Connecticut Marine Fishing Report

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

STRIPED BASS fishing overall is very good. WOW! What a week. I can’t remember when we have seen so

many big cow bass (45 – 61 inches). Jolyn Wiggins tops the charts with a 60 inch beauty of a striper from the

central sound. She is to be congratulating for letting that huge striped bass go…thank you for practicing catch

& release. Dawn and dusk is prime time for large stripers on the reefs, rip areas and lower coastal tidal

rivers. Live lining eels, bunker or hickory shad has been the ticket. There is plenty of bunker throughout LIS

including the tidal rivers to hold fish. Striper areas include the Watch Hill reefs, lower Thames River, the Race,

Plum Gut, Pigeon Rip, outer Bartlett Reef, Black Point, Hatchett Reef, lower Connecticut River (Great Island),

Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, Southwest Reef (outer), Westbrook, Sixmile Reef, Falkner Island area, the

reefs off Branford, New Haven Harbor (including Sandy Point), Charles Island area, Housatonic River, buoys 18

and 20 off Stratford Point, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground, Bridgeport Harbor, Penfield Reef, around the

Norwalk Islands, and Cable and Anchor Reef.

BLUEFISH fishing is finally improving. Bluefish spots include the Race, Plum Gut, Sluiceway, Gardiners Bay,

Peconic Bays, and the north shore of Long Island. Fresh bunker chunks on three way rigs or speed squidding

diamond jigs work well.

SUMMER FLOUNDER (fluke) fishing is improving quickly as the weather warms. The eastern sound is starting

to get very good as many summer flounder move off Montauk Point. Mid to western LIS anglers are reporting

fluke from 3 to 11 lbs. (Stratford area). Fluke spots include south shore of Fishers Island (Isabella Beach,

Wilderness Point), Watch Hill to Napatree Point, off the Stonington breakwater, mouth of the Mystic River to

Groton Long Point, Thames River channel, Gardiners Bay over to Greenport, NY, Twotree Channel, Black

Point/Niantic Bay, Long Sand Shoal, Westbrook-Clinton area, Falkner Island area, New Haven Harbor to West

Haven, off the mouth of the Housatonic River, Norwalk Islands, and across over to Port Jefferson, NY. Since

squid are coming in large numbers, offering a live one on the bottom (10-40 feet) would be a good move for

catching that big slab “doormat” fluke and becoming the “Duke of Fluke”. Try drifting with a white or pink

Bucktail Jig and attach a Berkely 3”- 4” Gulp Mullet in chartreuse, white or pink color. Fresh squid and or

silversides (spearing) have also been producing. Minimum size is 18 inches and the daily creel limit is 5 fish

per person.

SCUP (porgy) fishing is very good around Gardiners Bay. Also, improving throught Long Island Sound. My

recommendation is to hook up with a Party or Charter Boat

and enjoy some of the best scup fishing you will

ever experience. These scup are very large and delicious to eat! Seriously, try fishing on a party boat and

enjoy some great fishing...there are lots of scup around for all. Porgies measuring 11-18 inches (“hubcap size”)

have been caught! Porgy fishing has also been reported at these shore fishing locations: Rocky Neck State

Park, Meigs Point Hammonassett State Park and Fort Trumbull State Park. Locate your favorite

Enhanced

Shore Fishing Opportunities for these hard fighting and excellent eating “Reef Slammers”. These “panfish of

the sea” are easily caught on sandworms/cut squid or any other small piece of bait. Contact your local bait

and tackleshop for updated fishing information.

BLACK SEA BASS fishing is getting hot. A 25.25 inch, six pound beauty was caught on the Lucky lady this past

week. The early season hot spot is Falkner Island, central sound, six mile reef and from New Haven to Darien.

Fishing over any deep water structure (gnarly bottom preferred) in 60 to 100 ft around slack tide will produce

some trophy-sized “humpbacks”. Fish shallower and you will catch plenty of keeper-sized sea bass along with

fluke and sea robins. It’s important to continue to move from structure to structure to find these beautiful and

awesome eating fish. Remember, CT black sea bass regulations are as follows…15 inch min. length, 5 fish

daily limit from May 1

st

to December 31

st

. Berkely Gulp (swimming mullet) on a jig along with squid with a

spinner works great for these “Bucketmouths”.

WEAKFISH fishing is good in New Haven Harbor by the breakwaters over to Woodmont/Milford Point.

HICKORY SHAD fishing is good in the lower Connecticut River by the DEEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier,

Hammonassett and other shoreline locations. Also, try the Black Hall River, Lieutenant River, Baldwin Bridge

State Boat Launch, Clinton Harbor, lower Housatonic River and Fort Trumbull. Connecticut Tarpon (Hickory

shad) can be found mixed in with schoolie striped bass. Flood or Ebb tide is typically the best and lures of

choice are a willow leaf (gold & silver), kastmaster (single hook), small plastic jigs (white or chartreuse), and or

shad darts in various colors. You will be impressed with these “high flyers”.

WHITE PERCH fishing is very good for these tasty panfish in most of the tidal rivers and coves along the

Connecticut shoreline. Perch spots include the Pawcatuck River, Mystic River, Thames River, upper Niantic

River, lower Connecticut River (DEEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier), Black Hall River, Lieutenant River,

North/South Cove and Hamburg Cove. Grass Shrimp and a small piece of sandworm fished on the bottom are

the keys to success.

STRIPED SEAROBIN fishing continues to be steady for this “hardhead fish with spines and large pectoral fins”.

Also, called “Poor-Man’s Lobster”, these fish are very common especially when bottom fishing at many of

Connecticut’s shore fishing sites. With fish measuring over 22 inches and “barking up a storm” (grunting noise

they make when handling them). They love sandworms, squid and any live or dead bait. They are also very

good to eat.

BLUE CRAB fishing remains slow for keepers. I expect a good year following a relatively warm winter and

good survival of juvenile crabs. There are some large “jimmies” (male crabs) being captured (7 inches spike to

spike). Remember…all egg bearing females must be released with unavoidable harm. Minimum carapace

length is 5 inches for a hard shell crab. Please contact your local bait and tackle shop for most updated

information (local hot spots), legal crab traps and bait to use for your fun-filled crabbing. Legal gear types

include: scoop (dip) net, hand line, star crab trap, circular (topless) trap not exceeding 26 inches in diameter.

Maryland Style Crab traps are prohibited. Chicken with the skin on it (along with a long handle net) is the

preferred method to capture these tasty crabs.

NOTABLE CATCHES –

Species Length (in.) Weight (lbs) Name

Clearnose Skate 51.5 17 Jennifer Zuppe

Striped Bass (C&R) 61 54 Jolyn Wiggins

Striped Bass (C&R) 47.5 39 Malcolm Hafford

Monkfish (Goosefish) 40 42 Craig Weagle

Striped Searobin 22.75 3.6 Albert Zuppe

Black Sea Bass 23 7.8 Melissa Burwell

Hogchoker 10.25 9 oz Albert Zuppe

Northern Kingfish
19.5
2lb 9oz Christopher Shea