Printer Friendly Version - Long Island Sound is Full of Fish

A family fishing trip turns into a teaching moment for firefighter and Madison resident Haven ReQua, who teaches his three daughters Evelyn, 5, Charlotte, 3, and Adelaide, 8, about this summer flounder before it’s released. Photo illustration courtesy of Captain Morgan

Tarmacs and highways have been busy as summer travelers arrive to enjoy families, friends, and the 96-mile Connecticut shoreline. Extending from posh Greenwich to quaint Stonington on the Rhode Island border, it is the section east of New Haven that generally experiences the heaviest summer traffic both on and off the water.

If it swims or nestles in the Sound or in any of its tidal rivers, then there is a way to generate a fun-filled recreational activity and turn it into a delicious meal. For the past few weeks, fishing has been peaking. More and more fish have been migrating into the Sound, while blue crabs are turning the tidal rivers into their summer home.

The fact that some chopper blues have slipped into the area has driven fishers to gear up differently than the past few years. How steady and for how long they will show remains to be seen. For now, though, the surprise is being taken in stride and thoroughly enjoyed. This, along with a run of larger sea trout (weakfish), striped bass, sizable sand sharks, and other reef and bottom dwellers, are keeping all fishers attached to the briny as they enjoy Connecticut’s marine environment.

Shark Week is finished as the judging of breaches on the Discovery Channel is in the record books. The 2021 Ultimate Air Jaws Breach record-setting winner in Mossel Bay, South Africa was the great white shark Zola. It was the fastest at 31 miles per hours, had the longest hang time at 2.0 seconds, and was the highest at 15 feet, 6 inches on its way to capturing all three gold medals after an impressive attack on a rubber seal lure.

It is highly unlikely that anyone fishing in or boating on Long Island Sound will witness anything close to those stats by any shark. However, if you see a shark breaching and have a camera handy, please email us the photo. In the meantime, there is plenty of exciting local shark action to be had on light tackle during the day and especially after the sun goes down. For the sake of the shark population, appreciate your catch and then release them all unharmed.

The cycle of rain and wind broke to give fishers the opportunity to fish in calmer waters. Unfriendly seas, stiff winds, and foggy mornings took a rest as three- to five-footers calmed to less than a foot and cooler inshore water temperatures bounced back into the low 70s. Fishing the Sound returned to July expectations and then some as larger catches were made and more fishers hit the briny.

Some of those larger bluefish that migrated north, past New Jersey, and south of Long Island and staying to the outside found their way into the Sound. Their numbers were not high, but it has been a while since 15-pound choppers have been caught in July. Bucktails and squid, as well as chunk baits and diamond jigs, found their marks in deep holes that gave a few fishers an unexpected, rod-bending adrenaline rush. For light gear enthusiasts, there are enough harbor blues scattered throughout the Sound to offer some memorable hookups using flashy spoons and jigs.

Weakfish got another shot in the arm as some pretty hefty specimens made their way into the Sound. For a few days running, they seemed to push the smaller specs aside, gaining the upper hand and obviously taking sole ownership of the space. Again, it was squid that caught their attention and, in most cases, were caught while fishing deep for other fin fish.

The nighttime and early morning bite remains the prime time for striped bass fishing. Live eels, soft artificials, bucktails, and diamond jigs have been producing fish. Slot-limit linesiders rebounded back after the hot spell and when seas eventually settled down. Shoreline bays, lower tidal rivers, stretches of beaches, and offshore reefs also saw a robust return. While bait congregated close to sea walls and by river outlets, moonlit ebbing tides held fish, waiting for a meal to flushed out. Here, plugs, soft artificials, and sea worms, along with eels, caught the eye of feeding fish. The closer we get to the warm waters of August, the more cooler water comes into play.

Porgy (scup) and black sea bass are the fish to catch. Their bite continues and scup is gaining the upper hand for now, even though good sea bass limits are still topping off bait boxes when fished in depths to around 95 feet. Squid is the top bait of choice, whereas sea worms are still popular for inshore scup fishing. Fluke catches remain status quo as throwbacks are weeded through to finally hook into a keeper. Fluke rigs, bucktails, squid, and spearing are the prevalent choices, along with artificial scented baits.

Fishing the bottom will almost guarantee catches of sand sharks, skate, and sea robins, as well as northern kingfish (not a bad meal) when chunking. In either case, reeling in any of these fish on light gear will be fun—just release any caught unharmed. Scouting the estuaries for blue crabs while scooping, trapping, or using throw lines is producing better catches with each passing tide. The molt is on, so keep an eye open for softies.

Not surprisingly, inland waters have been quite active despite intermittent heat spells. There is plenty of growth breaking through the surface, offering cooler oxygenated water below for bass to stage and ambush. Fishing earlier or later in the day is best. There are plenty of pickerel, perch, and other panfish to choose from, as well as catfish, in key rivers. Fluctuations in river levels, flows, and water temperatures continue to separate the anglers from the would-be’s as those able to read the water fare much better whether casting flies or conventional lures.

Note: Email us pics of your catches to share with our USA and international fishing friends who keep up with the latest fishing news and frequent social media.

For all things fishy including rods, 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.

Big weakfish plow through the Sound, but not before Nicholas Dietz, 10, of Madison, hooked this 27.5-inch whopper on squid while fishing with his dad Robert. Photo courtesy of Captain Morgan