Trophy Long Island Sound Striped Bass

It was 6 p.m., and we nonetheless had some ­daylight to tempt massive stripers within the shallows with our freelined menhaden. Instantly, a big boil disturbed the calm floor, adopted by a strong tail slap that despatched my bait crusing into the air. Straight away, a 40-pounder engulfed the shocked bunker, and my line telegraphed its highly effective head shakes. Whereas trolling wire strains in storied waters similar to New York’s Montauk Level produces massive bass, the Connecticut coast provides extra intimate places the place large cows persistently explode on frantic baits proper on the floor.

Finest Connecticut Fishing Spots

Connecticut waters consist — virtually completely — of Lengthy Island Sound, an enormous 110-mile-long tidal estuary fed by a number of massive rivers such because the Housatonic, Connecticut and Thames. Yearly, from June by means of October, monster striped bass take up residency within the sound — endowed with numerous pure and artifical buildings — to feast on a plethora of prey in comfy water temperatures.

In comparison with ­coastal ­waters in surrounding states, Connecticut’s are protected against ocean swells and offshore winds, and get far much less fishing stress as well, a mixture that ­creates a dreamland for anglers aboard small ­center-consoles to focus on oversize bass.

Striper Fishing Close to Bait Colleges

All the things begins with the bait. Colleges of bunker arrive in Lengthy Island Sound, with massive stripers in ­pursuit, in June when the water temperatures are within the low 60s. You may anticipate ­many of those massive bass to be across the river mouths and adjoining reefs. Because the ­river temperatures rise above 70 levels, stripers transfer to the deeper, cooler waters at numerous reefs in shut proximity to the rivers. The exception to that is throughout a flood tide, when cooler water pushes again into the river mouths, and massive bass comply with their consolation zone.

Nevertheless, when water temperatures rise to 70 levels or extra in August, casting stay eels at night time provides a productive different to daytime fishing. Throughout fall ­— September and October — water temperatures start to drop within the rivers, and the large cows retreat again into the big tidal rivers.

Moon phases additionally come into play. When stronger currents through the full- and new-moon tides coincide with the hatching of small baitfish, alternative for achievement is perfect. Nevertheless, don’t overlook the quarter moons as a result of many massive bass are caught throughout all moon phases.

Massive faculties of grownup menhaden (aka bunker) congregate within the rivers and harbors that dot the Connecticut shoreline all through the season. So, it’s not tough to find some and use a forged web to place about 40 within the livewell. Should you don’t spot them flipping on the floor, use your fish finder to pinpoint faculties hunkered down in deeper channels. I make the most of side- and down-imaging to cowl extra water quick and ­find suspended faculties.

Skilled anglers wish to catch bait early and get to their fishing spots by dawn. After making bait, we ceaselessly head to Bartlett Reef, a boulder-strewn reef, to free-line bunker. It’s a brief run from Niantic Bay, which normally holds bait and has a state-run boat launch. It’s frequent to come across mayhem: massive bass boiling, tail slapping, and chasing the baitfish, ceaselessly proper subsequent to the boat.

Simply search for areas with massive boulders and good present move,   a easy course of contemplating the numerous reefs and rocks strewn all through Lengthy Island Sound. Except for Bartlett Reef, the Race, Lengthy Sand Shoal, and Southwest, Six Mile and Hatchet reefs are all high producers near entry factors.

Rigging for Massive Striped Bass

In depths of 20 toes or much less, it’s greatest to hook stay bunker by means of the nostrils and free-line them, permitting the baits to swim ­naturally. When fishing the deeper components of the reefs — the 20- to 80-foot vary — the best technique is utilizing a three-way-swivel rig with simply sufficient result in hold your bait vertical as you drift.

Veteran anglers hold their three-way rig some 4 toes off the underside, taking two cranks of the reel deal with the second the sinker touches down. Stripers usually tend to feed upward. For greatest outcomes, search for humps and drop-offs alongside the perimeters of the reefs that supply stripers an ambush level. Because the depth adjustments, you’ll have to absorb or set free line to take care of your bait within the strike zone.

Floor Feeding Striped Bass

Whereas stay bait accounts for the overwhelming majority of 40-plus-pound stripers landed, there are occasions when the large cows will crush a topwater plug. Massive Zara Spook-style lures are the perfect producers when massive bass are aggressively feeding on high. Their walk-the-dog motion is lethal. Their fixed change in route, versus a straight-line retrieve, is what triggers response strikes.

The very best likelihood of sticking an enormous bass on a topwater is when the fish are busting on bunker, particularly at first and final gentle. Even when live-lining, at all times have a rod rigged with a plug, able to forged into the following melee that seems.

Night Fishing Techniques for Striped Bass

Proper earlier than the final of the daylight fades, it’s time to maneuver in tight to a shallow boulder subject and swap to casting stay eels. That’s the primary producer of trophy stripers at night time. After the forged, permit the eel to settle and swim to the underside. When you deem the eel is near the seafloor, start a gradual retrieve, pausing sometimes to let the eel swim close to the underside with out snagging.

Once you really feel a strike, “bow to the cow” — decrease your rod — earlier than setting the hook firmly with a stable upward follow-through. Keep away from letting the bass take the eel, as a result of this may consequence within the fish spitting the hook or turning into gut-hooked.

Throughout a current constitution, my consumer connected virtually as quickly as the primary eel slapped the water. The bass made a drag-peeling run towards the shoreline, then turned and swam proper to the boat, requiring some quick cranking to maintain the road taut. A tense second later, I launched the huge striper, which measured greater than 50 inches and weighed near 50 kilos.

Desired Striped Bass Backside Construction

Reefs, boulder fields, jetties and sandbars provide prime habitat for stripers. However bass transfer into shallow water throughout low-light situations, then return to deep water because the solar rises, so search for construction in proximity to deeper water. Areas similar to Lengthy Sand Shoal, and Six Mile, Hatchett and Bartlett reefs are good examples.

Anticipate rip strains to type on the down-current facet of a reef, and nearly all of hits to return from simply forward of the rip line. Although you might even see smaller bass chase bait in a rip line, persist with fishing stay baits close to the underside to entice the biggest fish on the reef. Massive bass are sometimes situated away from surface-­feeding schoolies, heavy fishing stress and boat visitors. Fortunately, the quantity of construction accessible in Lengthy Island Sound provides anglers the power to fish away from the crowds.

As soon as thought-about only a state you drove by means of to succeed in fabled striper grounds all through the Northeast, Connecticut has turn out to be a staple of trophy striped bass hunters who depend on solitude for his or her whole fishing expertise.

Connecticut Trophy Stripers Fishing Deal with

Reels: 6000-class spinning or 14-class standard

Line: 50-pound braid, 60-pound mono or fluorocarbon chief

Lures: Saltwater Tremendous Spook and related floor walkers, 7- to 9-inch pencil poppers and chuggers

Bait: Reside menhaden and eels

Rigs: Three-way-swivel rig for depths 20 to 80 toes

Hooks: For stay menhaden, 10/0 circle hook; for eels, 7/0 circle