Well folks, despite air temperatures in the mid 50s, the water temperatures are slowly dropping into the high 50s.  This means that the bluefish should begin to move out, while the Togs move into deeper water. The porgie bite remains strong as the state extension of the season continues. The striper bite is almost in a holding pattern in my opinion.  There are no signs that any migratory push as occurred.  UI had a friend camp out on some local structure three times this week and only two run offs for fish to 28 inches, nothing else. This would insinuate perhaps that there are no fish here, but I feel they are all still here just waiting for a sign to begin to really feed prior to journey’s further south.   Normally it should be colder weather that sort of snaps them into swim mode, but since the Nor’Easter, temps have been well above normal.  It will happen and for everyone out there that reads these reports, I hope it happens soon so you can take advantage of it, prior to your local club, marina etc. tells you to haul your vessel.

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 This is also the time of year that theHousatonicRiverbegins to heat up, but it has actually been a bit slow. In fact, a friend reported in that he and crew scoured it this past week and almost found it devoid of life.  Of course things can change with just one tide, but it was a bit troublesome not to find some resident fish beginning to stack up. We will keep you all posted as things heat up…

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 Back on the water, the typical winds and weather kept many off the water, as many more have already thrown in the towel and hauled their rigs. Matt Z. concluded that the Togs are definitely in deeper water while he fished around Frost Point for just a few bumps.  On the way back in, he did manage to troll up 4 bass to 26 inches before calling a day.

 Nicolas N. continues to work the coastline fishing from his totally rigged SUP. HE reported some very cold water temperatures but still was able to pull up a few nice blackfish still lurking around in the shallows.

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The Micinilio Brothers checked in as they went out from the ramp right behind the shop. Within minutes, right off our docks, they were into some schoolie bass on small shads weighted with jig heads.  This action continued for most of the day for these guys, boating nearly 40 bass up to 26 inches on soft plastics and tubes. They also managed several big blues in the river to 13 lbs.  One good sign about the bass was that they were coughing up all sorts of baits, including baby fluke and hermit crabs (see recent catches).

That’s about it for this week, the winds are due to subside for Saturday and Sunday so if you have the means, get on out there, the weather Sunday is supposed to be into the 60s!

PLEASE NOTE WE ARE NOW OPEARTING UNDER WINTER HOURS

Well folks, as we mentioned last week, the end is now definitely closer than the beginning, but there is still a good amount of fishing to be had. Water temps are hovering in the low 60s which has kept the bluefish around (they usually start to beat feet when the temps hit about 58 degrees) as well as a pretty consistent tog bite.  FromFairfieldin areas like the spindle, Black Rock Lighthouse all the way down throughSunkenIsland, Frost Point,GooseIsland, Great Reef and Green’s Ledge, the black fish are hungry.  It has not been out of the ordinary for 6-8lb fish to be the normal and keep in mind we are a few weeks off when traditionally the “big” fish start to hit. In fact, good friend George D. claimed to have caught his best back fish ever inNorwalkthis past weekend. If you are patient and know your spots, the bass fishing remains strong as well. To revisit a point that keeps coming up, the bass are here and will remain here for another month at least, but even when they return to their wintering grounds, all of them won’t do so, so we will still have a good amount of hold overs.  Therefore, as I mentioned last week, if you have the time, get on out there.

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Although it seemed the chunk bite for bass was the best method this past weekend, there is still plenty of casting to do as well and of course, the jig bite will continue to heat up from this point forward.  This weekend are nemesis (aka “the wind”) looks like it will be in check or at least not enough to keep us all inshore with fall like temps in the 50s & 60s.  It’s hard for me not to recommend that all of you go black fishing since it’s been that good, so I won’t, but I will say, if you are unfamiliar with it and want to test your luck, this is the time to do it.  Onto the report…

First to check in was Ken Wells from late last week along with fishing pal Mark Robichaux.  Both had attended several of our seminars in the spring and noted that they were glad they did. They have been tossing poppers in and aroundStamfordHarborand feel that they are finally starting to crack the code, after their first full season on the Western Sound.  They also have been pretty dialed into to casting sluggos as well which have accounted for some nice keeper bas…Congrats guys…look forward to seeing you at some of the seminars again(see recent catches).

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Switching over to the freshwater side of things just for a moment, where the stream flows remain strong with all of this moisture around.  I recently finished up one of my Fly-Fishing schools throughWestport’s Continuing Education program and immediately had several students looking to jump in before the snow flies.  After gearing up one of the students, I sent him to a few sections of theMillRiverthat I really like.  After refining his skills for less than a day on the water Andy S. was already into the fish on his new fly rod (see recent catches).  Andy is a real testament to an angler that listens.  Prior to taking the course, he just had the passion, but not the skill.  After two nights of discussing the sport, casting etc. and several hours in the store, he went out confident enough to get it done and getting it done is what he did. Great stuff Andy, the journey for you has now begun!

