July 1st - Summer Smorgasbord

Stripers and Blues- There are still many groups of large, healthy fish in the area, and they have been more than willing to hit topwater in the morning and evening. Many anglers report that the night bite is also picking up steam, so get your headlamps and eels and see what you can rustle up. Sand eels have been seen around the LI Sound with groups of blues and stripers chasing them, so consider trying a sand eel imitation lure like a Diamond Jig. Also in the Sound, a large push of stripers has hit the eastern sound and most reefs in that area are producing either by snapping wire or using live eels.

While striper fishing in the river has been slowing down, it does seem to be a case of quality over quantity, as many large fish have been caught, particularly if you’ve got a good spot up your sleeve that others may have overlooked. Be aware though, that many bluefish are still lingering and wreaking havoc on anglers who are drifting live eels. The new GT Eel from Gravity Tackle has been pulling in some massive fish, and even smaller stripers seem to be more than willing to have a go at this 13.5” bait. Try casting it or drifting it as you would a live eel. It’s just different enough that finicky stripers have been having a go.

In the Canal, there were some West end stripers but they seem to have moved on north of the Cape, and the commercial fleet of boats has caught on to their movements. In Southeastern Massachusetts, there are still many fish in the mid-20 inch class cruising flats and willing to take topwater lures like the Rebel Jumping Minnow, 247 Mully, or the Doc if bigger fish seem to be present.

As a reminder, please take extra time to revive bigger stripers after a good fight. Water temperatures are climbing and the fish need time to catch their breath so they can swim off safely.

Seabass/Porgies- Billy from Seven Stripes fishing reports that the incredible seabass bite has died off a bit in the area, although there are still a few large males being caught here and there. Deeper water seems to be the key.

Locally, if you’re looking to dump some fuel you can easily limit out on seabass. Try using the Diawa Saltiga SK jigs, which have been outfishing bait recently. As has been the case recently, try to go for spots that are a bit off the beaten path for good seabss.

Porgies are here and they are BIG. Squid, sandworms, and clams have all been good for tackling the hubcap porgies, and some have even been keen enough to take on large bucktails when anglers are searching for fluke. The bigger fish have been deep so far, but are starting to move shallow.

Fluke- Fluke fishing is finally heating up, and there’s been news of some large fish caught recently, including more than one doormat over 10 pounds. Jigs and bait are still the go-to, and tipping your bucktail with some bait has been a different maker when things are a bit slow. There are still many shorts to weed through, as well as dogfish and sea robins, but the big ones are making themselves known and the buzz around fluking is picking up steam. Look for depth change ambush points or sandy channel mouths and set yourself up for a few drifts.

Crabbing- Crabbing has picked up once again in Southeast CT and there plenty of blueclaws to be had. While there are still a lot of shorts which provide consistent action, there are almost some monsters mixed in. If you’re near dock and pilings don’t forget to poke around because quite a few hangers on have been netted in those areas. There have even been some double-ups recently, so crabbing is very much happenin’!

Freshwater- Bass are still holding in a summer pattern, with frogs, Senkos, Texas-rigged worms, and spinnerbaits seeming to get the job done the best. Don’t discount a calm, rainy day either, as the cool rain water can sometimes invigorate sluggish summer bass.