On The Water (Alan Desbonnet)

1. Out in the Rhode Island area, the fluke fishing is still hot and staying hot. The greatest concentration of fluke, which is providing lots of keeper-sized fish, is off to the east of Point Judith according to Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown. As has been the case right along, the best fishing and bigger fish are to be taken in deeper waters in the 40- to 60-foot range with squid and spearing. Colby at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown reported lots of 6- and 7-pounders being weighed in, with a couple in the 11-pound class as well. Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett reported that the hot spots right now are off the east and center walls at Point Judith, and toward the Five Cottages in about 60 feet of water.
2. Fluking out on Block Island appears to be slowing just a bit, with a considerable increase in the number of smaller fish taken recently. Twin Maples Tackle on the island reported small squid starting to show up in the harbor, a sign that a run of good fluke hot on the heels of the squid could be expected in the coming week.
3. As it was for last week, it is for this week – bluefish are king! These toothy predators are just about everywhere, in the bays, along the shore, in the shallows, and in the depths. While many of the fish are in the 3- to 5-pound range, there are numerous fish being taken in the 10-pound range, with occasional bigger ones.
4. Colby at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown noted that many fisherman intent on catching other species are calling the blues a major “pain” in the gear! That said, lots of light-tackle enthusiasts and kids especially are having a bonanza in the breachways on snappers according to Mary at Maridee’s Bait & Tackle. The folks at Saltwater Edge in Newport reported good angling with fly rods and lighter gear from shore after dark, with lots of honest 10- to 12-pound blues being landed.
5. Out on Block Island, a greater number of bigger blues are being taken on both bait and hardware from boats in slightly deeper water off the beaches. This is not to say that blues can’t be had casting off the beaches, it’s just that larger fish are lurking just a bit farther offshore. School bass are abundant, and becoming more abundant in the shallow water areas while the bigger bass are pretty much to be had only after dark and/or in deeper waters. Of course, live eels after dark continue to be the top producer of slammer bass. Twin Maples Tackle on Block Island reported a 46-pounder caught on a live eel at night from the beach off the southwest point of the island.
6. The Saltwater Edge, just to buck the after-dark trend, is reporting great striper fishing just at dark in the Newport region with small surface plugs and flies or poppers. While the fish technically fall into the “school bass” category, many fish are actually keeper-sized. Apparently mullet have shown up in the area, drawing in larger fish that are feeding heavily just at and after dark.
7. Continuing the “not after dark only” trend, the fishing from shore from Black Rock to Dorys Cove on Block Island, early and late (and yes, into the dark) has been sizzling. Beach anglers tossing needlefish plugs are taking lots of very nice bass. Breachway Tackle and Maridee both reported that school bass are hitting well at both day and dusk, with a marked increased in surface action.
8. Bonito continue to be sporadic throughout Rhode Island Sound, with no reported concentrations of fish hanging around anywhere in particular. Saltwater Edge reported that the schools that had been frequenting the Newport and Westport areas have broken up for the time being, perhaps due to the high-pressure system that has settled over the area.
9. Twin Maples Tackle on Block Island reported several weakfish in the 9-pound range taken on the north end of the island. The weakfish were taken incidentally while targeting bluefish, but this is the first time in several years that this species has been reported as more than a “freak” catch in some out of the way spot. Good news, perhaps.
10. Moving west into Watch Hill and eastern Long Island Sound, the fluke fishing remains good, with excellent catches still coming in from the beaches off Misquamicut and off the south side of Fishers Island, mainly in water 40 to 60 feet deep.
11. Cheryl at Shaffer’s Marina in Mystic weighed in a 7.5-pounder taken near Gates Island on the south side of Fishers Island while Richard at Hillyer’s reported a 12-pounder taken near Black Point in Niantic. Bluefish are everywhere, but that’s no surprise by now. While there is a preponderance of smaller blues in the 3- to 5-pound range, Cheryl at Shaffer’s noted that anglers are landing blues up to 12 pounds pretty regularly off the “clumps” on the north side of Fishers Island.
12. Both Hillyer’s and the Fish Connection report intense angling for bluefish in the river mouths, shallow coves and along the beaches, mainly for harbor blues and snapper blues.
    Striper fishing is good, though mainly early and late, and of course after dark with eels. School bass are quite active on the reefs off Watch Hill, with early and late being best times, better still if the tide is moving briskly.
    
13. Shaffer’s, Fish Connection and Hillyer’s are all hearing regular reports from anglers having good fishing for stripers on the reefs. Bartletts Reef in the Niantic/Waterford region is also producing nice catches of striped bass, mainly school bass, according to Joe at the Fish Connection. Bonito are still not consistent in this area, though Cheryl had reliable reports of a school of these speedsters just off of Napatree Point this past Saturday. Joe at the Fish Connection reported bonito sightings off of Avery Point and Ocean Beach earlier in the week, but no reports yet in the Niantic area.
14. Farther west in Long Island Sound, “mum’s the word” with one of the larger tournaments of the season getting into full swing. Capt. Morgan’s, Stratford Bait & Tackle and Fisherman’s World all report excellent bluefishing, with many big blues being landed from boat and shore. While anglers are readily talking about good catches of good-sized bluefish, they are being quite tight lipped about where and how they came about the catch according to Chris at Stratford Bait & Tackle. It will have to suffice to say, at least for this week, that there is excellent fishing for bluefish to be had in the western end of the Sound.
    Fluke fishing is still very good, with bigger fish being taken more regularly, continuing the trend from last week.
    
15. Chris at Stratford Bait & Tackle says the fluke fishing has improved, mainly because everyone is focused in on the big tournament and not targeting fluke. He attributes an increased number of big fluke being taken per angler simply because there are less anglers out there fishing for them. If Chris is correct, that trend may expire next week when the tournament is over and people begin to think about fluke once again.
16. Stripers appear to be slowing down in the far western Sound as water temperature peak for the season. Big fish can still be found, but only at night in deeper water and with something irresistible like live eels. School bass can be had during daylight hours, but dawn and dusk prevail as the prime time to seek stripers, even the smaller ones.
17. The bonito have not yet moved fully into the western Sound. Nick at Fisherman’s World had reports of some bonito off Edens Neck, but it was evidently short lived. Capt. Morgan’s reported a few bonito in the Clinton area, but nothing further west while Chris at Stratford Bait & Tackle said he has not had any reliable reports of bonito in the area to date.
18. Out in the Rhode Island area, the fluke fishing is still hot and staying hot. The greatest concentration of fluke, which is providing lots of keeper-sized fish, is off to the east of Point Judith according to Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown. As has been the case right along, the best fishing and bigger fish are to be taken in deeper waters in the 40- to 60-foot range with squid and spearing. Colby at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown reported lots of 6- and 7-pounders being weighed in, with a couple in the 11-pound class as well. Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett reported that the hot spots right now are off the east and center walls at Point Judith, and toward the Five Cottages in about 60 feet of water.
19. Fluking out on Block Island appears to be slowing just a bit, with a considerable increase in the number of smaller fish taken recently. Twin Maples Tackle on the island reported small squid starting to show up in the harbor, a sign that a run of good fluke hot on the heels of the squid could be expected in the coming week.

Rhode Island:

1. Out in the Rhode Island area, the fluke fishing is still hot and staying hot. The greatest concentration of fluke, which is providing lots of keeper-sized fish, is off to the east of Point Judith according to Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown. As has been the case right along, the best fishing and bigger fish are to be taken in deeper waters in the 40- to 60-foot range with squid and spearing. Colby at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown reported lots of 6- and 7-pounders being weighed in, with a couple in the 11-pound class as well. Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett reported that the hot spots right now are off the east and center walls at Point Judith, and toward the Five Cottages in about 60 feet of water.
2. Fluking out on Block Island appears to be slowing just a bit, with a considerable increase in the number of smaller fish taken recently. Twin Maples Tackle on the island reported small squid starting to show up in the harbor, a sign that a run of good fluke hot on the heels of the squid could be expected in the coming week.
3. Out in the Rhode Island area, the fluke fishing is still hot and staying hot. The greatest concentration of fluke, which is providing lots of keeper-sized fish, is off to the east of Point Judith according to Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown. As has been the case right along, the best fishing and bigger fish are to be taken in deeper waters in the 40- to 60-foot range with squid and spearing. Colby at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown reported lots of 6- and 7-pounders being weighed in, with a couple in the 11-pound class as well. Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett reported that the hot spots right now are off the east and center walls at Point Judith, and toward the Five Cottages in about 60 feet of water.
4. Fluking out on Block Island appears to be slowing just a bit, with a considerable increase in the number of smaller fish taken recently. Twin Maples Tackle on the island reported small squid starting to show up in the harbor, a sign that a run of good fluke hot on the heels of the squid could be expected in the coming week.
5. As it was for last week, it is for this week – bluefish are king! These toothy predators are just about everywhere, in the bays, along the shore, in the shallows, and in the depths. While many of the fish are in the 3- to 5-pound range, there are numerous fish being taken in the 10-pound range, with occasional bigger ones.
6. Colby at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown noted that many fisherman intent on catching other species are calling the blues a major “pain” in the gear! That said, lots of light-tackle enthusiasts and kids especially are having a bonanza in the breachways on snappers according to Mary at Maridee’s Bait & Tackle. The folks at Saltwater Edge in Newport reported good angling with fly rods and lighter gear from shore after dark, with lots of honest 10- to 12-pound blues being landed.
7. Out on Block Island, a greater number of bigger blues are being taken on both bait and hardware from boats in slightly deeper water off the beaches. This is not to say that blues can’t be had casting off the beaches, it’s just that larger fish are lurking just a bit farther offshore. School bass are abundant, and becoming more abundant in the shallow water areas while the bigger bass are pretty much to be had only after dark and/or in deeper waters. Of course, live eels after dark continue to be the top producer of slammer bass. Twin Maples Tackle on Block Island reported a 46-pounder caught on a live eel at night from the beach off the southwest point of the island.
8. The Saltwater Edge, just to buck the after-dark trend, is reporting great striper fishing just at dark in the Newport region with small surface plugs and flies or poppers. While the fish technically fall into the “school bass” category, many fish are actually keeper-sized. Apparently mullet have shown up in the area, drawing in larger fish that are feeding heavily just at and after dark.
9. Continuing the “not after dark only” trend, the fishing from shore from Black Rock to Dorys Cove on Block Island, early and late (and yes, into the dark) has been sizzling. Beach anglers tossing needlefish plugs are taking lots of very nice bass. Breachway Tackle and Maridee both reported that school bass are hitting well at both day and dusk, with a marked increased in surface action.
10. Bonito continue to be sporadic throughout Rhode Island Sound, with no reported concentrations of fish hanging around anywhere in particular. Saltwater Edge reported that the schools that had been frequenting the Newport and Westport areas have broken up for the time being, perhaps due to the high-pressure system that has settled over the area.
11. Twin Maples Tackle on Block Island reported several weakfish in the 9-pound range taken on the north end of the island. The weakfish were taken incidentally while targeting bluefish, but this is the first time in several years that this species has been reported as more than a “freak” catch in some out of the way spot. Good news, perhaps.:

Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island

• With the preponderance of large bunker in the river mouths and shallows in the western end of Long Island Sound, big fish will be close and in reach of shore-bound anglers. Given we are supposed to see a bit of unsettled weather over the weekend, which ought to get the fish jazzed up for a feeding frenzy or two, I would bet on good fishing to good fish in that area from shore. It may be a bit busy, but it may be the ticket to some incredible fishin
• My second choice, given that everyone will be swarming about the western portion of Long Island Sound chasing large blues and stripers, would be to target fluke in some of the traditionally good spots like the 28C and 11B buoys, Green Ledge and Middle Ground. It may be a great weekend to target some hot fluke fishing while a majority of anglers are ignoring this species. If going west is too far, go east to deeper water around the walls at Point Judith and pick up on the excellent fluke fishing there.