 Back to the salt, Jim D. checked in after getting some guidance on Sunday A.M. and reported back via an email on Sunday night that the ground bite was on.  We had convinced him to give black fishing a try even though he had never done so.  The report back was a host of porgies to 16 inches and his fill of 5-8 lb togs…his last comments, “you were right, they do taste good!”  Good stuff Jim!

 Good friend and reigning champ of the 2011 Saugatuck Cup, Captain Matt Gifford was next to check in with this report. His comments echoed mine in regards to the blackfish bite, but there was a lot of boats on the more popular spots so he decided to target some stripers. He said that the bass have been a bit spotty as far as location.  Stacked up on one point like cord wood one minute and then nothing the next, only to return during a different portion of the tide and have them again in thick. Captain Gifford did note a lot of mid size shrimp in the water, which is a very good sign considering there is no bunker.

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Speaking of Captain Gifford, he will once again be heading up our fly-tying classes this winter.  You can find the entire schedule under the “news” tab on the welcome page as well as on our FB page.  You will notice there are no dates yet, since we are first looking to gauge commitment and don’t want to change work/life schedules around if we get little participation. So have a look and see what class(s) will work for you and simply drop myself or Captain Gifford an email.  Look forward to hearing from you.

Jimmy I. checked in Sunday after fishing one of his favorite holes in about 25 feet of water off ofWestport.  Frozen bunker is all that was in the cards, but he and crew chunked up multiple bass to 18 lbs, one of which he submitted for the Westport Striped Bass Club’sCalcuttarunning this month.

Early Wednesday we had a fellow member and champion skier of the US Ski Team out fromUtah.  We actually met fly-fishing out in MT last summer so there was some pressure to make those fly reels sing for he and crew, despite the time of year.  They left the dock with Captain Blake at 6:30 and returned at about 11:00.  All three were determined to make orchestrated casts, so they could all use the long rods.  For the day they had too many fish to count with an overwhelming number of these fish being taken on the fly rod.  Mostly clousers and small deceivers brought all the bass to the rail with only a few blues.  No monsters, but good fun with fish up to 28 inches for some trout guys from out west…

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 Well folks that is about it for this week.  The fishing is still strong and the weather looks like it should cooperate as best as it can for the weekend.  Don’t forget to read over the fly-tying offerings and let us know which ones you are interested in so we can get some dates on the calendars…good fishing…

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Well then, I heard they restocked all of our local rivers a few weeks back and it looks like they may just be the place to be this weekend…just kidding…although they did restock.  If fishermen have one excuse that they can always rely on, it’s the wind and last weekend there was a lot of it.  Blowing out of the east in the beginning and then shifting to the southwest, the whole weekend was doling out some very adverse conditions, however there are other options. Yet another benefit of the Norwalk Islands is they offer a good amount of protection and unless the wind decides to blow from all directions simultaneously you and your crew can fine some refuge amongst them. In addition, there are the rivers, the Mianus, Five Mile, Norwalk, Suagatuck and then Housatonic. All of these rivers hold fish at this time of year and at the same time give you more protection from the wind. Case in point, we had a charter go out Sunday, despite the weather, for a grandfather really wanted to get his grandson into fish.  After poking out at the mouth of the river, Captain Blake went to plan B and headed up river, continuing to fish the multiple bridge abutments as well as rocky coastline, features that are present on all of the rivers I listed above. At the end of the day, they were dry, warm and content with the good amount of fish they had all on lures.

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So the moral of this story is nothing new, if you have the time at this time of year, get out and do some fishing.  It also struck me when I used to ski four times a week in college when my buddies would wake up and say, “I am out, it’s supposed to be in the negative digits at the summit today.”  Out?  Why did your parents buy you that $450.00 ski jacket…to wear when it was 50 degrees out?  Another benefit to step up and deal with these fall conditions, as well as skiing for that fact, is the reality that most won’t be on the water or slopes, leaving more un-groomed trails and more fish for the ones that are.  This weekend is going to be clear and yes, a bit of wind is forecasted, but nothing like last weekend.  The bass are actively feeding preparing for a long swim to points farther south in the next two months and the blackfish bite is red hot, in fact I had a buddy limit out on Tuesday in less than an hour and a half!  So, come on down, get geared up and enjoy the last month or so of some great fall fishing…onto the report…

Prior to the winds blowing, we had a late charter come in on Friday, a couple fly guys and one tossing a spinning rod on board Captain Blake’s vessel and not only did they have bass up to 29 inches and blues to 7 lbs on the surface, they had a few shots at albies as well.  The albies no doubt will start to thin out, but there are definitely schools still around while places like Montauk remain on fire!

