters.

Rivers are generally low and slow, but trout results have been solid following a stocking last fall. Clear autumn morning, stormy Fish, And the distinct pop of a big tautog will only last for so long, so get out there and take advantage of some of the best fishing of the season.

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Connecticut Fishing Report – October 17, 2024