On The Water Magazine

Best Bets for Connecticut and Rhode Island: Sounds like Block Island remains one of the best spots to stake out over the weekend. Big fluke, big bass, big scup and big sea bass – what else could you ask for? The weather for the weekend looks ideal for packing up the kids and crab nets and heading to your favorite cove or inlet. Crabbing everywhere is reported to be the best in quite a while, so take advantage of it while you can. Slammer blues at the mouth of the Housatonic are also tempting, as is the siren call of the bonito along the Rhode Island south shore.

• Inland Connecticut freshwater fishing is slow, but according to Mike’s Bait & Tackle in Voluntown, largemouth bass fishing is decent early and late in the day. Pachaug, Glasgow and Ashland ponds are the best producers of the largemouth at the moment. Trout fishing is pretty slow, although Beach Pond is productive for those using deeply fished shiners. Reports from the Shetucket River also suggest a slow-down in activity.
• To the west, bunker remain in Norwich Harbor, but striped bass don’t seem to be with them, according to reports Rennie at The Fish Connection in Preston is receiving. Perhaps the water temperature is a bit too high for comfort in the harbor, encouraging the fish to head south. Rennie reports that in Poquetanuck Cove, however, the bunker are attracting a crowd of good sized stripers. Find the hunting ospreys, he advises, and you will find the bunker – and the bass. Nice-sized bluefish are mixed in with the bass, some of which are up to 9 pounds. By Watch Hill, large concentrations of school bass have been feeding on some tiny bait at the surface, making them very frustrating to catch. Fluke fishing reports continue to be excellent throughout the region, with keepers now appearing at the mouth of the Mystic River, along Ocean Beach, and all the other regular spots.
• Fluke fishing is also excellent to the west, according to reports that C.J. at Hillyer’s Bait & Tackle in Waterford is getting. Fish to 26 inches are coming from about 100 feet of water near Black Point on the ebb tide, mainly in the early morning hours. Montauk, Isabella and Misquamicut all remain very productive for fluke. C.J. insists that Peruvian smelt are the way to go; when they’re fished side-by-side with squid, they consistently take more and bigger fish. So get some Peruvian smelt!
• Striper fishing is slow at the moment, and not even The Race is very productive aside from very small fish. School bass are prevalent along shore, with Crescent Beach and Pleasure Beach both producing good catches. Slightly bigger bass are being taken at Bartlett and Hatchett reefs, but mainly with eels at night. Surprised? Scup fishing is good at bell #6 in the bay and at Two Tree on squid and sandworms. Reports say that Rocky Neck erupted with good-sized blackfish, with ebb tide being the best time to be there. C.J. also has reports of a “ton” of bonito out at Race Rock, but they don’t appear to be interested in eating anything. Blue crabbing is reported to be the best in years.
• The fluke have invaded the shoreline of eastern Long Island Sound, according to the reports coming into Captain Morgan’s Bait & Tackle in Madison. Keeper fluke can be found all along the shore and around the shoals, according to reports, but don’t wait for them to get scattered or beat up. Southwest, Six Mile and Falkner’s are all producing some decent striper fishing, with late in the day and early in the morning proving best overall. No real jumbos are being weighed in, but Captain Morgan has several records of fish in the 20 -to 30-pound range.
  