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Monday, I actually went and did some reconnaissance up in the WTMA of the Mill and it was quite productive with a few browns sucking in a small pheasant tail nymph as well as pretty aggressive brookies.  It’s amazing how hard a 5 inch fish will fight…only if it knew that it was going to be released…The small streams should have plenty of water after this weeks “storm” so go give it a shot.  The fish itself is always bonus at this time of year, since everything else is in transition. As I mentioned above, the DEP did restock so there should be some good fishing to be had by all…

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Wednesday Danny P. checked in who despite the rain, went out for togs.  This is what you have to resort to if you work weekends. He headed out of South Benson and went right to the spindle, where he was the only boat there.  Using a combination of green and Asian crabs, he and crew did not hook a fish less than 16 inches the entire two hour period that they were out, took one two for the table and back in by sundown.  Good stuff guys. 

Thursday A.M. the weather was clear, but once again, the wind was howling.  Dan wrote in to speak of, “yes” some adult bunker schools from a location from shore that he would not disclose (understood).  He was tossing a mix of Rattle Traps and some larger plugs mid morning and was rewarded with three blues to 12 lbs and a striper that was just shy of 32 inches.

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Well folks, a shorter report this week since may have been off the water due to the wind, but as I mentioned at the beginning of the report, get on out there.  Let’s put it this way, come mid February you will be kicking yourselves that you did not while you contemplate shoveling the driveway…AGAIN! 

Before we get to the report this week, we first must recognize all those who participated in the Saugatuck Cup last weekend as well as all those sponsors and volunteers that made it all happen.  The event once again was a huge success with almost 80+ anglers actually fishing and well over 175 people in attendance for the after party and raffle. The preliminary numbers are pointing towards us raising over $40,000 for Sloan Kettering.  So to those of you that were able to join us, we thank you for your support.  For those that could not make it, be sure to log on to our Facebook page (“Westport Outfitters”) and check out some of the photos.  Hope to see everyone again next year!

It is worth mentioning that those who did fish the “Cup” did pretty well. We had an assortment of fish caught including, blues, bass, fluke, porgies and even a few albies. Since the tournament was all artificial, makes these catches even more impressive.  There were only a few boats that did not catch at least something. 

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The bait situation remains quite strong still, with a mix of peanut bunker, silversides, bay anchovies, butterfish and mullet.  The key is finding the feeding fish.  At this time of year more than ever, fish will start to stack up and almost stage before they begin their journey south, so hitting your points, rock outcroppings and underwater reefs will be key to your success.  To that point, its okay to be impatient… Good friend and winner of the spin division at the Saugatuck Cup, Captain Matt Gifford reported that he had fish on every point while he was fishing yesterday, nothing huge but some good numbers mostly all on top water.  In fact, on one of those points, his 7 year old son hooked and landed an 18lb bass on a popper after it knocked it nearly 4 feet out of the water!!

The Micinilio Brothers checked in earlier in the week where they were able to enjoy the string of warm weather.  They fished the mouth of the Saugatuck, the mouth of theNorwalkand amongst the islands. They reported in excellent water clarity reminiscent of spring and a ton of bait in the water that could be easily seen. They had a dozen or so stripers and a few blues up to 12lbs and the bass up to 16.5lbs.  All fish were caught trolling tubes and deep lip swimmers as well as casting Yozuri Crystal Minnows (see recent catches).

Captain Blake took the weekend off, but returned fromFloridaon Monday for a trip that yielded a good bunch of fish, including a fat Albie.  Lures of choice were Sea Rocks and Albie Snax when they were not tossing flies (see recent catches). 

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 Dan and company headed over to some of the rips off of Eaton’s Neck on Wednesday and were greeted with birds working some small schools of bait but no fish underneath.  They headed tighter to shore and began tossing some poppers and were immediately into 7-10 lb bluefish.  Once they got bored of that they headed back to this side and poked around theDariencoastline for some more blues in tight and a few bass up to 14 lbs, great fun on the light tackle rods.

 Matt Z. stopped in with some choice tog filets for yours truly and spoke of a pretty hot Blackfish bite off ofFairfieldwith fish up to 9lbs.  His preferred method is jigging for these fish on some custom heads that he pours himself and they seem to be working quite well. If you have not tried this tactic for Blackfish, you are missing out, so go find that favorite rock pile and get jigging!

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Dan M. continues to hit the Fairfield Beaches pretty hard and over the past week he reports in that it’s been hit or miss, with two nights without a bump, but three is a charm, after he landed 21lb bass on Thursday evening on a Northbar Bottle Nose Darter. It’s a valid point as I mentioned previously about being impatient.  With fish keying in on certain small pods of bait, it is not unlikely for there just to be no fish under the school you are fishing.  Solution, be on the move, just like in the boats.  Dan is normally working the entire beach head from the South Benson pier all the way down to where Sunken Island meets the beach, so there is a lot of walking involved.