Rivers End Tackle

1. STRIPED BASS- Theres been a slowdown in the big bass reports this week, I suspect thats because the bunker have been harder to find in the River. Clinton Harbor has a good load of bunker. The night bite in the Race and Plum Gut has also slowed. The excuse there is that the blues are too thick. There have been some larger bass taken on the night bite at Hatchetts and Bartletts. Schoolies have been on the surface at both Hatchetts and Bartletts.
2. BLUEFISH- This is the big weekend for bluefish hunters. Theres been a lot of medium sized blues at the Race and Plum Gut responding to diamond jigs and drifted bucktails. The larger blues we've heard of tend to be out of the schools and on the smaller reefs.
3. SNAPPER BLUES- Good reports are coming from the Causeway, DEP Piers, Blackhall River, North Cove and Lieutenant River.
4. FLUKE- Fewer reports from the River this week but don't give up on it. Theres plenty of small bait in the River and it might be time to fish shallower. Soundview has had a few more good reports this week in 30' of water. The bigger one are still in 80'plus. No good word from Montauk yet, mostly shorts.
5. PORGIES- Better reports this week from Hatchetts and Black Point.
6. Bonito- Not many reports this side of Watch Hill. They appear to be thinning with the best shots off Rhode Island.
7. BLUE CRABS- Better reports this week from North and South Coves. Also good at Oyster River, Lieutenant and Blackhall Rivers. Night spotting good behind Great Island.

Conn Post

1. Congratulations go out to the Milford Striped Bass Club for winning the Interclub Bluefish Tournament last weekend. The club's 15-fish limit, weighing 146.6 pounds — a mere four pounds more than second place Stratford Boat Owners Association — illustrates how well Long Island Sound's bluefish population is faring. Anglers can go out and catch several bluefish weighing seven to 10 pounds with little difficulty.
2. Since the tournament, some of the better bluefish action has been found in Greenwich Harbor, around the mainland points between Darien and Norwalk, off Manresa Island, Buoy 11B, in the trough between Penfield Lighthouse and Fayerweather Island, at the mouth of Bridgeport Harbor, in the Housatonic River between the Route 1 Bridge and Stratford Point and throughout New Haven Harbor, especially near Sandy Point, the Quinnipiac River mouth, Morris Cove and Lighthouse Point. Heather Volosin of Milford caught a nice 11.30 pound bluefish last week on a fresh bunker chunk.
3. Striped bass are also grabbing bluefish baits in the above areas, as well as at Bartlett Reef, Millstone Point, Black Point, Southwest Reef, the mouths of the Branford and Farm rivers, the rocks off Bradley Point, Pond Point, Milford Point, the shoals along the former Remington Gun Club, around Buoy 20, both the east and west ends of Seaside Park, Penfield Reef, Frost Point, Sheffield Island, Peach Island and Buoy 28C.
4. Chick Michaud of Milford weighed in a 26.16 pound striped bass last week at Stratford Bait & Tackle. Pat Gombos of Fairfield picked up a 29.80 pound striped bass off Georges Rock on a fresh bunker chunk. Al Rosenthal of Fairfield caught an 18.55 pound bass around the old Fairfield Dumping Ground.
5. While saltwater anglers are enjoying excellent bluefish and striped bass action, sweetwater casters are catching largemouth bass with relative ease. The bass have been falling for soft plastic worms, jerkbaits and live minnows. Field reports show good largemouth bass fishing in Mansfield Hollow Reservoir, Moodus Reservoir, Lake Housatonic, Lake Saltonstall, Candlewood Lake, Powers Lake, Quonnipaug Lake, Lake Waramaug, Bantam Lake, the Bantam River, Bashan Lake, Highland Lake, Winchester Lake, Park Pond, West Hill Pond, Beseck Lake, Ball Pond, Messerschmidt Pond, Hop Brook Flood Control Impoundment and Long Meadow Pond.
6. Elsewhere in freshwater, northern pike reports are fair to good at Lake Lillinonah, Bantam Lake, Winchester Lake and Pachaug Pond. Walleye are consistently cooperating at Lake Saltonstall and Squantz Pond. Steve Dunn of Stratford tried his luck at the Saugatuck Reservoir, where he hooked a 4.70 pound walleye on a Krocodile Spoon. Crappie catches are very good from Silver Lake, Highland Lake, Dog Pond, Park Pond, Lake Zoar and Pachaug Pond.
7. Back on the Sound, fluke fishing is steadily improving. Large cut strip baits, whole squid and live snappers appear to be the ticket for catching big fluke at the mouth of the Mystic River, the lower Niantic River, the mouth of the Connecticut River, between the breakwaters in New Haven Harbor, at the mouth of the Housatonic River, in Bridgeport Harbor, around Penfield Lighthouse and off the eastern end of the Norwalk Island chain. Michael Fillipino of Fairfield took top fluke honors this week with a 14.25 pound fluke. The big fish was caught off Fayerweather Island and certified at Ted's Bait & Tackle. Fillipino's fluke was only four ounces shy of the state record. [FRANK MCKANE JR.]

