Rivers End Tackle Fishing Report

• STRIPED BASS- Some good sized bass have settled in on the local reefs. Big bass are hitting large live baits on Hatchetts, Bartletts, Cornfield and Long Sand Shoal. Bunker has been the bait of choice with some catches on hickory shad and porgies. The bunker have been spotty in the Connecticut River and most of the local estuaries. The usual drifts in the Race have been producing with moderate sucess.
• Southwest and Six Mile Reefs have had bass for bait drifters and trollers. School to medium sized bass have been hitting on the surface at the mouth of the River a few evenings this week. Tube and worm trolling has been effective with mostly schoolies along the Old Lyme to Waterford run.
• Shore fishing has tapered off at the DEP Piers with best results coming at dark with bait. Hammonassett State Park has had schoolies on the beach most evenings. Theres been schoolies along the Old Lyme beaches at or near dark hours. Reports from the RI beaches has a pick at the breachways.
• BLUEFISH- theres mixed sizes of blues at the Mouth of the Connecticut River from one to three feet long but theres no concentration of them. Pluggers are getting a few most mornings and evenings along Great Island, chunkers are getting more consistent results. Long Sand Shoal has had some big choppers for chunkers. The Race and Gut have a fair run of blues hitting diamond jigs.
• FLUKE- Reports are pretty even with medium sized fluke with an odd doormat coming in from Greenport, Montauk and Fishers Island. The numbers are not so great with the fish spread out fairly evenly. There have been some limit catches this week from Black Point and The Millstone area. The Soundview area has been producing less than limits.
• BLACKFISH- A few good catches were heard of at Hatchetts and Black Point.
• PORGIES- Reports got a lot better this week at Hatchetts, Bartletts and Cornfield. (Pat Abate, Rivers End Bait & Tackle, Old Saybrook)