Fishing CT Report – September 24, 2015

(Pic)Joe Jacobowitz with a great albie.

Albies remain the focus for many anglers this past week. They’ve been seen all along the coast too. Schools have been popping up along Old Lyme beaches down to Milford. Epoxy jigs and Deadly Dicks have been the weapons of choice for many anglers, though the most important part is being in the right place at the right time. You also need to anticipate where they’ll pop up next. Bluefish are in the mix too, so bluefish boils can be mistaken as albie blitzes, but they are keeping anglers busy nevertheless. There is a ton of bait around and the Connecticut River is still loaded with bunker. The mouth of the Housatonic and Connecticut have been fishing well for blues. Dunking chunks after dark seems to be the way to go if you’re on shore. Snapper blues and blue crabs are in coves on the lower river and the action is pretty good right now. Crabbing got good late this year. Bass seem to be on the move and we are seeing more action on the surf. Trolling surgical tube rigs and eels along rocky shorelines has been productive. We’ve definitely have been seeing a lot more action at night in the rivers, though. Remember the harbors are good options as well. Scup and seabass fishing remains excellent and its time to start stocking up the freezer. Jumbo-sized scup can be found on local reefs, Hammonasset, Middle Grounds, Black Point and Stratford Shoal as well as many other places. The best sea bass action is coming from deeper water. Black Point, Middle Grounds and the Watch Hill reefs have been top producers for big ole hump heads. High-low rigs baited with clams are the ticket for both scup and seabass.

Middlebank II: It’s official, summer is over. But let’s not think it’s the end of our fishing season. In fact, the fall is the best time of year to fish the western Long Island Sound. It provides the inshore angler the best opportunity to target most of the many species of game fish living here. The change of season ushers in shorter days and cools the Sound’s surface temps. This creates a sense of urgency for the fish to school together in preparation to migrate which in turn creates competition for food. When these conditions come together for a well placed hooks, it can only equal bent rods and full coolers! The past week Middlebank II anglers enjoyed some of the best scup fishing we have seen this year. Focusing our efforts around Stratford Shoals in 35-45′ of water, where mussel beds meet soft bottom, we found scup on the feed resulting in steady action, double headers and full limits. Sea bass, last of the open season fluke, and many snapper blues came over the rails as well! -Capt. Tim Griffith Middlebank.com