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Captain Blake was out again on a charter on Friday A.M. where they had their fill of blues on the surface as well as a few bass tossing Crystal Minnows and Smack Its.  Although no casts were made, Captain Blake was convinced he saw a few schools of Albies that came up and went right back down. 

This weekend is looking okay, maybe a bit moist, but totally fishable.  Let’s be honest, the end is near, so I would be taking advantage of fishing any chance I get from here on in before the snow flies.  A friend of mine posted a short video from last October when it snowed over an inch….I am sure you all get the point.

September 30th-October 7th

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Well folks, I try to be on time, prepared and correct in my assumptions (most of the time), however in this case, I was one week off.  Lucky for all of you, I have been talking about the arrival of one of our favorite fall fish for about a month now, so with any luck, you have all been preparing.  Those little mosaics popped up on Saturday with vengeance, perhaps a little pissed off about having to deal with all of that stained water to the east.  Whatever the reason, they are here and all signs are pointing to that they are in pretty thick.  To reiterate, fluorocarbon leaders are a must, I start with 7 feet, but at times on the spinning rods, it may be necessary to lengthen.  A nice fast tip rod to get your lure of choice out in front of these fish (keeping in mind they could be moving at about 30-40 MPH).

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On the fly rods, again, a minimum of a seven foot leader, but have the option of extending if necessary. Since the bait in our local waters is so dense and fruitful, pattern selection could vary.  Personally I like the smaller, slim line presentation of say a surf candy, but outside of some schools of bay anchovies and silver sides, the other baits such as peanut bunker and butterfish are also in the mix, so it may be beneficial to mix in some larger profile flies.  We have two in particular that may be worth a try, some fine peanut bunker imitations as well as a larger butterfish look alike. On the spinning rods, we prefer the Sea Rock Jigs that are close to being out of stock so come down quick. These things are a spitting image of a bay anchovy and of course another go to, the Deadly Dick.  This should do it, make sure your go too rod is rigged and ready to go so there is no delay when you see a school of them popping out.  Lastly, these fish feed in an orderly fashion so unlike bluefish who are in chaos mode, jumping every which way from Sunday, Albies will feed in a more circular motion and controlled action. Don’t chase them, wait…patience will win this game.  This weekend is looking good, so get geared up and be ready for what could be an epic few weeks for the Albies…

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Good friend Captain Matt Gifford checked in with a solid catch of some Albies on Saturday A.M. I knew Captain Blake was on the water with a charter, so I wanted to relay (on the QT of course) that they were around, he simply laughed and attached a series of  four young girls that he had on a charter, each one of them holding an Albie.  On Sunday, it was much of the same, with scattered reports coming in from Stratford to Greenwich, with an equal amount of anglers taking them on both the fly and spinning.  The weather man seemed to be covering for the Albies as well, considering their predicted forecast was so miserable for Sunday, there was barely anyone out in a two knot breeze and somewhat clear skies. Those that ventured out were rewarded (see recent catches)

Next up was Steve Eliot who checked in about a trip out to Middleground where he and crew had some good top water blues blitzing in the 12-14 lb range.  Steve noted that he had consistently been doing well at slack tide for these large chompers on the surface.

Captain Blake checked back in on Sunday as well where he fished to get some “me “ time after a long weekend of charters and once again had several Albies all on the long rods.

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The Micinilio Brothers checked in next with a good closing weekend report.  They fished the Black Rock area on Saturday where it started slow, but then picked up as the day progressed.  Tallies for the day were 29 blues, and two keeper bass, trolling from Fayreweather Light to Sunken Island.

Sunday they were back at it, while they fished in the Norwalk/Westport area. Putting down the tubing rods, the broke out the spinning rods armed with Yozuri Crystal Minnows, they managed a few dozen bass up to 31 inches. Thy recalled the action south of Sheffield was spot on…(see recent catches)

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Back up towards Fairfield, Danny has still been sneaking a few quality fish in at the Sasco Beach area, despite the onslaught of fresh water inundating the sound. Fishing Monday evening with the incoming tide, just after dusk, small schools of bait began to move into the belly of Sasco Beach and within minutes were being harassed by 2-5 lb blues. While fishing the edges with a peanut bunker imitation, he landed two nice bass that according to the notches on his rod, were 29 and 32 inches respectfully.  Nice fish Dan!

Tuesday was a day off for yours truly, so I headed over to rthe Saugatuck to follow a tip on the stocking of the fly-fishing only section.  Drifting some small caddis, I managed a few trout up to about 13 inches, but did see much larger fish in some of the deeper pools that had to have been well over 15-16 inches. Don’t overlook some of the great trout fishing at this time of year.  Most if not all of our local streams have received their fall stockings, so grab some flies and go enjoy…it’s hard to beat a nice warm fall day in your waders in one of our local streams and rivers.