• Bluefish abound, ranging from feisty little snappers to slammers in the 12-pound range. Surface action is pretty consistent with the blues around, though they are keeping the bunker pretty scattered. Bonito have yet to make an appearance, but excellent reports for crabbing continue flooding the shop. Fresh water is slow, though pickerel and largemouths have had a few moments of glory. Captain Morgan has some reports that the fishing on the Salmon River is still holding up, but the fish are clumped up.
• Chris at Stratford Bait & Tackle in Stratford shrugs, “Hey, it’s August.” Translation: fish are around, but they are scattered, catching is sporadic, and odds are much improved if you fish through the night – particularly with eels. Shore-fishing is slow, and having a boat will greatly improve your odds of finding the stripers that have moved to deeper water. A dearth of dogfish have moved in with the warmth, however, which makes it difficult to get bait to the depth needed. Fluke fishing remains pretty good, with the mouth of the Housatonic River being the most consistent spot at the moment. Freshwater reports are also showing sluggish fishing, but the Saugatucket Reservoir is yielding some largemouths to the faithful.
• Around far western Long Island Sound, Patrick at Westport Outfitters in Norwalk reports that there is a lot of bait showing up. Loads of silversides are coming in and replacing the ever-thinning sand eels, and small bunker in the 3-inch range also just began to make themselves known. Striped bass fishing has lost some momentum, with the best time to fish being 4:30 to 6:00 a.m. Large bluefish in the 15-pound range are not uncommon now, and the mouth of the Housatonic River is the most predictable place to find these large, toothy critters. According to reports Patrick has heard, tossing Storm Shad and 4-inch Slug-Gos are the most productive ways to fish, in light of the bounty of small bait. A few reports of bonito on the New York side of Sheffield have also come into the shop.
• Rhode Island:
• Down bay a ways, Steve at the Saltwater Edge in Newport says that surf fishing is improving, but it still is not great. Having a boat will improve your odds of catching fish, but opportunities from shore still abound. If lots of lot tackle action will quench your thirst, Steve has reports that Ocean Drive is very productive for small bluefish and school bass. These fish have been pretty consistent over the past week, and due to the abundance of small bait around, they show no sign of letting up. Steve has heard some scattered rumors of bonito in the Newport area, but he has not been able to substantiate them just yet. Fluke angling remains very good, especially in the south shore area, and “Thomcat Rigs” are outstanding producers. There seems to be a ten-to-one ratio of shorts to keepers, so bring lots of bait!
• Block Island is the place to be, according to what Rob at Wildwood Outfitters in Wakefield has been hearing. The jumbo bass are being cooperative, especially at night and when eels are involved, although anglers continue to take big bass on eels in broad daylight. The best part, according to Rob, is that there’s good action from shore, chiefly in the Southwest Point area. Rob also has heard reports of good bluefish angling in Narragansett Bay, with the fish scattered from Jamestown Bridge to Bristol. Fluke fishing remains very good, particularly in 50 feet of water around Nebraska Shoal. Freshwater action is fairly slow, which is hardly a surprise at this time of year. Rob suggests buzz baits, specifically the “Double-Buzz Terminator,” to lure largemouth bass from the weeds at Worden and Tucker ponds.
• Eels at night are the best tactic for producing large striped bass, according to Mary at Maridee Bait & Tackle in Narragansett. Occasional reports of a landing a bigger bass are given, but only by the nighttime eel slingers. The Narrow River is great for light tackle to school bass, and the docks at Galilee are giving up lots of school bass and some smaller blues. Jumbo stripers are out there, but they’re very tough to tempt to a hook. Mary also has good reports of large scup on sand worms and squid by the East Wall. Charters from the shop are still doing well with fluke and bass, and larger blues to 10 pounds are becoming increasingly common.
• Steve at Breachway Bait & Tackle in Charlestown has heard reports of bonito at Point Judith, but they are not in thick yet. Fluke fishing by boat remains good just off the beaches, with big fish still coming in regularly. In the Quonny Breachway, clams are taking their fair share of school bass and bluefish, although sand worms are the bait of choice in the Charlestown Breachway.
• The triggerfish have arrived, according to reports coming into Captain Don’s Bait & Tackle in Charlestown. Captain Don says that while you may need a chainsaw and grappling hook to skin them, they are nonetheless excellent eating. Scup fishing along any of the rock outcroppings or piles continues to be productive, and 5-pound sea bass are being taken by boat just off the beaches. If you’re just outside the beach, Captain Don recommends targeting the humps on the bottom front to find fish. Big bass are few and far between right now, although school bass action is still good in the breachway and along the beach. Some larger bluefish are also appearing in the breachways, and 8-pound fish are not uncommon. Reports are circulating of a big school of bonito off Weekapaug, so expect these fish to spread out over the coming week. Fluke fishing remains excellent, provided you seek out the rough terrain where the keeper fluke are hanging.
• Out on Block Island, John at Twin Maples reports that a run of bigger fluke has come to the island. Nice fish are being taken, and the ratio of keepers to shorts has improved a lot since last week. Fishing to striped bass also remains excellent, particularly from shore on the western side of the island. The region from Gracie Point to Sandy Point is producing consistent fish, but if big stripers are your target, John suggests the south side of the island. That is the place to be, especially when using eels at night. Bluefish of all sizes are just about everywhere around the island, and John expects them to hang around because of the abundance of small bait. No reports of bonito just yet, but they traditionally arrive this coming weekend into early next week. Will you be there to greet them?
• For some very large sea bass, reports indicate that the red bell in New Harbor in 40 feet of water is the place to be. Fish over 5 pounds have been weighed in at the shop, and to put the icing on the cake, scup to 4 pounds are coming from the same area. John also reports that a number of boats, both charter and recreational, are being stopped by the Coast Guard just to the south of the island. Angling and possessing striped bass in federal waters is prohibited, and these regulations are being more strictly enforced. John’s sage advice is to check regulations on striped bass in the area and make sure you have a chart showing state/federal boundaries so you are not fishing in a closed area.
• Slow is how she goes in upper Narragansett Bay, says Tommy at Quaker Lane Bait & Tackle in North Kingstown, as the high point of summer is at hand and the waters continue to warm. Reports of big striped bass being in the upper bay indicate that the jumbos are still around, but they are hanging deep and forcing you to really dig for them. Fish are being found in the Newport and Jamestown areas – the reefs in particular – but they are reported to be temperamental at the moment, so have patience.
  
• Tautog fishing is great, though, and scup are red-hot! Beavertail and the East Wall are the most productive spots, so grab a bucket of green crabs and get out there. According to the reports Tommy is hearing, pretty much all the rocky areas north of the Jamestown Bridge are producing big scup in great numbers. Sand worms, squid and flashy jigs are the way to take them. (Alan Desbonnet, On The Water)