by
Dick Alley
Changing colors signify outstanding angling for fresh and salt water alike.
In Long Island Sound, Striped bass and bluefish action dominates through mid-November for blues and the end of November for stripers. Toss in plenty of porgies, blackfish and black sea bass and there is barely time for bowhunting for deer, upland hunting season for small game, and fall trout and salmon stocking. All of those make for a busy couple of months before snow covers the ground and we begin to think ice fishing.
A Shetucket River Fall salmon
With only a little over a week left in
September, many anglers are already thinking about pulling their boats and
cleaning and storing their fishing tackle for the winter. WHOA! The best fishing
of the year has already started a few miles to our north and will continue for
several more weeks.
In Long Island Sound, Striped bass and bluefish action dominates through mid-November for blues and the end of November for stripers. Toss in plenty of porgies, blackfish and black sea bass and there is barely time for bowhunting for deer, upland hunting season for small game, and fall trout and salmon stocking. All of those make for a busy couple of months before snow covers the ground and we begin to think ice fishing.
For salt water anglers, it is aptly named the "FALL RUN' and while it applies mainly to bluefish and striped bass, on a smaller basis, we can include blackfish, winter flounder, scup and black sea bass. They all put on the feedbag prior to winter, wherever that may be.
Bluefish are already on the move in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Action should be picking up in local waters any day now. Striped bass build from now through about the third week in October, usually chased out by the first big Nor'Easter of the season. However, many of those that migrate to the Hudson River hang on well into November. Still others have established a winter holdover in the big rivers that include the Connecticut River, the Thames and of course the Housatonic River which provides fishing all winter long. Bottom fish include all of the species mentioned above, with the best Tautog (Blackfish) action of the year coming with a drop n temperature.
Concerning Connecticut's fresh water fishing scene, we are looking at a delayed fall trout picture in rivers and streams due to drought conditions. We will hopefully experience some generous rainfall soon in plenty of time for the annual plant of Atlantic Salmon in the Shetucket and Naugatuck Rivers as well as in several lakes within the State. Northern pike lakes like Mansfield Hollow can offer some dynamic fishing for the big "northerns" in October. Many popular trout lakes provide some jumbo trout for shore-bound fishermen just before the first freeze of the season.
Trot fishing is great as winter approaches.
As fall stockings of trout and salmon occur, we will go into depth on some of the better fishing areas, but for now, don't even think about storing your gear. The best is yet to come.