Well that is about it for this week.  The weekend will definitely not be a wash out, so make plans to head out.  If you need some more motivation, take a listen to this.  The crew from ASMW out back just finished up at the Norwalk Boat Show where they had one of the largest booths within the entire show and they are lucky they did.  Many boats were sold for spring delivery, however as I write this report, several that were sold are being prepped in the shed for fall delivery.  This means that these folks are so stoked to get out on the water; they are taking delivery of their vessels the second week of October!!

Don’t forget, The Saugatuck Cup is October 8th, only a few spots remaining….

Before the report this week we must mention yet again the upcoming 3rd Annual Saugatuck Cup that is now only two weeks out!  We will close registration once our max number has been hit.  Many have called or emailed stating that they are in.  We appreciate these calls and emails, but until your application and check are received, your spot is not secured.  Last year we had over 200 people at the after party, so to that point, we need an accurate head count for food and beverages so we can plan accordingly.  Should you want to participate, but not want to fish, you will be able to buy into the festivities for a $50.00 donation to the 9th Floor Foundation.

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Well folks, the fishing over the weekend and into this week has been pretty strong, all things considered.  The wind blew out of the east for at least a little bit, starting on Friday and continuing through the weekend. This meant tuff stuff for the small boats, especially when the tide turned and started heading out.  The bait situation also remains strong, with a mix of peanut bunker, silversides, mullet and butter fish.  In fact, I confirmed what someone had tipped me off on earlier in the week that there are several adult bunker schools in the area.  In order for this one individual to speak, I was forced to put on an anklet monitoring device of my position.  In addition they will be recording and monitoring every spoken word from my mouth for the next week.  Hard to say whether these few schools were just hiding or they are new, but my bets are on new… 

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Despite the East wind, anglers took to the shore and boats this past weekend and for those that were able to deal with the adverse conditions, they were rewarded.  The porgy bite continues to be insane, with 20-22 inch fish being hauled in from Bridgeport to Darien. I actually spoke with a contact that actually said the DEP is considering extending the porgy season, because of all the bad weather we have had and how it has cut into some fishing time.  We will of course keep you posted as the information becomes available. The blue fishing is still hot with plenty of chompers in the 10-13lb range in our local waters.  Adam C stopped in on Tuesday to tell of a 14lb fish taken on a chunk in about 10 feet of water, just outside Compo Cove.  As for the bass, the lower light times are still going to produce the best.  We have however been leaving the dock a bit later just because the sun is not coming up until about 6:15-6:210.  Anything that looks like a small baitfish such as a rattle trap, badonkadonk, storm shads, crystal minnow or popper should do the job.  If you can afford to, stick with a 3/40 lb fluorocarbon leader as opposed to steel. Danny was plugging on the northwest side of Kensie Point on Friday, protected from the wind, and landed a beautiful bass that bounced around on the Bogagrip around 18lbs before being released.  Speaking of beaches and points, now that Labor Day has come and gone, all of the beaches in Fairfield are now open to the public, so you have access to the aforementioned point as well as plenty of other productive spots.

The Micinilio Brothers also checked in on Saturday where they fished the Fairfield area in and around Sunken Island.  The weather was fine, but the fishing a bit slow to their liking.  All said and done they boated 10 stripers, 2 being keepers and a few blues along with a monster blue that came to the boat by tail walking almost the entire way there (see recent catches)

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At this time of year, reports from farther east are almost as important as the reports from the west in the spring, understanding that perhaps, just maybe, the fish gorging themselves up the line, will make there way to us.  At the time of this report, I received an email from an angler that was fishing the race and said without question, that the albies seemed to be spreading out and heading farther west.  However before they did, Pat A., Jeff H., Alex P & Richard E. had them from Race Point, to MTK to Fishers to Watch Hill.  Alex continues his conquest with his Albie Snax, which accounted for all of his fish. Pat was on the fly rod along with Richard who were into them thick on Friday and Saturday near Montauk.  Jeff simply was looking at schools so big it was hard to even get a cast off.  All in, these fish hopefully will move this way.  Although my prediction from last week was not realized, I am still confident we will see some soon.  Again, be sure to have fresh leaders or fluorocarbon on the spinning rods, a nice reel and a bag of Albie Snax from a soft plastics standpoint and a handful of Sea Rock Jigs as your hard bait.  For flies, I like epoxy imitations, but we also have some smaller mushies that will also get it done. (see recent catches).