On The Water

1. The fluke are biting well and getting bigger. Most of the hot action is taking place in deeper water at 40 to 60 feet, using a variety of baits on traditional fluke rigs. Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown and Colby at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown both reported many keepers and quite a few BIG keepers as well. Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett agrees that the fluking is great, but reiterated that there are many shorts to be caught and released in pursuit of a keeper.
2. Fluking out on Block Island is good, and at times, it’s fantastic. The problem is, according to the folks at Twin Maples Bait and Tackle, that the fluke are just not being very consistent. So one day the fishing is red hot, then maybe cooled down considerably the following day, then red hot again a day or so following. Lots of shorts out on Block Island too, and while it may be maddening at times the number of shorts being taken perhaps bodes well for next season.
3. If the fluke aren’t hitting, the bluefish certainly will be. All over the region bluefish are swarming in and chomping anything they deem edible, which is just about everything. Don’t be surprised to get hammered by blues while trying to get your bait down to the fluke, scup, stripers or other species you are targeting.
4. Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle and Maridee Bait & Tackle both reported a number of blues over the 10-pound mark being taken along the beaches and other nearshore areas. Mary at Maridee also reported lots of snapper blues tight along the coast, providing lots of sport for light-tackle enthusiasts. Breachway Tackle in Charlestown was the only shop to note that bluefish, while abundant, where not yet overrunning the salt ponds.
5. While the shoreline, breachways and river mouths may be stacked up with small blues in the 4- to 6-pound range, venturing offshore just a short distance will improve the chance of tagging a larger, more formidable blue. This is especially true out on Block Island, where the blues, especially larger ones, have been sporadic from shore but pretty consistent by boat according the folks at Twin Maples Bait & Tackle on Block Island.
6. Fishing for keeper stripers is still very a much a game to be played during the hours of darkness, particularly with live eels. The bass, however, are becoming more active on the twin shoulders of darkness – early and late in the day, and often at the surface. School bass are around during daylight hours, but all the shops are bemoaning the fact that it is often impossible to get to the bass through the horde of marauding bluefish.
7. The Saltwater Edge in Newport reported lots of school bass, and of course bluefish, along the coast from Narragansett to the Westport River area feeding heavily on small bait, particularly baby bunker. Silversides are also abundant, making flies and light-tackle spoons and minnow baits the “go to” fish catchers.
8. Out on Block Island striper fishing is pretty hot, particularly if you like the thrill of sight-fishing to stripers from shore with fly rod or light tackle. Twin Maples reports stripers up to 36 inches feeding on sand eels in the shallows just off the beach. Stripers on East Beach, Scotch Beach and Mansion Beach are all displaying this daytime feeding behavior. A prime spot to try your luck would be just north of the Town Beach. Patience, footwork and a good pair of polarized sunglasses will put you in touch with some exciting daytime fishing on Block Island. Be sure to have some sand eel imitations.
9. Bonito are beginning to show here and there, but not consistently in any given spot for any length of time. Quaker Lane reported a mixed bag of bonito, small bluefin tuna and skipjack tuna off Sakonnet Point that appeared early this past week. The Saltwater Edge also reported some small bonito, near 4 pounds, and an occasional bluefin tuna mixed in with bluefish in the Newport area. None of these fish are being consistent, so be prepared to use your gas card liberally if you want to hunt down these speedsters.
10. Weird catch of the week goes to Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, who landed a large Atlantic torpedo ray. Fortunately he recognized the fish and didn’t touch it as this species is capable of discharging an electric current of up to 220 volts! If you want to get a “charge” out of fishing, there are probably more fun ways of doing so.
11. Along Watch Hill and the eastern end of Long Island Sound, similar trends emerge. The fluking is good, often great, and improving steadily. The good word is that the number of shorts relative to keepers seems to be improving. Shaffer’s Marina in Mystic, The Fish Connection in Preston, and Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle in Waterford all reported good to excellent fluking off the beaches in Rhode Island and on the south side of Fishers Island. Best action is in deeper waters, in the 40- to 60-foot range, on squid, worms and frozen bait like smelt.
12. Striper fishing is good and getting better at twilight and at dawn. The reefs off of Watch Hill are holding lots of fish, though they are particular about their feeding schedule. Jack at The Fish Connection recommends fishing about 2 hours into the tide, which is when the bass often feed actively on the surface. Cheryl at Shaffer’s Marina suggests trolling a tube-and-worm rig anywhere along the north side of Fishers Island, or using surface plugs on Latimer or Ram Island reefs in the early morning. Mark at Hillyer’s suggests trolling a tube-and-worm rig off Bartletts Reef, or using Hammer Jigs out in The Race.
13. Bluefish are everywhere. The smaller blues tend to be in the Sound itself, with larger ones off the Rhode Island south shore beaches. The bluefish action can be hot all day long, so be prepared to share your bait selections targeted to other species with the ever-present and ever-hungry blues.
14. The bonito are showing a bit more consistently down along the beaches in Rhode Island according to Jack at The Fish Connection, and occasionally off Race Point and Bartletts Reef. There are rumors, but no confirmation of bonito in the Mystic River area yet.
15. The scup fishing is good, with reports of big scup all over the region. Mark at Hillyer’s did note however, that while the individual scup seem to be larger, the overall schools of scup appear to be smaller. Mark suggested the spindle on Bartletts as a likely scup spot.
16. Hickory shad are still in the Mystic and Niantic rivers, but beginning to thin out some. Blackfishing is very slow, probably due to the warm water temperatures at the moment. Tuna are a regular item offshore on charters to the canyons, and Cheryl at Shaffer’s reported a 200-pound Mako landed by the Dodd brothers earlier in the week.
17. In the western end of Long Island Sound, fluke fishing is improving, with bigger fluke becoming more prevalent relative to shorts. Deeper water in the 40- to 50-foot range is where the fluke are holding. Nick at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk suggests trying the deeper water around the 28C and 11B buoys, or along any of the quick drop-offs in the area. Captain Morgan at Captain Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison suggests south of Falkner Island and some of the deeper sections of the river mouths.
18. With increasing water temperatures in the western sound, striper fishing has slowed, particularly for the bigger fish, though they can still be had during the hours of darkness. Stratford Bait & Tackle reported lots of school bass in the mouth of the Housatonic River providing light-tackle and fly-rod action, while Captain Morgan reported lots school bass action, lasting throughout the daylight hours.
19. The big news for the western Sound is large bunker continuing to hold close to shore, bringing the possibility of big fish, particularly big bluefish, to the shore-bound angler. The folks at Stratford Bait & Tackle note that this is probably the first time in 6 or 7 years that they have seen such a convergence of big bunker and big bluefish in the area. This of course bodes well for anglers in the western Sound, who can look forward to excellent fishing prospects as the season progresses.
20. Bluefish are everywhere, with bigger blues chasing down the bigger bunker. While best prospects will be from a boat, with the big bait moving in close, shore-bound anglers casting from the beaches will have increased probability of success. There are several tournaments going on in the region, so the prospects for competitive bluefish landings are very good.
21. Scup fishing is good in the western Sound, with Charles Island and the Middle Ground being prime areas. Captain Morgan reports weakfish still in the area, but thinning out. There have been no reports of bonito in the western Sound.
22. Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island
23. There is no question that the fluke fishing is hot and getting hotter. Grab your fluking gear and get out into 40 to 60 feet of water and catch a delicious feast for dinner! Best bets are off Rhode Island’s south shore beaches and off the south side of Fishers Island.
24. If you want some light-tackle adventure, particularly if you are a fly-rodder, grab a ferry or take your boat over to Block Island and patrol the beaches on foot. Sight-casting to stripers gorging on sand eels in the shallows will get the adrenaline pumping. Bring along light-tackle gear or a fly rod with plenty of sand eel imitations.
25. If you are in the mood for bigger bluefish, try the far western end of Long Island Sound in and around the Stratford-Housatonic River area. With the good concentrations of big bunker being close to shore, the opportunity to tag a large bluefish in that area has not been better. [By Alan Desbonnet
26. The fluke are biting well and getting bigger. Most of the hot action is taking place in deeper water at 40 to 60 feet, using a variety of baits on traditional fluke rigs. Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown and Colby at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown both reported many keepers and quite a few BIG keepers as well. Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett agrees that the fluking is great, but reiterated that there are many shorts to be caught and released in pursuit of a keeper.
27. Fluking out on Block Island is good, and at times, it’s fantastic. The problem is, according to the folks at Twin Maples Bait and Tackle, that the fluke are just not being very consistent. So one day the fishing is red hot, then maybe cooled down considerably the following day, then red hot again a day or so following. Lots of shorts out on Block Island too, and while it may be maddening at times the number of shorts being taken perhaps bodes well for next season.
28. If the fluke aren’t hitting, the bluefish certainly will be. All over the region bluefish are swarming in and chomping anything they deem edible, which is just about everything. Don’t be surprised to get hammered by blues while trying to get your bait down to the fluke, scup, stripers or other species you are targeting.
29. Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle and Maridee Bait & Tackle both reported a number of blues over the 10-pound mark being taken along the beaches and other nearshore areas. Mary at Maridee also reported lots of snapper blues tight along the coast, providing lots of sport for light-tackle enthusiasts. Breachway Tackle in Charlestown was the only shop to note that bluefish, while abundant, where not yet overrunning the salt ponds.
30. While the shoreline, breachways and river mouths may be stacked up with small blues in the 4- to 6-pound range, venturing offshore just a short distance will improve the chance of tagging a larger, more formidable blue. This is especially true out on Block Island, where the blues, especially larger ones, have been sporadic from shore but pretty consistent by boat according the folks at Twin Maples Bait & Tackle on Block Island.
31. Fishing for keeper stripers is still very a much a game to be played during the hours of darkness, particularly with live eels. The bass, however, are becoming more active on the twin shoulders of darkness – early and late in the day, and often at the surface. School bass are around during daylight hours, but all the shops are bemoaning the fact that it is often impossible to get to the bass through the horde of marauding bluefish.
32. The Saltwater Edge in Newport reported lots of school bass, and of course bluefish, along the coast from Narragansett to the Westport River area feeding heavily on small bait, particularly baby bunker. Silversides are also abundant, making flies and light-tackle spoons and minnow baits the “go to” fish catchers.
33. Out on Block Island striper fishing is pretty hot, particularly if you like the thrill of sight-fishing to stripers from shore with fly rod or light tackle. Twin Maples reports stripers up to 36 inches feeding on sand eels in the shallows just off the beach. Stripers on East Beach, Scotch Beach and Mansion Beach are all displaying this daytime feeding behavior. A prime spot to try your luck would be just north of the Town Beach. Patience, footwork and a good pair of polarized sunglasses will put you in touch with some exciting daytime fishing on Block Island. Be sure to have some sand eel imitations.
34. Bonito are beginning to show here and there, but not consistently in any given spot for any length of time. Quaker Lane reported a mixed bag of bonito, small bluefin tuna and skipjack tuna off Sakonnet Point that appeared early this past week. The Saltwater Edge also reported some small bonito, near 4 pounds, and an occasional bluefin tuna mixed in with bluefish in the Newport area. None of these fish are being consistent, so be prepared to use your gas card liberally if you want to hunt down these speedsters.
35. Weird catch of the week goes to Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle, who landed a large Atlantic torpedo ray. Fortunately he recognized the fish and didn’t touch it as this species is capable of discharging an electric current of up to 220 volts! If you want to get a “charge” out of fishing, there are probably more fun ways of doing so.
36. Along Watch Hill and the eastern end of Long Island Sound, similar trends emerge. The fluking is good, often great, and improving steadily. The good word is that the number of shorts relative to keepers seems to be improving. Shaffer’s Marina in Mystic, The Fish Connection in Preston, and Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle in Waterford all reported good to excellent fluking off the beaches in Rhode Island and on the south side of Fishers Island. Best action is in deeper waters, in the 40- to 60-foot range, on squid, worms and frozen bait like smelt.
37. Striper fishing is good and getting better at twilight and at dawn. The reefs off of Watch Hill are holding lots of fish, though they are particular about their feeding schedule. Jack at The Fish Connection recommends fishing about 2 hours into the tide, which is when the bass often feed actively on the surface. Cheryl at Shaffer’s Marina suggests trolling a tube-and-worm rig anywhere along the north side of Fishers Island, or using surface plugs on Latimer or Ram Island reefs in the early morning. Mark at Hillyer’s suggests trolling a tube-and-worm rig off Bartletts Reef, or using Hammer Jigs out in The Race.
38. Bluefish are everywhere. The smaller blues tend to be in the Sound itself, with larger ones off the Rhode Island south shore beaches. The bluefish action can be hot all day long, so be prepared to share your bait selections targeted to other species with the ever-present and ever-hungry blues.
39. The bonito are showing a bit more consistently down along the beaches in Rhode Island according to Jack at The Fish Connection, and occasionally off Race Point and Bartletts Reef. There are rumors, but no confirmation of bonito in the Mystic River area yet.
40. The scup fishing is good, with reports of big scup all over the region. Mark at Hillyer’s did note however, that while the individual scup seem to be larger, the overall schools of scup appear to be smaller. Mark suggested the spindle on Bartletts as a likely scup spot.
41. Hickory shad are still in the Mystic and Niantic rivers, but beginning to thin out some. Blackfishing is very slow, probably due to the warm water temperatures at the moment. Tuna are a regular item offshore on charters to the canyons, and Cheryl at Shaffer’s reported a 200-pound Mako landed by the Dodd brothers earlier in the week.
42. In the western end of Long Island Sound, fluke fishing is improving, with bigger fluke becoming more prevalent relative to shorts. Deeper water in the 40- to 50-foot range is where the fluke are holding. Nick at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk suggests trying the deeper water around the 28C and 11B buoys, or along any of the quick drop-offs in the area. Captain Morgan at Captain Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison suggests south of Falkner Island and some of the deeper sections of the river mouths.
43. With increasing water temperatures in the western sound, striper fishing has slowed, particularly for the bigger fish, though they can still be had during the hours of darkness. Stratford Bait & Tackle reported lots of school bass in the mouth of the Housatonic River providing light-tackle and fly-rod action, while Captain Morgan reported lots school bass action, lasting throughout the daylight hours.
44. The big news for the western Sound is large bunker continuing to hold close to shore, bringing the possibility of big fish, particularly big bluefish, to the shore-bound angler. The folks at Stratford Bait & Tackle note that this is probably the first time in 6 or 7 years that they have seen such a convergence of big bunker and big bluefish in the area. This of course bodes well for anglers in the western Sound, who can look forward to excellent fishing prospects as the season progresses.
45. Bluefish are everywhere, with bigger blues chasing down the bigger bunker. While best prospects will be from a boat, with the big bait moving in close, shore-bound anglers casting from the beaches will have increased probability of success. There are several tournaments going on in the region, so the prospects for competitive bluefish landings are very good.
46. Scup fishing is good in the western Sound, with Charles Island and the Middle Ground being prime areas. Captain Morgan reports weakfish still in the area, but thinning out. There have been no reports of bonito in the western Sound.

Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island

There is no question that the fluke fishing is hot and getting hotter. Grab your fluking gear and get out into 40 to 60 feet of water and catch a delicious feast for dinner! Best bets are off Rhode Island’s south shore beaches and off the south side of Fishers Island.
If you want some light-tackle adventure, particularly if you are a fly-rodder, grab a ferry or take your boat over to Block Island and patrol the beaches on foot. Sight-casting to stripers gorging on sand eels in the shallows will get the adrenaline pumping. Bring along light-tackle gear or a fly rod with plenty of sand eel imitations.
If you are in the mood for bigger bluefish, try the far western end of Long Island Sound in and around the Stratford-Housatonic River area. With the good concentrations of big bunker being close to shore, the opportunity to tag a large bluefish in that area has not been better. [By Alan Desbonnet]

Rivers End Tackle

1. STRIPED BASS- The bunker have been spreading out from their concentration at the mouth of the Connecticut River. There have been some in Clinton Harbor, Lots in Branford, some spread out in the Connecticut River and there was a school in the Race yesterday. Hickory Shad are still hanging out near the mouth of the River. Daytime fishing for large bass has slowed and is dependent on live or fresh dead baits.The night bite is still good at Bartletts, Plum Gut and some bass at Pigeon Rip daytimes. Schoolies have been on the surface in the evening at Race Rock feeding on some sort of crustacean. They seem to hit lures as the sun fades.
2. BLUEFISH- The Race and Plum Gut and Pigeon Rip are loaded with small to medium sized choppers. Diamond jigs are the best bets there. Southwest Reef has blues a bit larger. Theres also a good bite on chunks at the mouth of the River and Long Sand Shoal.
3. SNAPPER BLUES- Theres a good run on this year. Good reports are coming from the Causeway, DEP Piers, Blackhall River and Lieutenant River.
4. FLUKE- The numbers are thinning out but the sizes are increasing. Theres a fair bite at Long Sand Shoal, a better bite in the River and similar off Soundview. The biggest sizes are coming from the depths off Hatchetts to Bartletts , 80 feet or greater.
5. PORGIES- Fair reports coming from Hatchetts and Bartletts. Some good catches coming from Race Rock.
6. Bonito- Fewer reports this week with activity centered around Watch Hill and Fishers Island.
7. BLUE CRABS- Same as last week. Best catches are coming from the coves behind Great Island. Some decent catches also coming from Oyster River and South Cove.

Norwich Bulletin

1. Tunoids: Bonito finally made a solid showing last week. According to Captain Jack Balint of the Fish Connection and Mark Lewchik of River's End Tackle, in Old Saybrook they are being caught off Pleasure Beach, Bartlett Reef and the Watch Hill Reef Complex.
2. Striped bass: The menhaden have thinned out some, but there's still plenty of hickory shad hanging around the mouth of the Connecticut River that are attracting and holding some large stripers. Bartlett Reef, Hatchet Reef, the Race and the Watch Hill Reef Complex are all holding some larger bass.
3. Fluke: The "keeper bite" has been from dawn till mid-morning lately, then the little fish seem to move in and dominate the catches. With the commercial quota met last week, we should see a build up in larger fish in all fluke fishing spots.
4. Porgies/Scup: Scup fishing is great all over the place. King Cove said they are catching them off Lambert Cove Bridge and Shaffer's is seeing them off the draw bridge in Mystic from shore, so fishing from a boat should be easy. Someone said if you can't catch a scup you should throw your gear in the water and take up golf.
5. Bluefish: King Cove, Stonington, River's End, Saybrook, Hillyer's, NIantic and Fish Connection, Preston all report large numbers of bluefish are being caught literally everywhere. Fishing for blues will do nothing but improve as the fall progresses. Naturally the Race is full of them down deep when it's bright and on top around dusk most days. The Thames is producing steady catches of bluefish from just south of the harbor to the mouth. Chunks of bunker or mackerel are the best bait.
6. Bait: There's still an abundance of mostly small bait in the form of butterfish, juvenile menhaden, silversides, and tiny squid. Larger bait in the form of hickory shad are present in the Mystic, Niantic and Connecticut Rivers. There's some menhaden cruising around the Connecticut and probably moving east.
7. Blue crabbing is reportedly excellent along the coast from Oyster River, Saybrook to Little Narragansett Bay, Stonington.
8. Freshwater:Warm waters of late summer combined with bluebird conditions that come with all this pleasantly cool north wind and high pressure, still has freshwater fish "on tilt". Overall freshwater action is slow for everything except sunfish during the day and catfish or bullheads after dark. Carp are also active this time of year, catch them on commercial carp baits, dough balls made of moistened corn meal, par boiled potato or whole kernel corn. Fish with light wire hooks and minimal weight. [ Compiled by Bob Sampson]

