Very little has been said about the bluefish action, although good, considering how they were touted in recent years when a strongly anticipated fall run of striped bass didn’t materialize. However, as soon as air temperatures took a dive, bassers turned on as well as bass. After such a long stretch of high water temps and with the abundance of bait available, it’s no wonder that the scene exploded.

Striper addicts aren’t necessarily asking where the stripers are or when they will appear. They are more apt to ask when can they get the time off to jump into the flurry. It is not that these often battle-scarred fish are predictable, it’s that this particular year has burst wide open and the numbers of fish on the scene are high and schools are thick.

On the Water

After a slight cooling spell, just enough to inject the feeling of fall, a few days of atypical weather set in, bumping air temperatures into the high 70s. That did little to budge the water temps that had previously fallen into the mid-60s, except perhaps for the lower end of our tidal rivers that crept up a bit. For opportunists, that meant some very good fishing days!

The striped bass bite continued to be hot into a second consecutive week. Mostly by taking advantage of bait being flushed out of the rivers, these linesiders are on a foraging binge by outflows, coves, and adjacent reefs. A combination of menhaden, herring, and eels are just a few delights creating this food festival and putting smiles on the faces of anglers. Within this mixing bowl, bluefish can often be found edging their way upriver, chopping their way through schools of fall-run finfish.

Similarly, the offshore reefs of Long Island Sound are also experiencing outstanding fishing. From Montauk to Block Island past Gardner through The Race and into the Big Pond, fishing is approaching the “red line,” something we haven’t seen in the last few fall seasons. Bartlett’s, Hatchetts, Southwest, Six Mile, Charles, Faulkner’s, The S’s, Brown’s, The Beacon, to the Q and beyond are seeing action with baits and artificials.

Look for some topwater action around Kelsey, Kimberly (go down for weakies), and the North Rip. Three-way bucktails, chunks, and eels or drop a live bunker between the west end of Long Sand Shoal and the 24/30 hump; also consider south of Goose Island (watch out for the seals), Machias, and Jeris. Although there’s been some limited albie and bonito action mid-Sound (Millstone to Faulkner’s), head east towards Fisher’s, The Race, and the Sluiceway for a better bite.

October is known as porgy and scup month and this is holding true! Slabs are being caught on the most established reefs using clams, squid, and worms. Still annoying to scup bangers are the small sea bass (85 to 95 feet for big humpbacks), but deeper water eases that frustration. Some fluke are being boated along with a mix of bottom fish (dogfish, kingfish, sea robins), snappers are thinning out, and blue crabs (both hard and soft) are being caught, but in fewer numbers. Blackfish and tautog season opens Oct. 10!

Last Week to Register! Oct. 19 to 27 is the 24th annual Eddie Beauvais Blackfish Tournament. Cash prizes are awarded for first, second, third, and last place, along with a great raffle with loads of quality prizes and an outstanding buffet! Register through Thursday, Oct. 18 (the deadline) for $40. Contact Captain Morgan for details.

Exciting things are happening in freshwater! Fall stocking is well underway with the dunking of Atlantic broodstock salmon from two to six pounds. Topping the list: Shetucket (300), Naugatuck (200), Mt. Tom (100), and Crystal Lake (200). Additionally, another several hundred two- to five-pounders will be released in October followed by 800 to 1,000 4- to 15-pounders geared for November. Catch and release only through Nov. 30! Single fly or single free-swinging hook on artificials with no added weight to line above fly and lure. Fall also means good trout fishing so check out the 29,000 browns and rainbows (not counting the 43,000 yearlings) currently being stocked throughout the state as well.

For all things fishy including licenses, swing by the shop (203-245-8665) open seven days located at 21 Boston Post Road, Madison. Until next time from your Connecticut shoreline’s full-service fishing outfitter, where we don’t make the fisherman, we make the fisherman better...

Tight Lines,

Captain Morgan