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Back home, Captain Blake was out on trips early in the week with some success, but not like last week with trips boating only 1 keeper bass as compared to 6 or 7 the prior week.  Although long term, I feel the colder weather will help us, short term, I think it shocked the fish a bit.  Of course the weather itself is not the issue, but rather the pressure change with the cold front that pushed through.  Fish have that ability to feel pressure changes and in my opinion they really felt it last weekend, but keep the faith, there are still two if not three months of some great fishing to be had and tog fishing is right around the corner. 

Weather again this weekend is looking fine so get on out there and get some fishing in.  If you are not fishing, still come down and drop off your applications and checks for the Saugatuck Cup on October 8th before its too late!!

Week of September 9th-September 16th

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Another great week of early Fall fishing, with signs of Albies moving closer and closer, so let’s keep our fingers crossed.  In my opinion, as well as others, I think we can pretty much write the Bonito off for this year (unfortunately).  Although there were some confirmed splashes right before Irene, not a sniff since then.  Look at the brightside, now all you have to do is focus on the Albies.  This past week, areas in and around Stonington and Watch Hill lit up, along with Montauk.  If you are looking to take a day and head east, be sure to call/email the shop before you do.  We have a handful of guides that we are very close with that can get you on fish without all the hoopla that normally comes with a fishing excursion around Montauk.

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As a new rule in regards to procedures, when I receive some of theses reports say about Albies, they are very time sensitive, therefore I will not post or include them in our fishing reports on westportoutfitters.com.  Instead, we will exclusively be posting this more timely information on our Facebook page.  Therefore, I highly encourage you to sign up, it’s simple and easy.  Log onto Facebook and search for Westport Outfitters.  You may see a page that we shared with ASMW, this is not it.  Our stand alone page you will see has our branding.  Become a friend today!

So back to the fishing, contracts to the angler who weighed in a last minute bluefish on Sunday afternoon just before the deadline, that took out the two other leaders with a fish that tipped the scales at 15.41lbs and was caught in and around the Guilford area. Speaking of winning fish, it is confirmed that Mr. Myerson who landed that 81.88lb fish a few weeks back, has officially submitted his catch to the IGFA to qualify for the new All Tackle World Record for Stripe Bass…we will keep you all posted on how it all shakes out.

The bass bite locally in the Western Sound remains better than good.  We had several charters earlier in the week that both left the fish biting, with blues up to 8 lbs and a bunch of schoolie bass up to 30 inches on all trips.  Captain Blake is till throwing poppers, partly due to the fact that he consistently has been boating fish all from the surface.  Good for the fishing and even better for the clients as they witness bass sending plugs high into the sky. 

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Alex Peru checked in after stalking Albies around Watch Hill over the weekend. Alex of course is the founder of Long Cast Plastics and creator of the Albie Snax as well as the Swallow plastic baits.  Once again he was into them pretty good using the brown colored Albie Snax, the more typical white just was not getting it done.  If you have not seen these new baits, come on down and have a look.  With these as your soft plastic and a handful of Sea Rock Jigs and you will be armed to take down any Albie in the Western Sound, as soon as they get here that is…(see recent catches).

Cory C. from ASMW team cancelled his offshore plans on Monday and instead just fished locally.  Covering some serious ground he noted how thick the bait was just about anywhere they went, however, not a very good showing for the fish. Fishing mostly west of Greens Ledge around Darien and Stamford, he and crew had bluefish at will but only up to about 6 or 7 lbs.  The few times that they decided to soak some bait, they had one bass run off that spit it…Great day to be out though!

Jim Micinilio checked in next.  Despite some W.O. choice worms, it was a few days.  Jim attributes most of this to the East wind which did blow most of the weekend.  They had bass up to 25 inches all on tubes.  The next day they managed to squeak out 2 stripers that tipped the ruler at 30 inches taken between Penfield and Sunken Island, along with a good pick of blues.

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Danny headed out on Tuesday evening and went straight over to Eaton’s Neck.  Armed only with Diamond Jigs and despite the tide, he and crew managed some bigger blues up to 12 lbs.  In the mix as well were bass up to 31 inches, with most coming to the net between 25 and 29 inches.  Nice night to be on the water with minimal boats due to the nasty wind and chop…but then again that’s why you buy the good foul weather gear…

The shore fishing has been off and on.  David R. checked into say that while tossing his cast net for fun, he landed peanut bunker, silversides, mullet and butterfish with just one toss. With all of this bait around, a customer and I were having a discussion on Wednesday about how the fish have really concentrated since after Irene.  Although there is no shortage of bait, it seems that only a few choice points were producing.  One could fish Sherwood point and hammer fish and then just head over to Frost and although there was bait all over, not a fish.  Good time of the year to be impatient!

