by Roland St. Denis

Connecticut, my home state, is not often considered one of the great striper haunts on the East Coast. Actually, most hardcore anglers looking for a prize catch are more likely to just pass through Connecticut to reach the more fabled fishing grounds of Rhode Island or Cape Cod.

However, for the paddling enthusiast, and, more importantly, the kayak angler, there are some intriguing places to wet a line inside the Nutmeg State.

My fishing spotlight this month shines on the town of Waterford, where the popular launch spot at Pleasure Beach is one of the best in the state. The concentration of structure makes this area very productive late in the season. Many ‘yak anglers from Connecticut and even Rhode Island hold this spot dear.

The primary reason I’m focusing on Waterford, however, is the bounty of species available in late summer. If you’re looking for a slam of fish, you might want to pay this area a visit.

Fishing Waterford

Launching at Pleasure Beach is free, and there is ample parking for an armada of vehicles. Also, I’ve never had to wait in line to launch.

From the launch, you’ll see the Millstone nuclear power plant ahead of you. It holds fish year-round due to its warm-water outflow, and you can catch anything from bluefish to triggerfish near the outflows. However, there is a nasty current rip that forms when the water is released, so keep a safe distance. In addition, there are several areas that are now restricted due to homeland security restrictions. These locations are marked by buoys and must be avoided.

Before you reach the power plant, there are several rock piles worth checking out along the way. Your navigation chart will reveal a lot of structure between the launch and Millstone Point. These rock piles are great areas for targeting both scup and blackfish.

Once you reach the middle of the bay, you have two options. You can head west around Millstone Point and fish Niantic Bay, or you can head southeast and work both sides of Twotree Channel.

If you head west around the point, there is another series of rock piles. You’ll find Little Rock, White Rock, Black Rock, and Waterford Island. Although these areas are not always the most productive locations, you can still find a nice pick of scup and blackfish, as well as some stripers and bluefish. In addition, this area often sees a nice push of bonito and false albacore late in the season.

If you don’t take the route around Millstone Point, you can float in the middle of the bay between the launch and the power plant. If you reach High Rock, you are on the northwestern edge of Twotree Channel.

From High Rock, if you head southeast, you’ll be paddling right for Twotree Channel. When the bottom drops dramatically into 60- to 80-foot depths, you’ve reached the channel. If you can catch an outgoing tide, this is a great spot to begin a long drift targeting summer flounder (fluke).

As you drift along, you’ll notice a rocky shoreline to the north running east-to-west. This area is known by some as KJ’s Domain, named after a legendary angler from Connecticut. All along this shoreline you will find boulder fields, jetties, and weed beds. These areas attract scores of bait and often a healthy number of bluefish and striped bass. Many ‘yak anglers will troll this entire area with a tube-and-worm rig, working inside and outside of the jetties and other structure. However, this impressive structure often holds bait-stealing porgies in large numbers, so consider buying an extra box of sandworms. As is the case in Waterford, if you find a rock pile, you’re also likely to find plenty of blackfish.

So, during late summer and early fall, you can potentially catch striped bass, bluefish, scup, fluke, blackfish, bonito, false albacore, and Spanish mackerel all within a half-mile of shoreline!

As you continue east, you will pass Seaside Point, another good location for bass, blues, and blackfish. If you keep paddling, you’ll pass more jetties with great structure before reaching a huge, decrepit and frightening-looking building. This is the Seaside Sanatorium. The building was a state mental hospital until it closed in 1996 and was left to rot on stunning shoreline property. The shore in front of the building contains impressive structure and is a great area to troll or throw topwater plugs at first light.

Now that you’ve covered some ground, a good way to complete the tour is by visiting Bartlett’s Reef. From the Sanatorium, simply head southwest approximately one-half mile to reach the reef.

For inexperienced anglers, this is not a place to be when the water is moving, but if you can catch the first or last hour of the tide, trolling a tube or tossing lures on the edges of the reef can be very productive. This structure-laden area is a magnet for bait and some very large predators, but time it correctly, as it can get treacherous in a hurry.

Once you’ve exhausted yourself, there’s one more stop before concluding your trip. Continue to track west, and you will see an outcropping of rocks approximately 1⁄4-mile
away. This is Two Tree Island, an area known for holding bass, blues, scup, blackfish, false albacore and bonito. Tossing big poppers here toward the rocks is a great way to get into some exciting topwater action.

By this time in your journey, I can all but guarantee you’ll be tired, and it will probably be time to head back to the launch, which is 1/3 of a mile away, due north.

The Pleasure Beach/Waterford shoreline is truly a beautiful location that affords the ‘yak angler the possibility of catching over a half-dozen species in a single day. It is the perfect place to meet up with friends, wet the lines and enjoy the diversity of fishing in Connecticut.

Lastly, I’ll share a non-secret with you — September is prime time for false albacore, bonito, and Spanish mackerel, and Waterford happens to be one of the best locations in the state to lock horns with one of these speedsters! If you’ve never caught one from the ‘yak, you are missing out on one of the best experiences of your paddling career. Nothing compares to the heart-stopping action of a “hardtail” on the end of your line!