STRIPED BASS fishing overall is good. Dawn and dusk is prime time for large stripers on the reefs, rip areas and lower coastal tidal rivers. Live lining eels or bunker 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), 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. Please use circle hooks when fishing with bait (prevent gut hooking) and practice catch & release.
SUMMER FLOUNDER (fluke) fishing is fair to good. Squid are throughout LIS. Mid to western LIS anglers are reporting fluke from 3 to 8 lbs (Falkner Island 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. The Party Boat "Lucky Lady" out of Clinton has been catching good numbers of impressive summer flounder around the six mile reef area. 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 Berkeley 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.
BLACK SEA BASS fishing is improving quickly. The early season hot spot is Falkner Island 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 1st to December 31st. Berkeley Gulp (swimming mullet) on a jig along with squid with a spinner works great for these “Bucketmouths”.
CAUGHT hey are also very good to eat. SCUP (porgy) fishing is very good around Gardiners Bay to Orient Point. Improving in Niantic bay and all points west, including Stratford Shoal. Hook up with a Party or Charter Boat and enjoy some of the best scup fishing you will ever experience. These prespawn scup are gigantic! Seriously, try fishing on a party boat and enjoy some great fishing, there are lots of scup around for all. Porgies measuring 12-18 inches (“hubcap size”) have been caught! Porgy fishing has also been reported at these excellent 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 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.
WEAKFISH fishing is fair to good in New Haven Harbor by the breakwaters over to Woodmont/Milford Point.
BLUEFISH fishing is fair to good. 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.
HICKORY SHAD fishing is good in the lower Connecticut River by the DEEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier. 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.
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 20 inches and “barking up a storm” (grunting noise they make when handling them). They love sandworms, squid and any live or dead bait. T
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