In mid to late May, shore anglers can find stripers near harbor outflows like Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, Mill Pond in Westport and Sasco Beach in Southport; but soon afterwards, areas like Black Rock, Pleasure Beach, the mouth of the Housatonic River, and Milford Harbor will also produce fish into late May.
Table of Contents
How do you fly a striped bass fish from shore?

How do you catch stripers in CT?
- Follow The Baitfish. The key to the spring striper fishery is baitfish.
- Go Light. My favorite way to target these spring stripers is with spinning tackle on the light side.
- Pack your Tackle Bag.
- Weighted Soft Baits.
- Crankbaits.
- Swimbaits.
- Unweighted Soft-Plastic Baits.
- Topwater Plugs.
How far up the Connecticut River do striped bass go?
During spring, striped bass and bluefish swim 4 miles or more upriver to feed. However, the farther north you go, the smaller the fish.
What is the best bait for striped bass?
Bloodworms and Sandworms as Striped Bass Baits Bloodworms and sandworms are highly effective striper baits just about everywhere these fish are found, virtually any time of the year. Stripers love eating them, period.
Where can I shore fish in Connecticut?
- Bluff Point State Park, Groton. Fishing is allowed at Poquonock Cove and the beach at Bluff Point.
- Fort Trumbull State Park, New London. There is 24 hour pedestrian access from Riverfront Walk to Pier 4 on the Thames River.
- Sherwood Island State Park, Westport.
What flies for striped bass?
The Clouser Minnow will be number one on most people’s list and for good reason. I think the Charteuse/White Clouser Minnow has caught more Striper than any other bass fly on the face of this planet. For some reason that jigging motion just drives the Stripers mad.
How much backing does a striped bass need?
In combination with proper rod handling, all the backing you need for most fish, whether it’s a 100-pound tarpon or a 30-pound striped bass, is about 200 yards.”
How do you fly fish Surfperch?
Surfperch are bottom-feeders, so make sure your fly is dragging along the sand, and strip the fly back toward you or allow it to swing with the current, just like you’re fishing for steelhead. Make sure you have a slack-free connection to the fly and make a firm strip-set when you feel any resistance or a tug.
Where are the striped bass in CT?
In Connecticut, striped bass are seasonally found along the entire coastline and in all large tidal rivers, where they are typically common to abundant. Most fish migrate south during winter, but some overwinter in Connecticut, most notably in the Thames River.
Where is the best place to fish for stripers?
If you want to catch large striped bass, go to Cape Cod. More 70 pound-plus stripers have been caught on and around Cape Cod than any other place. Cape Cod’s beaches are considered the best in the world, and include the Cape Cod National Seashore.
Where do striped bass go in the winter?
Large individuals then winter in ocean waters, but many of their smaller counterparts, known as schoolies, travel to major estuaries that support striped bass spawning, namely the Hudson and Delaware Rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.
How do you fish in the Connecticut River?
Some good choices for the Connecticut River include a nightcrawler and bobber rig, inline spinners, small soft plastic tube baits or spider jigs that imitate crayfish, lipped crankbaits, paddle tail swimbaits and stickbaits, among others.
What month is best for striped bass fishing?
Early fall mimics the summer where stripers feed most heavily in the cooler periods of the day. Early morning and late afternoon is key. As fall moves along and the weather gets colder, striped bass feed more in the warmer parts of the day. The early afternoon period always seems to be best for me.
What is the best time to catch striped bass?
The nighttime is the right time to find feeding stripers in the summer. In the summer, I usually go for outgoing tides, just after the turn, and there must be bait in addition to structure and current. Depth isn’t necessarily the most important factor, as most of my summer bass are caught in 4 feet of water or less.
What color lures do stripers like?
A study performed at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences showed that striped bass see yellow and chartreuse better than other colors as they are smack dab in the middle of the striped bass’s visual range.
Where is the best bass fishing in CT?
- 1) Candlewood Lake.
- 2) Lake Lillinonah.
- 3) Connecticut River.
- 4) Highland Lake.
- 5) Lake Waramaug.
Can you fish at Hammonasset Beach?
Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison Z Fish to be caught: Tautog, winter flounder, bluefish, summer flounder, scup, weakfish, striped bass, blue crab, striped sea robin and black sea bass. Directions: I-95, Exit 62. Telephone: 203-245-2785.
Where are the striped bass in Long Island Sound CT side September?
NIANTIC RIVER AND BAY Niantic is one of the most productive fishing regions on Long Island Sound. A good shore place to try for stripers is the mouth of the Niantic River, which separates the towns of Niantic and Waterford. “That’s a great spot,” Capt.
How do you tie a Clouser minnow fly?

How do you fly fish for bass?
- You can score big in low light.
- Don’t lift the rod when you set the hook on a big bass.
- Go slowly when picking apart big bodies of water.
- Give tracking bass time to look at your popper.
- Keep constant pressure on a subsurface bass fly.
- Try muskie-sized flies after dark.
How do you tie a Mushmouth fly?

Do you need backing line on a fly reel?
However, it’s much better to have some backing on the reel first. Most reels will have room for about fifty yards of twenty pound backing. This will raise the level of your fly line up closer to the top edge of your fly reel so it won’t fly off the line in coils. Backing is also helpful when you hook big fish.
Can you use mono for fly line backing?
It has some properties and abilities of both spinning line and fly line. It’s still castable like a fly line because it has enough mass to carry itself and some lightweight flies to the water, but it’s light enough not to sag too much. In essence, the Mono Rig is a fly line substitute.
What is the difference between fly line and backing?
Your fly line is much thicker in diameter than the backing. The fly line has a smooth coating for casting and for pulling it through the water. Most of the time your fly line will be a floating line. This line is usually around 100 feet long.