On The Water Magazine

1. Shops throughout the Rhode Island region reported lots of fluke being taken on a pretty consistent basis. Keeper-sized fluke, some in the 7- to 9-pound range as reported by Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown, are being taken. Everyone is reporting however, that the number of keeper-sized fluke to shorts is still overwhelmingly small, meaning lots of catch-and-release action.
2. The most consistent action is taking place over the sides of boats in deeper waters, generally in the 40- to 60-foot depth range. Some fluke are coming off the beaches, such as Matunuck, but the catch is sporadic and generally shorts, according to Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett. The hottest bait for fluke according to John at Twin Maples on Block Island is that old tried and true standby, the mummichog minnow.
3. Saltwater Edge in Newport reported that the fishing for striped bass has slowed considerably in the shallow nearshore waters since the big heat wave rolled into our region. Warm waters have driven the fish deeper, though the white water and frothy foam around open rocky areas are still prime bets to toss a fly or light-tackle spoon for a striper. Similar reports come from Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle and from Breachway Tackle in Charlestown. Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett noted that anglers are still taking stripers in the shallows around the mouth of the Narrow River, though she admits that most fish are school bass.
4. No big surprise that everyone is reporting striper fishing is best between sunset and sunrise, with biggest fish taken by casting live eels. John at Twin Maples on Block Island reported several bass in the 25- to 30-pound range taken on live eels off the southeast point of the island. Wildwood Outfitters reported several bass in the 40-pound range taken on the south shore of Block Island and near Black Point, again on live eels after dark. If you want to buck the live eel trend, Twin Maples reports good success using needlefish plugs on the west side of Block Island after dark.
5. The folks at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown are reporting lots of school bass in the breachway, but the problem is getting to them below the horde of toothy bluefish feeding at and near the surface. A major trend throughout the region is the emergence of bluefish big and small. Largest blues are being reported on the south side of Block Island, with snapper blues reported in the Charlestown breachway and in Point Judith Pond. Smallish blues are being taken, along with an occasional school bass, off the docks in Galilee using clam bellies according to Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle. She further reports good fishing for blues and bass off the East Wall, with an occasional keeper fluke and some scup coming in as well.
6. Reports of bonito are about as fleeting as the fish themselves. The folks at Saltwater Edge confirmed several sightings, but they have been sparse. John at Twin Maples reports inconsistent runs of bonito off the beaches on Block Island, while Breachway Tackle and Quaker Lane have heard only rumors of bonito in the region to date.
7. Scup fishing is reported as good throughout the region using clams or squid. Sea bass have been good off Block Island using squid as well. Charter boats from a variety of the tackle shops are telling of good bass fishing in deeper waters, good fluking in deeper waters, and fair tuna (yellowfin mostly) south of Block Island.
8. Farther west, into Connecticut and Long Island Sound, similar stories emerge regarding heat and progression of fishing action. Allen at Shaffer’s Marina in Mystic and Joe at the Fish Connection in Preston both note good fluking in deeper water, particularly on the south side of Fishers Island. Both report lots and lots of shorts taken to get a couple of keepers. Joe at The Fish Connection also reports good fluke at the mouth of the Thames River, off the beach at Harkness Memorial Park and at Seaflower Reef. John at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle in Waterford had similar reports of fluke in and around The Race, noting that there is intense competition from dogfish for the fluke bait. The fluking is good, according to John, if the bait is missed by the dogs.
9. Striper fishing is mainly for school bass at the moment, with best action at dawn, dusk, and under the cover of darkness, with eels being the most productive tactic. John at Hillyer’s suggests a tube-and-worm rig fished deep during daylight hours as a productive tactic if night fishing isn’t possible. Joe at The Fish Connection reported good school bass, with some bigger fish, at The Race, off Bartletts Reef and on the reefs around the Watch Hill area. Watch Hill and Sugar reefs have been productive early and late in the day, with fish on the surface at times.
10. All shops are reporting a major insurgence of bluefish. Big blues are reported in The Race, and there are also lots of blues near Millstone Point and Black Point. Hammered spoons seem to be drawing in the big bluefish better than anything else at the moment, with diamond jigs running a near second. Allen at Shaffer’s reports lots of snapper blues in the Mystic River, as well as a preponderance of very small baby bunker in the river and shallow coves. Allen also reported dense schools of half-dollar-sized butterfish in The Race on a recent charter, noting that the bigger blues seemed to be focused on them.
11. Scup fishing is excellent, particularly on the reefs off Watch Hill and around Latimer Light. John at Hillyer’s reports good scup fishing at Bell Buoy 6 and at the spindle of Bartletts Reef. He noted, interestingly, that there were mostly monster-sized scup early, with a big bunch of very small scup turning up just recently, but very few “middle sized” scup being caught.
12. Down to the western end of Long Island Sound, the story is similar, though the fluke action seems to be perhaps a bit cheerier. Still lots of shorts reported by Fisherman’s World, Stratford Bait & Tackle and Captain Morgan’s Tackle, but each noted good numbers of keeper fluke on squid and other bait. The fluke seem to move around with the tides, so it can be hit and miss unless you know, or find out, where to set. That’s good incentive to stop by one of the shops and get a personal update. Fisherman’s World reported that the fluke have been good off the 11B Buoy, and noted that an 8-year-old female angler sporting a 10-pound fluke came into the shop the other day. Reports have it that her smile was as big as the fish!
13. The western Sound is filthy with bluefish ranging in size from snappers to whopping 15-pounders, but mum’s pretty much the word for this week with the big Bluefish Tournament going on, according to Chris at Stratford Bait & Tackle. School bass are being taken regularly on light tackle from shore and boat, but bigger fish are being taken only after dark, generally down deep, on live bait such as eels, or chunks of bunker. Chris noted that the big run of bunker early in the week is slowing down, but there are still lots of them around. Scup fishing is good on Middle Ground and around Charles Island.
14. Captain Morgan’s reports good numbers of weakfish on the incoming tide south of Faulkners Island. Fisherman’s World reported one bonito off the 28C Buoy, but no other reports of this speedster.
15. Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island
16. A good option for the coming weekend will be to get out and do some blue-crabbing. Most of the Connecticut shops are reporting what is looking to be a very, very good blue crab season in the shallow coves, bays and river mouths throughout the area. Last season was pretty meager for blue crabs in most areas, and with “August doldrums” upon us, it may pay off nicely to leave the rods and reels where they are and go find the crabbing nets. Try at night for best success, though daytime crabbing will still produce if you are patient and stealthy. [By Alan Desbonnet
17. Shops throughout the Rhode Island region reported lots of fluke being taken on a pretty consistent basis. Keeper-sized fluke, some in the 7- to 9-pound range as reported by Thom at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown, are being taken. Everyone is reporting however, that the number of keeper-sized fluke to shorts is still overwhelmingly small, meaning lots of catch-and-release action.
18. The most consistent action is taking place over the sides of boats in deeper waters, generally in the 40- to 60-foot depth range. Some fluke are coming off the beaches, such as Matunuck, but the catch is sporadic and generally shorts, according to Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett. The hottest bait for fluke according to John at Twin Maples on Block Island is that old tried and true standby, the mummichog minnow.
19. Saltwater Edge in Newport reported that the fishing for striped bass has slowed considerably in the shallow nearshore waters since the big heat wave rolled into our region. Warm waters have driven the fish deeper, though the white water and frothy foam around open rocky areas are still prime bets to toss a fly or light-tackle spoon for a striper. Similar reports come from Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle and from Breachway Tackle in Charlestown. Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett noted that anglers are still taking stripers in the shallows around the mouth of the Narrow River, though she admits that most fish are school bass.
20. No big surprise that everyone is reporting striper fishing is best between sunset and sunrise, with biggest fish taken by casting live eels. John at Twin Maples on Block Island reported several bass in the 25- to 30-pound range taken on live eels off the southeast point of the island. Wildwood Outfitters reported several bass in the 40-pound range taken on the south shore of Block Island and near Black Point, again on live eels after dark. If you want to buck the live eel trend, Twin Maples reports good success using needlefish plugs on the west side of Block Island after dark.
21. The folks at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown are reporting lots of school bass in the breachway, but the problem is getting to them below the horde of toothy bluefish feeding at and near the surface. A major trend throughout the region is the emergence of bluefish big and small. Largest blues are being reported on the south side of Block Island, with snapper blues reported in the Charlestown breachway and in Point Judith Pond. Smallish blues are being taken, along with an occasional school bass, off the docks in Galilee using clam bellies according to Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle. She further reports good fishing for blues and bass off the East Wall, with an occasional keeper fluke and some scup coming in as well.
22. Reports of bonito are about as fleeting as the fish themselves. The folks at Saltwater Edge confirmed several sightings, but they have been sparse. John at Twin Maples reports inconsistent runs of bonito off the beaches on Block Island, while Breachway Tackle and Quaker Lane have heard only rumors of bonito in the region to date.
23. Scup fishing is reported as good throughout the region using clams or squid. Sea bass have been good off Block Island using squid as well. Charter boats from a variety of the tackle shops are telling of good bass fishing in deeper waters, good fluking in deeper waters, and fair tuna (yellowfin mostly) south of Block Island.
24. Farther west, into Connecticut and Long Island Sound, similar stories emerge regarding heat and progression of fishing action. Allen at Shaffer’s Marina in Mystic and Joe at the Fish Connection in Preston both note good fluking in deeper water, particularly on the south side of Fishers Island. Both report lots and lots of shorts taken to get a couple of keepers. Joe at The Fish Connection also reports good fluke at the mouth of the Thames River, off the beach at Harkness Memorial Park and at Seaflower Reef. John at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle in Waterford had similar reports of fluke in and around The Race, noting that there is intense competition from dogfish for the fluke bait. The fluking is good, according to John, if the bait is missed by the dogs.
25. Striper fishing is mainly for school bass at the moment, with best action at dawn, dusk, and under the cover of darkness, with eels being the most productive tactic. John at Hillyer’s suggests a tube-and-worm rig fished deep during daylight hours as a productive tactic if night fishing isn’t possible. Joe at The Fish Connection reported good school bass, with some bigger fish, at The Race, off Bartletts Reef and on the reefs around the Watch Hill area. Watch Hill and Sugar reefs have been productive early and late in the day, with fish on the surface at times.
26. All shops are reporting a major insurgence of bluefish. Big blues are reported in The Race, and there are also lots of blues near Millstone Point and Black Point. Hammered spoons seem to be drawing in the big bluefish better than anything else at the moment, with diamond jigs running a near second. Allen at Shaffer’s reports lots of snapper blues in the Mystic River, as well as a preponderance of very small baby bunker in the river and shallow coves. Allen also reported dense schools of half-dollar-sized butterfish in The Race on a recent charter, noting that the bigger blues seemed to be focused on them.
27. Scup fishing is excellent, particularly on the reefs off Watch Hill and around Latimer Light. John at Hillyer’s reports good scup fishing at Bell Buoy 6 and at the spindle of Bartletts Reef. He noted, interestingly, that there were mostly monster-sized scup early, with a big bunch of very small scup turning up just recently, but very few “middle sized” scup being caught.
28. Down to the western end of Long Island Sound, the story is similar, though the fluke action seems to be perhaps a bit cheerier. Still lots of shorts reported by Fisherman’s World, Stratford Bait & Tackle and Captain Morgan’s Tackle, but each noted good numbers of keeper fluke on squid and other bait. The fluke seem to move around with the tides, so it can be hit and miss unless you know, or find out, where to set. That’s good incentive to stop by one of the shops and get a personal update. Fisherman’s World reported that the fluke have been good off the 11B Buoy, and noted that an 8-year-old female angler sporting a 10-pound fluke came into the shop the other day. Reports have it that her smile was as big as the fish!
29. The western Sound is filthy with bluefish ranging in size from snappers to whopping 15-pounders, but mum’s pretty much the word for this week with the big Bluefish Tournament going on, according to Chris at Stratford Bait & Tackle. School bass are being taken regularly on light tackle from shore and boat, but bigger fish are being taken only after dark, generally down deep, on live bait such as eels, or chunks of bunker. Chris noted that the big run of bunker early in the week is slowing down, but there are still lots of them around. Scup fishing is good on Middle Ground and around Charles Island.
30. Captain Morgan’s reports good numbers of weakfish on the incoming tide south of Faulkners Island. Fisherman’s World reported one bonito off the 28C Buoy, but no other reports of this speedster.

Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island: A good option for the coming weekend will be to get out and do some blue-crabbing. Most of the Connecticut shops are reporting what is looking to be a very, very good blue crab season in the shallow coves, bays and river mouths throughout the area. Last season was pretty meager for blue crabs in most areas, and with “August doldrums” upon us, it may pay off nicely to leave the rods and reels where they are and go find the crabbing nets. Try at night for best success, though daytime crabbing will still produce if you are patient and stealthy.

Rivers End

1. STRIPED BASS- Wheres the bunker? The bunker at the Mouth of the River have thinned out considerably the last two mornings. Theres still some bunker way to the west around New Haven. I've heard from Westbrook or Clinton today, they have the same news.The hickory shad are still at the Mouth of the River. On the eel side theres been a good night bite at both the Race and Plum Gut if you can get through the blues. Earlier in the week also saw some night eel action at Hatchetts and Bartletts.Schoolies have been on the surface at Bartletts and the Gulls mixed in with the blues.
2. BLUEFISH- They're thick at both the Race and Plum Gut with diamond jigging bringing the best results. At times they're on the surface at both those spots plus Hatchetts, Bartletts and the Gulls. Drifting at the Mouth of the River or Long Sand Shoal has produced consistent results.
3. SNAPPER BLUES- They're in solid now at the DEP Piers, the Causeway, Blackhall and Lieutenant Rivers.
   
4. FLUKE- Despite the lousy start its a good mid-season run. The River actually is running about 50% keepers. Misquamicut to Point Judith is still the most consistent producer with sizes and numbers. Isabella is on and off, Black Point has some good sizes with low numbers. To the west some good reports have come off Hammonasset.
5. PORGIES- Same report as last week.Some big ones at Hatchetts, Cranes and Bartletts. Still no big numbers.
6. Bonito- They're in as solid as they get. Catches have been reported from Bartletts, Watch Hill, Weekapaug and the Race.
7. BLUE CRABS- They're at the DEP Piers, Oyster River, Behind Great Island

Norwich Bulletin

1. Big striped bass are around the area, but due to warm inshore temperatures are hanging deep, out off the shoreline during the day. There's still hickory shad schools and adult menhaden in the Connecticut River, which means there's some huge bass in that area as well. I fished the lower river with Captain John Planetta of Frank's Tackle in Marlborough. We fished with live hickory shad and live eels. John caught a 45-inch, 40-pound class striper by slinging an eel to the rocks in an area where a huge fish took a swipe at a 12-inch schoolie striper I was reeling in.
2. Fluke: I spent two days fluking along the south shore of Rhode Island and action was excellent on both trips. We caught 52 fluke Tuesday, 11 of which were keepers, and 69 on Wednesday, with 10 keepers. We fished with Mario's Drift Rigs with plastic squid strips baited with real squid and live mummichogs and Thomcat Drift Rigs.
3. Bluefish: In my travels this week, bluefish are all over the place. Busting on top off Hatchet Reef chopping up our hickory shad Monday in the Connecticut River area. All day long both Monday and Tuesday, 2- to 6-pound bluefish were busting the surface from Misquamicut to Watch Hill around the Watch Hill Reef Complex and the south side of Fishers Island.
4. Porgies/scup: Scup have been tougher to come by this year than last. Bell Buoy No. 6 in Niantic Bay and Hatchet Reef have been hot spots according to John Hillyer from Hillyer's tackle in Waterford.
5. Tuna: School sized "football" bluefin tuna schoolies are about eight miles off Block Island, with a few schoolies finally showing up between there and Newport.
6. Rare Summer Aliens: Earl Evans at Saltwater Edge tackle in Newport, R.I., said there were three cobia caught in his area over the last week. The biggest was 65 pounds.
7. Blue Crabs: Crabbing is improving this time of year as our winter survivor "local population" is bolstered by migrants from the south. There was a solid report of crab catches from Stonington.
8. Bait: One bluefish we caught on the south side of Fishers Island spit up butterfish and tiny squid about an inch long. Some of those bait clouds in the area are also peanut (juvenile menhaden) bunker. Small bait is literally everywhere I've been this week. Look for bunker and hickory shad in the lower Connecticut River.
9. Freshwater:Not much talk from the freshwater ponds other than the four-pound smallmouth bass that Steve Balvandu of New Britain took on a Jitterbug at Gardner Lake, just after the heat wave broke. [Compiled by Bob Sampson ]

