On The Water Magazine CT Fishing Reports

Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island: Upper Narragansett Bay is still producing large stripers, with some large bluefish mixed in. I said this wouldn’t last, but it has. If you haven’t made it there yet, go. If you have, go again. Fluke fishing is excellent throughout the region, so go while the going is good. Huge scup are in several spots, such as Watch Hill and Niantic, and are worth seeking out not only because they are a treat to catch, but because they make for a delicious presence on the dinner table. You may want to consider a bit of trout fishing - recent rains and cool nights will provide what may be the last chance before the “dog days” set in for the summer. If you are in the Danbury area, a shot at some post-spawn smallmouth bass seems like a fun day, but do it before the fish begin to scatter.

• Moving to Connecticut waters, Rennie at The Fish Connection in Preston reported that the striped bass in the Thames River have moved downriver, and are clumped up most heavily in the area from Trading Cove to the submarine base. The bunker moved down, so the bass relocated too. Fishing from shore is pretty good, particularly from any of the bridges. Topwater action is becoming more common in the evenings, making for some exciting angling. Mixed in with the stripers are some rather big bluefish, so be prepared. Rennie reported good fluke fishing, with areas around Gales Ferry, Ocean Beach, Seaflower Reef and Intrepid Rock all producing very nicely. It seems the fish are moving into shallow water. Blackfish season opens soon, and incidental catches by anglers suggest this could be an excellent season. Some very large bass, and some very large bluefish, are turning up on the east end of Fishers Island. The bass are littered with sea lice, suggesting they are newcomers from southern waters. The Race has been producing striped bass for anglers fishing diamond jigs. Inland, Rennie said that trout fishing is slowing some, but the Shetucket River is still fishing rather well. Pachaug Pond is producing some pike, and Glasgo and Long ponds are producing largemouth bass. Avery and Glasgo ponds are the places to look for calico bass, according to reports Rennie received.
• Inland a bit, Steve at Mike’s Bait & Tackle in Voluntown reports that much of the area is in a slowdown as the water warms and the trout fishing slows. However, the water is still not warm enough yet to have the largemouths turned at full power. Largemouth bass are starting to come alive though, particularly in some of the shallower ponds, where rubber worms and white mice patterns will go far to inspire some action.
• In the Waterford region, Sean at Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle in Waterford reports that fluke angling is good, particularly in deeper waters off Black Point; Millstone Point also is producing well. Some keeper fluke are now being taken off local beaches from shore. Isabella on Fishers Island is still a best bet if you have a boat. Bluefish and striped bass fishing is also picking up, with Bartlett Reef, The Race and Hatchett Reef all being top producers over the past week. Sean reported that for whatever reason, huge scup have moved into the Niantic River between the bridges, making for some very intense and exciting fishing. A 2-pound fish is not uncommon, and sandworms are heading out of the shop and into the river at a rapid pace.
• At the eastern end of Long Island Sound, bigger stripers and bigger bluefish are moving into nearshore areas, beaches and reefs, according Capt. Morgan at Capt. Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison. Bunker are settling in the area as well, and drawing in the bigger fish. Evening “blitzes” are beginning to pop up here and there around the area. Eels are becoming the bait to fish, particularly during darkness. Bigger bass are also turning up in the rips, such as out around Falkner Island, for instance. It seems like summer truly is arriving in our waters. Capt. Morgan also reported good fluke fishing, with 30 feet of depth being a good starting point. The area south of Falkner Island has been particularly productive.
• Chris at Stratford Bait & Tackle in Stratford reported that fluke fishing has remained about the same over the past week, with good-sized fish coming from the New Haven Harbor area, and out of New York waters. Scup angling is off to a very slow start in the Stratford area, but hordes of sand eels have invaded the region, particularly in the mouth of the Housatonic River. Fish are not far away from this mess of food, and fly anglers are doing pretty well with appropriate patterns. Bigger stripers are being found in Bridgeport Harbor, and around buoys 18 and 20, where good numbers of bass in the 25- to 30-pound class are being taken regularly. Some jumbo blues are mixed in, as well. Inland, the Saugatuck Reservoir is still producing some nice trout, and an 8-pound brown came from those waters over the weekend, according the Chris.
• Eric at Westport Outfitters in Norwalk just returned from fishing the salmon fly hatch in Montana, and while he’s still dazed from some incredible trout angling, he managed to divulge some information on local fishing. Sand eels are all over the place in the Norwalk area, while bunker seem to have made a sudden exit to the east. The sand eels make for exciting angling, and epoxy-head flies (pink and green by day, black at night) produce lots of stripers, though mostly school fish. Yes, there are lots of small blues around, so just to be sure that any fly you toss into the water doesn’t stay there very long. If you really have a hankering for some fast-action, light-tackle fishing to smaller blues, then Eric suggests heading over to the Mill Pond area, where the true challenge will be to toss out an offering and not catch a bluefish.
• Inland, John at Valley Angler in Danbury said that Lake Candlewood is “smallmouth heaven” at the moment. The post-spawn fish are clumping up on the points, and for anglers seeking them out, the action is intense. Squantz Pond is still producing good numbers of good-sized walleye; fish to 5 pounds are not uncommon for anglers targeting that species. Trout fishing has slowed considerably in Candlewood, according to John, though Ball Pond is still producing lots of trout. John reported excellent conditions for fly anglers in the Housatonic River, with water levels and flows about as good as it gets, with good hatches of alderflies and light cahills providing some exciting dry-fly action. (Alan Desbonnet)