Steve Eliot checked in with the following report from Wednesday A.M.  Steve and crew were off the dock at Compo at 5:30 A.M. and were hoping to head east for some top water action around Fairfield, but no luck.  They headed out towards Middle Ground to see large schools of blues blitzing.  Once the tide turned and started heading in again, they dropped the T&W set ups down and it was game on.  They had non-stop action until about 10:30.  All the blues were between 5-12 lbs and bass to 33 inches ( see recent catches)

Good friend Don R. and Bill L. checked in with a late wrap up from over the weekend.  With an early start he and crew were into fish almost immediately in and around Eaton’s Neck.  In fact at one point they moved from their location, because it was loaded with bass and they were registered for the Bluefish Tournament! After repositioning they had blues at will just above the 10 lb mark and boated three bass over 30 inches. Lures of choice in addition to soaking some chunks, were larger Smack Its, weighted sluggos and good ole T&W(see recent catches).

We are expecting a few cold nights into the weekend, so it will be interesting to see what this does to the fishing…I am going to go out on a limb here and say someone is going to see/hook up with an Albie this weekend in our local area, they are just too close and there is simply just a ton of bait around.  Make sure you have a rod rigged, with a 20/30 lb flouro leader with an Albie Snax or Sea Rock Jig tied on the end.  Remember, unlike Bluefish, Albies will feed in a much more orderly fashion (i.e. not splashing all over the place sideways and upside down).  They will also more often than not, encircle bait, so there is no need to chase, just sit still and wait for them to come back to you.  Good luck out there!

You do not want to miss the 2011 Saugatuck Cup to be held on October 8th, based out of Westport Outfitters. Any and all information can be found on the tournament’s website http://www.saugatuckcup.com/ or call /email the shop for more details; space is limited, so get in on a great local cause followed by a great party with great prizes and now a legendary raffle!

Well folks, with Irene just a distant memory, we can now resume our focus on the fishing.  Once again, despite the storm, the fishing has been quite good. Larger schools of blues have been all over mid sound hammering peanut bunker and silversides.  The bass bite continues to red hot considering the time of year, falling for tubes, poppers, Hopkins, flies and bait.  With the water temps still pretty mild, I am expecting this bite to even get better.  In regards to adult bunker, I have seen none in the Western Sound which is too bad, but we will just have to work through it.  The porgy fishing has been off the hook as well, in fact a customer and friend Sage N. landed one on a tube over the weekend that tipped the tape at just over 17 inches!! Although we are not expected to get a storm, we are going to get some pretty good swell from Katina, so if you don’t want to fish this weekend, go dust off your old surfboard and go hang ten instead!

Steve Elliot was the first to check in with a late report that missed our posting from Friday.  Steve and crew left the dock at Compo at 8:00 and headed towards Middle Ground.  There were large schools of 5 lb blues throughout the slack tide.  Once the tide started to move, Steve landed a nice 33 inch, 14lb bass. The breezes picked up, so they made the run back to Compo (see recent catches).

Don Rossi checked in after a stellar morning on the water on Saturday.  Despite the breezes, Don and company had blues to 11lbs as well as few keeper bass, caught mostly on the troll.  Don recommends brighter color tubes with the stained water, so he swapped out the traditional Scarlet Snakes with Bubblegum, Orange and bright green.  Eaton’s Neck made a good showing before they retreated back to Cockenoe.  Nice stuff Don…don’t you hate it when you forget that your “spot” is zoomed in on your oversized chart plotter and you take a picture showing the whole world where your holes are…just sayin’…(see recent catches).

Art Gravanis checked in after fishing in and around Frost Point with his son Teddy,  where he said the porgy bite was on fire, too many to count and they took a few big keepers for the table.  Bait of choice was clam strips. 

Steve Elliot checked in again as he took advantage of the extra day and headed back out Monday. Steve fished in the islands where once again he had blues crashing bait all over the surface.  All the fish that were landed were spitting up silver sides and large sand eels.

Danny checked in on Monday as well.  Although the wind was blowing something fierce by the time he reached Sasco, as soon as the tide turned and began to flood in, he had a good sized bass blitz in the vicinity of Pine Creek that he eventually followed around Kensie Point.  Crashing what seemed to be peanut bunker, he tied on some of the new little peanut imitations that we brought in and was tight in just a matter of minutes.  The mini blitz continued for about 35 minutes.  He said he swears there were not more than 30 fish in this school, all 26-32 inches and all on the fly rod, the school closed in on the beach and then eventually dispersed.

Sage checked in on Tuesday with a solid report with bass up to 33 inches, mostly on top water.  In addition, as was previously noted, he landed to slob porgies, at 17 and 15 inches on tubes no less.  All fish were taken in less than 15 feet of water(see recent catches).

The Micinilio Brothers checked in to report of a choppy week on the water with east winds almost daily. Despite the weather, they managed to squeak a few big blues from around Sunken Island as well as a fluke to close out the season…now they sit praying for better weather. 