Rivers End 8/4/06

1. STRIPED BASS- Its as good as August fishing gets. We haven't seen bunkers like this in 15 years and its the reason the bass are hanging around. Using live bunker or hickory shad at Long Sand Shoal, Hatchetts, Black Point and some of the other reefs has yielding bass up to 50 lbs. The best action seems to be the daybreak bite. The bunker can be found at the Breakwater and the shoreline from Fenwick to Cornfield. Westbrook Harbor is also loading up on bunker. The day bite at the Race and Gut has slowed but the night bite is still good. Schoolies have been on the surface at Hatchetts, Bartletts and Watch Hill Reef feeding on small herring and butterfish.
2. BLUEFISH- The blues have also found the bunker schools and have been trying to steal snagged baits. They have also been on the surface at Long Sand Shoal, Hatchetts and just outside the River. Popping plugs have been providing some fast action. Sizes range from 1 to 8 pounds. The Race, Pigeon Rip and Plum Gut have their usual summer guests.
3. SNAPPER BLUES- They're pretty spread out in most estuaries. Blackhall River, Causeway, Dep Piers all are good.
4. FLUKE- Good reports this week with the most consistent ones coming from Misquamicut. Isabella is good and the deep waters off Black Point are yielding some doormats. Don't just bypass the River. If the traffic will let you theres some decent fishing in the channel from the mouth of North Cove to the Breakwater.
5. PORGIES- Some big ones at Hatchetts, Cranes and Bartletts. Still no big numbers.
6. Bonito- A few being caught at Bartletts, the Race and Watch Hill.
7. BLUE CRABS- Best catches are coming from the coves behind Great Island. Some decent catches also coming from Oyster River and South cove.

Rivers End 7/28/06

1. STRIPED BASS- The hot item is still the bunker at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Those bunker are being fed to bass on Long Sand Shoal, Hatchetts, Black Point and other local reefs. Early AM seems to make a big difference.The bunker are thick enough to snag at times, chunking has also been working at Long Sand Shoal and Cornfield Point.Theres been school bass on the surface at Hatchetts Reef again early and late inthe day. Tube and worm action has also been good at Hatchetts
   
2. BLUEFISH- Theres been some blues hanging around the mouth of the River. Generally theres been a lack of surface action with most blues being caught on bunker chunks. some smaller blues have been running along the Old Lyme beaches. The Race and Plum Gut have their summer residents.
3. SNAPPER BLUES- Snappers from 4 inches and up have been caught at the DEP Piers and the Causeway.
4. FLUKE- Still improving with the short to keeper ratio getting better. The River shouldn't be by passed theres a pretty good run of keepers this week. Its tough to fish on weekends due to traffic, but the channel from outside North Cove to the south has been good. Some larger fluke have been coming out of Isabella and Gardiners.
5. PORGIES- Also improving at Hatchetts and Bartletts. Some being caught at the Brothers.
6. Bonito- An actual first hand report of Bonito caught at Bartletts Reef.
   
7. BLUE CRABS- Fair to good reports from North Cove and Oyster River this week.

Rivers End

1. STRIPED BASS- Its all about the bunker, and they're all around. Schools of adult bunker are along the shoreline from Clinton to the Connecticut River. Most of the bass aren't too far away. Long Sand Shoal, Hatchetts and Black Point are giving up quite a few cows. Schoolies have been on the surface at Bartletts and at times Hatchetts. The Race and Plum Gut have slowed up some since last week.
2. BLUEFISH- The Race and Plum Gut are yielding the usual suspects, a few larger blues are coming from Pigeon Rip. The River has some blues, mostly on chunk bait.
3. SNAPPER BLUES- A few reports of 3-4" snappers.
4. FLUKE- A slow but steady improvement this week with the short to keeper ratio improving to around 10 to 1. The River is yielding some keepers from North Cove to the mouth. You don't have to run too far to find some doormats. Some nice sizes have come from the deeper waters from Hatchetts to Waterford. A good report also came in from Mattituck.
5. PORGIES- A bit better this week with big sizes, but they're elusive. They are definitely down in numbers. Hatchetts, Bartletts and Black Point are yielding some.
6. Bonito- Some third hand reports of sightings this week. Its getting to be the time.
7. BLUE CRABS- Good reports from North Cove and Oyster River again this week.

On The Water 7/3/06

1. The plentiful bait of mid-summer is maintaining excellent fishing in certain areas despite the hot weather and water. Bunker are still schooling along the Connecticut shoreline, and they are especially thick in certain locations from Norwalk to the Connecticut River. Rising water temps and the corresponding drop in dissolved oxygen levels has forced the menhaden to move out of rivers such as the Housatonic, where they could be found schooled up just a few weeks ago. Those bunker are now stuck between a rock and a hard place, as schools of big blitzing bluefish and even some stripers are keeping them pinned close to shore – and providing some excellent action for anglers.
2. In the Western Sound, striper fishing has gotten tough for surfcasters and shore-fishermen according to the report from Fishermen’s World in Norwalk. If you have a boat, deep and cool water is where you’ll still find some good striper fishing, and the deepest water out of Norwalk is on the west side of Buoy 11B where the bottom drops down to about 125 feet. Fishing deep with a three-way rig baited with sand worms or a heavy bucktail and pork rind is a good way to fool fish from 30 to 42 inches this week.
3. The boatless still have a reason to head to the shore however, and that reason is tremendous bluefish action. Those schools of bunker are popping up close to shore, and are being harrassed by 6- to 8-pound bluefish from Cedar Point and Compo Beach to Southport Harbor, off of Calf Pasture Beach, around Black Rock Harbor and the pier at Seaside Beach, and from Long Beach in Stratford. For most anglers, the first few hours of a dropping tide have provided the best bluefish action. The biggest bluefish – 10-pound-plus “alligators” – can be taken on the reefs and ledges using chunked bunker. If you have a kayak, there’s plenty of fishable water that can be reached by launching off of Calf Pasture Beach and paddling out toward Goose Island. You can chase blitzing bluefish, or drop down a fluke rig and drift for dinner.
4. Out toward Stratford, there are the same marauding schools of bluefish hammering pogies, but there are also plenty of big bass hanging around. This past week the bunker that dropped out of the Housatonic River moved out in front to join the bunker schools in Bridgeport Harbor, off Long Beach, and from the mouth of the Housatonic to Charles Island. Chris of Stratford Bait and Tackle said the fishing has been “phenomenal,” as a 50-pounder was just weighed in at the shop and loads of bass in the 19- to 25-pound range being taken on plugs and poppers.
5. Just about every harbor and the mouth of every tidal river along the shore from the Housatonic to the Connecticut River may be holding bunker and blitzing bluefish – start with Guilford, Clinton, and Westbrook harbors and keep your eyes peeled. Again, with temps near 80 degrees in the tidal rivers, bunker are being forced to seek out better-oxygenated water but are finding themselves herded and pinned by bluefish. East of the Connecticut River, Hatchett Reef, Black Point, Niantic Bay, Millstone Point, Bartlett Reef, and Avery Point all have excellent bluefish action on plugs and metal, while the biggest blues are coming from The Race on diamond jigs and bunker chunks.
6. Captain Jerry Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Tackle in Madison said that if you want bass, look for deeper and cooler water. He recommends fishing anywhere within a triangle drawn from SW Reef to the western edge of Long Sand Shoal and out to Six Mile Reef. Look for marks on the fishfinder in water from 60 to 80 feet deep. Bunker chunks or whole live bunker are also taking bass in the North Rip at Falkners Island. Some good-size bass are popping up in shallow water, such as in 10 to 15 feet of water over Bartlett Reef. Cooler water sweeping up over the reef from adjacent depths has kept things comfortable for the bass, which are happy to feed on the scraps underneath surface-feeding bluefish schools. Trolling tube-and-worm rigs near the bottom around the edges of the reef is another way to target these fish. Parachute jigs and live eels at the Spindle on the south end of Bartlett Reef will also take big bass.
   
