June 10th - Stripers and Blues Oh My!

Stripers and Blues- Chasing stripers and blues in the rivers and inshore has been nothing short of fantastic. A larger class of fish has become more common recently, with plenty of schoolies still in the mix when the big ones are being finicky. Some large blues have been caught already, and stripers over 30” are around as well.

Anglers report that using topwater spooks like the Doc or other topwater lures during low light have produced some epic blow-ups and some hefty stripers. It’s noteworthy that during certain conditions this topwater bite has lasted well into the later morning, so don’t stop chucking them just because the sun is up! Orienting your casts near structure and current will enahnce your chances of hooking into a better quality fish. Weightless soft plastics have also been highly effective, as well as casting soft-plastic paddletails on a ¾ to 1oz. jighead. Try the Tsunami Swimshad or the Zman 5” Diesel MinnowZ and you’re likely to have some luck!

Further north, the migratory biomass of stripers seems to be making its way up the coast. While more fish carrying sea-lice (denoting a pelagic individual)  have been caught in Connecticut waters, anglers in Massachusetts are hopeful for a larger class of fish to push north, perhaps as soon as this weekend. Larger fish have been caught in Southeastern Massachusetts, many found hanging around schools of pogie, however they have been very finicky. Many fish have been seen blizting on silversides and juvenile herring. There are also rumors of squid nearby, which could ring the dinner bell for some cow stripers.

No matter where you’re fishing, if you’re going for quality, try drifting a pogie or bunker on a three-way rig.

Fluke- Wise Kraken Charters and the Laura Ann have been on the fluke grounds every day since late May and have reported a strong uptick in both quantity and quality of fluke. While the bite can be inconsistent at times, for the most part it has been solid and is improving each week. Anglers have been able to reach their 6 fluke limit, with many others quite close as well. Big fish of the day have been weighing in at 8 to 9 pounds. All signs point to a great summer season!

Closer to shore, fluke fishing has been slower, with many smaller fluke being picked through in order to land the bigs. However, the inshore fishery has also been improving recently, and it is expected that larger fluke will begin appearing more consistently.

Crabbing-From Westbrook up to Old Saybrook and into Old Lyme, the hunt for blue crabs has been very successful. Many good-sized crabs have been caught recently, with the largest reported measuring in at 7.75”. Numbers of crabs caught have also been impressive, with reports of a dozen all the way up into the twenties. In terms of timing, an incoming tide has been the most productive, so be sure to get your gear set up prior to then!

Freshwater- Bass fishing in the area is still going strong. Some bass are still on beds and fry balls can be seen quite often. Bluegills have been holding tight to beds, so trying out a bluegill-patterned swimbait or soft plastic could be successful. During the heat of the day, focus on shaded tree-lines, and if the bite is really slow, use a Senko or other soft plastic to present an easy target. In low-light conditions, topwater hollow-body frogs such as the Savage Gear Lily-Ninja or Booyah PadCrasher have landed some better quality fish. Focus on lily pad edges or laydowns and get ready to swing!

With a New Moon on the way over Father’s Day weekend, all indications are that June should continue to be a great month of fishing.