This weekend is looking pretty good from a weather standpoint although we may get the wind, which of course is par for the course at this time of year.  Don’t forget about the Saugatuck Cup!!  You can fill out applications here at the store or online at www.saugatuckcup.com, space is limited.  Come support a great local cause, and participate in the summer’s best party and participate in the now legendary raffle.  SIGN UP TODAY!!

This weekend is also the rescheduled Bluefish Tournament, so if you are out there and not participating, keep an eye out.

IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN WEARING A PAIR OF THE NEW SMITH ANGLING GLASSES, YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE FISH! COME HAVE A LOOK THIS WEEKEND!

ATTENTION ALL SMART PHONE USERS INCLUDING I-PHONE & DROIDS!! Westport Outfitters has launched a FREE app for you to view our fishing reports from your phones. Our website will sniff which type of device you are logging on with. Simply go to westportoutfitters.com and follow instructions in the upper left hand banner.

You do not want to miss the 2011 Saugatuck Cup to be held on October 8th, based out of Westport Outfitters. Any and all information can be found on the tournament’s website http://www.saugatuckcup.com/ or call /email the shop for more details; space is limited, so get in on a great local cause followed by a great party with great prizes and now a legendary raffle!

WOW…that was a lot of water.  I hope all of you are reading this utilizing electricity being supplied by one of the many local carriers, rather than by generator.  If you are in the latter group, our thoughts are with you to get back up and running as soon as possible. Specifically, Hurricane Irene definitely did some damage, but what was strange was how the extent of damage varied so greatly almost from property to property.  Houses falling into the water on Fairfield Beach Rd, yet low lying properties just 150 yards to the east, came up bone dry?  Here at the shop, under what could be considered an act of God, not one drop of water, yet in the back showroom, nearly two feet of storm surge raced in Sunday A.M.  Wherever you were or whatever you were doing, the storm disrupted it, but let’s get back to the topic at hand…FISHING!

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The weekend leading up to what occurred produced some stellar fishing.  Friday/Saturday for those who were not hauling boats or adding extra dock lines had the western sound all to themselves, with busting fish all over the place.  The larger schools of blues that have been hanging around Fairfield were easily being taken on top water plugs on Saturday evening, despite some pretty good swell.  Blues in the 6-8 lb class were mixed in with the occasional gator.

The biggest concern about the impact of Irene on the local fishing scene was to have her blow out all the bait.   While wading through the back show room on Sunday in 2 feet of water, I joked with a friend as a small school of silver sides swam by inside the show room, “I guess maybe the storm did not blow out all the bait?”  After the water receded on Sunday afternoon, we hopped into one of the work boats and toured the mouth of the Saugatuck.  Some pretty serious damage up and down Saugatuck Shores, but despite 4-5 foot swells cranking up the river, we were spraying bait out of the water as we reached the crest of each swell.

Steve Elliot checked in Friday afternoon prior to the storm as well where he worked several large bluefish blitzes off of Fairfield.  After his arms got tired he decided to head out to Middleground and do some tubing, more blues, albeit bigger ones. After doing some tunoid reconnaissance during the slack tide, he returned to MG where the blitzes were epic at the beginning of the outgoing as far as the eye could see (see recent catches).

Captain Blake also checked in prior to the blow and proclaimed that this August was the best he has had for bass, perhaps EVER!  On charters as well as fishing personally, Captain Blake is a poster child for getting it done and getting it done early. The A.M. bite continues to be red hot and with the now much cooler air temps overnight and in the early A.M. hours, it is his feeling that things should continue to get even better. Lures of choice for bass up to 33 inches have been Smack Its as well as Crystal Minnows. 

Jim Micinilio checked in and was forced to come down to Westport on Wednesday since his home water boat ramp was destroyed during the storm and with any luck maybe it will be repaired by NEXT Labor Day!  He headed out just before noon and marked fish, but they were very spread out.  All in, they boated 31 stripers of varying shapes and sizes, with the biggest coming to the net at 39.5 inches and just about 20 lbs in 4.5 feet of water!  Of course, the color of the trolling tubes that you are all using should be changed with the stained water left over from the storm.  Their best luck was using yellow, pink and bright green tubes…

Early Thursday, Captain Blake was at it again with an instructional trip.  He and crew left the docks at 5:00 A.M. sharp and once again were into some good bass action with several just under 28 inches, one ne that got away and of course blues up to 8lbs.

Well folks, that is it for what could be considered an abbreviated week. Be sure to get on Facebook and search “Westport Outfitters” and sign up for our NEW page!  Despite our storm ravaged coastline, the fishing seems to be recovering well with still a good steady pick of bass and blues.  With any luck, Irene hopefully pushed some bait in and perhaps even some tunoids…only time will tell, but delay no further, forget about the leaves and the trees, pick up your rods and get into some great late summer action this weekend.