7. The backside of Fishers Island is holding bass in the early morning, try trolling a tube and worm in 10 to 20 feet of water to locate them. Out at Race Rock Light, large stripers are being taken at night and very early in the morning.
8. Good light-tackle action for spin and fly-guys is available in the lower Thames, Mumford Cove, and Mystic Harbor on small schoolie bass and 1- to 3-pound harbor blues. For bigger blues, try out around Ram Island Reef, Middle Clump, or Seaflower Reef. For bigger stripers in the mid-20- to 30-inch range, try fishing the same locations just after sunset.
9. Along the Rhode Island coast from the South County beaches and breachways to Narragansett, striped bass fishing is about being there late at night or very early in the morning, preferably slinging eels or rigged soft plastics. Colby at Breachway Tackle in Charlestown recommended East Beach and the Breachway, while Mrs. Dangleo at Maridee Bait and Tackle in Narragansett recommended Scarboro Beach, Black Point, and Narragansett Town Beach. Most of these bass are in the 10- to 20-pound range, but increasing numbers of big bluefish in the area are chopping up eels and making bass fishing tough on the wallet. Boat anglers that are able to avoid the bluefish are still taking big bass by fishing for hickories at first light in the ponds, then live-lining them off of Watch Hill Reef or Green Hill Point. If bluefish chop up your bait, sink the heads and pieces below the blues and tempt the lazy stripers down there feeding on scraps.
10. Acres of 2- to 4-pound bluefish breaking off Narragansett during the evenings and in the Newport area are an easy target for anglers with the means to chase down the nearest flock of birds. There are some bigger bluefish mixed in, and potentially some stripers lurking beneath the blues, but the biggest stripers will be found 40 to 60 feet deep. Fishing deep with live bait will take some big stripers during the day, but if you want to throw plugs you’d better be on the water before first light. Earl at the Saltwater Edge in Newport said that they have been taking good numbers of 20- to 30-pound bass in the very early morning by throwing topwater plugs anywhere there is structure and current.
11. Out at Block Island, John at Twin Maples Tackle said that good numbers of bass up to 20 pounds are being taken off the beaches after dark by surfcasters throwing needlefish plugs from West Beach on the west side of the Island, casting into the onshore wind and surf. Bass up to 40 pounds have been taken by anglers drifting eels in 15 to 25 feet of water around Southwest Point and Southeast Light. No need for a lead weight, just lob the eel out, let it swim for the bottom and retrieve slowly. Albacore and bonito could show in fishable numbers any day now in the Coast Guard Channel leading into Great Salt Pond. This is a great spot to take an albie from shore; the fish cruise along the sandy drop-off picking off sand eels so try throwing a Deadly Dick or fly-casting a sand eel imitator.
12. Wildwood Outfitters in Wakefield this week reported another cobia landed in Rhode Island waters, this time a big one estimated at 60 pounds! Rhode Island doesn’t even include cobia on its list of gamefish eligible for state records, but their largest documented catch for a cobia in RI waters listed on the RIDEM Web site is a 35-pounder caught in 1995 in Narragansett Bay.
13. Fluke are fishing well across the region, from the western Sound to Newport. Not many big doormat fluke, but good numbers of keepers in the 3- to 5-pound range. Bigger fluke are typically found in deeper water, but this time of year some good-sized fluke start to move into some surprisingly shallow waters to feast on snapper blues and peanut bunker.
    
14. In the western Sound, you don’t have to travel all the way to Long Island for consistent catches of keepers; save your gas money and stick to the deeper channels leading into Norwalk Harbor or try drifting the outside of the Norwalk Islands. Fishermen who can ignore the bunker, bass, and bluefish show and target fluke have been doing well in the lower Housatonic River, and excellent around the New Haven Harbor breakwaters.
15. Further east, try drifting off of the Guilford – Madison – Clinton shoreline or south of Falkner Island for big fluke in the mid-20-inch range and the occasional 30-incher. By the way, the waters south of Falkner have also given up several weakfish, which tend to hit best on an incoming late in the day according to Captain Jerry Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Tackle in Madison.
16. Cheryl at Shaffer’s Marina in Mystic said “everybody’s fluking” in the eastern Sound. The biggest fluke have been taken from deep water, such as the 90-foot depths at the bottom of the drop-off just off of the Black Point side of Niantic Bay, and the backside (south side) of Fishers Island in 80 to 100 feet. Cheryl said the ratio has improved to about eight shorts for every keeper in 40 to 50 feet off Isabella Beach, Napatree, and Misquamicut.
17. Fluke worshipper Captain “Thomcat” Pelletier of Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle in North Kingstown traveled all the way to Nomans to target fluke on his vacation, but admits that he would have been better off to stick to the waters around Point Judith. From the Center Wall west to Green Hill fluke fishing has really turned on; Thom took a 7.5-pounder and a 7.8-pounder from those waters on Sunday. You can tell the fluke fishing is hot when the fluking flotilla fills in from the West Wall to Green Hill Point. Targeting depths from 45 to 55 feet in this area seems to be the key, any deeper and you’ll find yourself fishing for dogfish and not summer flounder. There are also plenty of fluking spots around Newport, pick up this month’s issue of On The Water for some great advice on spots to fish from shore, kayak, or boat.
18. Scup fishing in August is easy, joked Matt at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle in Waterford – all you have to do is go fluke fishing. Several folks this week remarked on the extra-large scup that have appeared this season. Some notable spots to target scup include Smith Reef off of Stamford, Buoy 28C off Norwalk (which marks Cable and Anchor Reef), Goshen Ledge and Bartlett Reef out of New London, and the East Wall at Point Judith.
19. Nearshore bluefin tuna action is “pretty grim” said Earl at Saltwater Edge in Newport. Tuna guides searching from Montauk to Block Island to Cuttyhunk have found nothing in the way of school bluefin. After a spate of action around Block Island a couple weeks ago, the tuna quickly moved on, but local Captains are ready to drop everything should they reappear. Farther offshore, bluefin tuna have been taken between The Claw and the Mudhole, at the Acid Barge and the Fingers, with plenty of blue sharks available near the Mudhole. Yellowfin tuna action has been “slamming” for trollers working Fishtails and the Canyons.
20. In Connecticut, hot weather has the freshwater trout fishing at a standstill. Most people aren’t targeting them because even though they are catchable they are tough to release alive when the water is warm. The CT DEP reminds anglers that thermal refuge areas on the Housatonic, Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers are now closed to fishing and will reopen on September 1. There is no fishing within 100 feet of the mouths of posted tributaries to these rivers. In ponds and lakes, evening and post-sunset fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass is excellent right now. Try an 8- to 10-inch black worm, a dark-colored spinnerbait, or the classic jitterbug. In the New London area, Rennie from the Fish Connection in Preston on the Thames recommended Rogers Lake in Old Lyme, Pachaug Pond in Griswold and Gardner Lake in Salem. Smallmouth bass are also hitting well in the Housatonic River. Northern pike fishing is an option in the Connecticut River, try fishing the coves from Wethersfield south to Middletown. The upper Connecticut River offers good smallmouth fishing around Enfield and Windsor.

Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island:Hot, hazy, humid weather will push striped bass deep, but they are willing to break the rules at night when bait is thick and the eating is good. Launch the boat before first light and live-line bunker to the stripers feeding along the Connecticut shoreline, toss eels along the rocky southern shore of Block Island, swim hickory shad off the Rhode Island breachways, or if you prefer to throw plugs just look for that magic combination of structure and moving water. Once the sun gets high and the striper bite dies down, you can switch over to fluking, keep yourself entertained with blitzing bluefish, or grab a coffee and head to the air-conditioned off

CT DEP Weekly Marine

1. STRIPED BASS fishing is good off Watch Hill, Sandy Point and Ram Island Reef in Fishers Island Sound, south side of Fishers Island including the rip off Wilderness Point, the Race (Valiant Rock), the Sluiceway, Plum Gut, Bartlett Reef, Millstone Point, Long Sand Shoal, Sixmile Reef, Southwest Reef, the reefs off Branford, Sandy Point in New Haven Harbor, Stratford Point area, Penfield Reef, Norwalk Islands, and the Cows off Stamford. The tube and worm combination has been working well for cow linesiders.
2. HICKORY SHAD fishing is fair to good in the Niantic River.
3. SUMMER FLOUNDER fishing is fair with alot of sub-legal "throwback" being reported. Flounder spots include the Mystic River to Groton Long Point, south side of Fishers Island (Isabella Beach), Black Point area, Niantic River, Westbrook-Clinton area, off Hammonasset Beach, Falkner Island area, off the New Haven Harbor breakwaters, and the Milford area to the mouth of the Housatonic River.
4. BLUEFISH fishing remains consistent in the Race and off Wilderness Point (Fishers Island), Plum Gut and Millstone Point, Sixmile Reef off Clinton, New Haven Harbor, the Milford-Charles Island area to the mouth of the Housatonic River, and off the Norwalk Islands.
5. TAUTOG fishing is good on the major reefs in Fishers Island Sound, Goshen Point (Harkness Memorial State Park), Bartlett Reef, Hatchett Reef, Sixmile Reef, Kimberly Reef, Goose Island, the reefs off Branford, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground, Penfield reef, and Greens Ledge.
6. SCUP can also be found on the reefs and wrecks throughout LIS.

Conn Post 7/6/06

1. Anglers wishing to catch their own largemouth bass can visit Lake Zoar, Lake Saltonstall, Winchester Lake, the Bolton Lake chain, Highland Lake, East Twin Lake, Mashapaug Lake, Tyler Pond, Wononscopomuc Lake, Quonnipaug Lake, Lake Waramaug, Pachaug Pond, Moosup Pond, Moodus Reservoir, Bashan Lake and Lake Kenosia. The fish have been hitting poppers, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, soft-plastic worms, "Flipping" tube lures, Slug-gos and live minnows.
2. For smallmouth bass, travel to Gardner Lake, Highland Lake, Mashapaug Lake, Candlewood Lake, and the Housatonic River between Lake Lillinonah and Bulls Bridge. In-line spinners, topwater plugs and slow-moving crankbaits are the smallmouth bass hunters' mainstays.
3. Elsewhere on the freshwater scene, northern pike are cooperating at Bantam Lake, the Connecticut River and Pachaug Pond. Walleye fishing is fair to good at Lake Saltonstall and Gardner Lake. Only modest walleye reports have come from Squantz Pond. Chuck Saxonmeyer of Fairfield caught a 3.70-pound walleye in Lees Pond earlier this week. Lees Pond is not stocked with walleye, but Saxonmeyer's fish swam about seven miles downstream from the walleye-stocked Saugatuck Reservoir.
4. Trout fishing remains good in spite of the summer heat. Joe D'Lugos of Stratford caught a 5.92-pound natural brown trout at the Saugatuck Reservoir last week on a live minnow. The reservoir also gave Albert Tirnadi of Fairfield a 13.00-pound Seeforellen brown trout. This fish was caught on a Krocodile Spoon and verified at Ted's Bait & Tackle.

5. Long Island Sound is loading up with fish now that summer has taken hold. On Monday, I took a trip aboard the "Middlebank" Part Boat from Captain's Cove Seaport. The boat's 31 patrons caught 59 fluke and uncounted sea robins during the trip. Only six keeper-sized fluke came topside, including a five- pound fish. The Sound has plenty of fluke, but anglers must work hard to catch 18-inch legal fish.

6. Along with fluke, sea bass, porgy and blackfish abound on the rocks and reefs. Bob Barnes of Monroe weighed in a 5.22-pound black sea bass at Stratford Bait & Tackle. He caught the fish off Milford on a squid strip. Bob Kristoff of Oxford landed a 2.84-pound porgy off Clinton last week.

7. Bluefish are increasing in numbers and size throughout the Sound, especially in New Haven Harbor, off Milford, at the mouth of the Housatonic River and off the Norwalk Islands. Matt Silva, 15, of Stratford, caught a 10.08-pound bluefish last week behind Charles Island on a popper.

8. Striped bass action remains good to excellent on the offshore reefs and shoals. Live-lining eels, hickory shad, bunker or porgy has been the best tactic for catching big bass. The smaller fish are striking lures, small bunker chunks and tube-and-sandworm combination rigs. Some of the better offshore areas have been Buoy 28C, Buoy 20, Middleground, Stratford Point, the reefs off Branford and Southwest Reef. Look for inshore bass along Long Wharf, off Walnut Beach, Gulf Beach, in Milford Harbor, the Housatonic River between the Merritt Parkway Bridge to Short Beach, Bridgeport Harbor, Fayerweather Island and inside Black Rock Harbor. [FRANK MCKANE JR.]

On The Water, 7/7/06

1. Best Bets for CT & RI: The concentration of big bass that was stagnant in the extreme western end of Long Island Sound and the bunker they were eating seem to be heading east so anything can happen over the next week or two. This weekend, look for pulses of larger bass to continue moving east along the coast, especially if the sun comes out and cooks the shallows to levels they don’t want to tolerate. If the bunker continue to move eastward as well count on the potential to catch bigger stripers any place a school is located. Block Island is probably the best spot to take a 50-pounder as always this time of year. Keep in mind that it’s the summer big bass period and it’s always fickle, good one day poor the next, no matter where you drop an eel or live bait.
2. We had so much rainy, water-cooling weather last month that some of the movement of fish has been delayed to a point. Captain Jack Balint, who runs a charter boat out of the Fish Connection, said that he doesn’t think that the bigger bass have settled into the shallower waters around Fishers Island where he does a good deal of his light-line fishing. This appears to be the case based on reports of some larger bass still lingering to the west, between Stratford and the New York border, which is late for this calendar date. But there’s still adult bunker schools that are being spread out in the areas where the 30-pound-class bass are still being caught. Bluefish are moving in and everyone is talking about porgies this week, which is a bad sign for anglers who fish shallow with tube and worms and fluke angler who have their baits ransacked by scup all summer long.
3. Fluke fishing is the same story no matter where you go. Lots of fish, mostly small.
4. Peter at Saltwater Edge, Newport reports that after a five to seven day hiatus, the bait is coming into their area once again, so the striped bass and blues are also in the area to eat them. There have been “lots of skunkings” until Wednesday of this week, according to Peter, but the action has definitely improved in the past few days. No one is catching any “epic fish” down in the Newport area lately, but there are still 20-pound-plus fish to be caught especially by fishing after dark with live bait of some sort.
5. The larger striper still seem to be holding up inside Narragansett Bay and feeding on the schools of bunker that have been in that area for a few weeks. One commercial fisherman pulled in a net for bunker and had a couple of 40-pound-class bass mixed in with the haul. This means they are still seeing pulses of fish moving through the region. Everything else I have heard of fits this scenario, fish moving rapidly along the coast as water temps warm.
6. Rob at Wildwood Outfitters has a mobile bait truck running along the fishing spots from Green River to the south shore. Check their web sight for the schedule. No one out at Block Island is even talking about fish under 20 pounds and there are some 40’s being caught off the southeast corner, with improved quality of fish showing up off the North Rips as the season progresses.
7. Wildwood’s crew has been either catching or hearing about good fluke catches that have been as high as 50/50 shorts/keepers being taken from the west gap and center walls at Point Judith. Along the beaches the best catches have been coming from 30 to 35 feet of water.
8. Justin at Breachway Tackle, Charlestown said the fishing is still good in their region of the south shore. There are still good numbers of schoolies inside the salt pond, with some much bigger bass cruising along the beaches, but mostly outside around the breachways and reefs adjacent to the salt ponds. Ronnie who owns the shop, has been catching limits of 30-pounders all week with his charter customers.
9. Everyone from Saltwater Edge, to Wildwood Outfitters, Breachway and Captain Don’s said that the blues have moved in for the summer. Most of the fish are smaller, in the 2- to 4-pound range, but there are some anglers who are reporting ten-pound-class catches.
10. The waters off Charlestown produced fluke of 7.5 pounds and 8.2 pounds over the weekend. However, the keeper to short ratio has ranged from one to three Rhode Island 17.5-inch legals for every 10 fish brought into the boat. Anglers are catching 30 fish and bringing home 2 to 4 keepers. One guy Justin heard of only caught a single keeper out of about 30 fish that he caught over the holiday weekend. I made a trip to Misquamicut a week ago and only caught a single Connecticut keeper out of the 20 I landed, but four or five would have been legal had I been a Rhody resident.
11. John of Captain Don’s, Tackle, Route 1, Charlestown, Rhode Island said fluke action is clearly picking up in the number of keepers to shorts. This is due in part to growth. Fish that were 17.5 inches a month ago are pushing legal size right now. The quantities are the same but the size has improved. Don Dinucci took fish to 8 pounds over the weekend off Charleston in 45 feet of water. Armand Mateo from Pawcatuck caught a near 5-pounder off Misquamicut early in the week.
12. There was a monster bass of 56 pounds caught off Block Island during the holidays. John said they didn’t officially weigh the fish they just saw it, the official weight was taken somewhere else, but it was a monster. Tube and worming is still productive for mostly small bass up inside Quonny Pond, for bass of medium to schoolie size. There are big stripers in the breachways but they have been difficult to catch lately. Scup are abundant all over the place and are beginning to become a negative factor for fluke fishermen and anglers trolling tube-and-worm rigs in shallow water.
13. I took a run to the south side of Fishers Island on Monday to do some tube and worming with a couple friends and the action fit the description of many areas to the west. We didn’t catch any larger fish, even after dark on eels. All we managed was a dozen bass, top end about 28 inches, a half-dozen bluefish to about 4 pounds and a whopping big 15.5-inch scup. One charter captain I talk to frequently gave me exactly the same report for Sunday in the shallows along the south side of Fishers, not many fish and all small, but he caught more blues than we did. I skipped areas once we caught a bluefish, he didn’t.
14. Captain Jack Balint of The Fish Connection, Preston said the ratio of fluke off the beaches is still off kilter. His dad Joe and another angler made a run that touched the south side of Fishers Island and the beaches from Misquamicut to the west and had a tough time, taking a keeper for every 10 fish they boated. One thing anglers can do to reduce the handling of smaller fluke is to use larger hooks and larger baits. Rather than using a four-inch strip of squid, use a whole squid or a fillet of big fish like a mackerel, hickory shad or bunker rather than a small frozen smelt or silversides.
15. It appears that the hordes of larger stripers that have been concentrated in the western end of Long Island sound are at least beginning to trickle to the east. Howard at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle, Waterford told me they have been hearing of a few more 20-pound-plus stripers being caught in along the shore, rather than from the Race and other deepwater reef areas over the past few days. Local fluking good has continued to improve over the past week. Still mostly shorts but they saw fish up to 8 pounds at the scales. Blackfishing is still holding up very well in the Niantic area. Some nice fish, but nothing like the 10- to 14-pounders reported just after the season opened, have been caught over the past week in the Niantic area. The interesting fact is many fish over 4 pounds have been caught from shore, right from the pilings and docks between the bridges in Niantic as well as off Harkness Park.
16. Captain Jerry Morgan of Captain Morgan’s Tackle, Madison said the big news this week has been the influx of bluefish. The reports of larger stripers seem to have faded for the time being, maybe because the blues are getting in the way like they tend to do when both species are competing for food or to strike a lure. Fluke action in this area remains about the same, but no reports of doormats this week. The Captain heard of decent summer flounder being caught off Long Sand Shoal, off the mouth of the Connecticut River and in the shoals just south of Falkner Island. He didn’t weigh in any stripers over 20 pounds or so this week, but there are reports of bunker moving through the area. To me this is probably some of the bait that had been west of New Haven for the past few weeks. If there are some adult bunker in an area you can count on the jumbo bass to be right on their tails.
17. To the west, from Stratford to the New York border it looks like the big bass and bunker that they had been eating are on the move. There are still some nice stripers being caught, but the rate has slowed a great deal since last week’s report.
18. Chris Fulton owner of Stratford Bait and Tackle Stratford said the big striped bass that his customers had been catching in 40 to 60 feet of water off the mouth of the Housatonic River and in the deeper waters of the Sound have moved. Some apparently have moved east, but some of these larger fish have simply moved inshore, which has created some decent plug fishing in the lower Housey and areas around Bridgeport. For the past three weeks anglers fishing the surf with artificials have not done well, but things finally changed for the better this week as the “after work crew” finally began to connect with some decent, keeper-class stripers. As the blues have come inshore, they out compete the bass for lures and baits, a typical summertime scenario. Bluefish are moving into the area, but the bass action continues to hold up despite their presence, at least for the time being. There are some bluefish in the area that are pushing 10 pounds, but the average fish are in the 5- to 8-pound range, a good deal larger than the dinks anglers are dealing with to the east and along the Rhody coast.
19. The fluke action has improved. The smaller 17.5-inchers are finally growing into keeper size, because Chris said anglers are doing better than the ten-to-one, short-to-keeper ratio we’ve been seeing elsewhere. One lucky angler caught some decent black sea bass of 5.2 pounds and just over 4 pounds while fluking off Charles Island, in the channel leading out from Milford Harbor. The fact that the sun has finally shined for a few days has helped the fishing reports by allowing many anglers the opportunity to finally get out on the water and see what’s happening.
20. Nick at Fisherman’s World, Norwalk said that there are still a few bigger bass up to about 30 pounds left in their area, but most are being caught in deeper waters due to increasing water temperatures this time of year. The larger bass are still coming from Budds Reef, Buoys 11-B, and 28 -C from anglers who are catching their fish on bunker chunks and three-way worm rigs. There are still some bunker in the area but they are hard to find. Chris had the sense the bunker are being pushed through the area at the present time. There are bunker in Blackrock Harbor but that’s the only place they can be counted on. The deepwater reefs are the places to look for larger stripers right now as inshore shallow waters begin to get too warm for their liking.
21. Blues are in the middle of the Sound and feeding on top, where fishermen are catching them on poppers. Look for diving birds or swirls and you’ve probably found bluefish in western Long Island Sound.
22. Fluke fishing is remains good off Eatons Neck and off the Golf Course. A few anglers are saving gas and catching them locally, in the Norwalk Islands off Middle Package, Pecks Ledge and out in the waters in front of Sherwood Island State Park. No monsters are coming in from these areas, but it is not unusual for people to come into the shop with fish of five or six pounds. One angler caught an 8-pound doormat off Cockenoe Island over the weekend. Porgies are hitting now, with the best catches coming in from Can #1, Buoy 28, around all the high spots off Middle Passage and along the outer edges of the islands.