Fishing guides

Why the First Two Hours After Low Tide Decide a Ten Thousand Islands Summer Trip

Snook fishing in the Ten Thousand Islands backcountry is catch-and-release only from June through August under Florida's Gulf harvest closure, which shifts summer attention toward…

Best fishing cameras for saltwater: what anglers are actually using

Saltwater anglers disagree sharply about whether underwater cameras, action cameras, or fixed deck-mount cameras deliver the most value on the water. This breakdown synthesizes…

Ten Thousand Islands fishing report: snook and redfish on the fly

June is prime time for backcountry fly fishing in Florida's Ten Thousand Islands, with snook staging at mangrove points ahead of their spawn, redfish pushing onto falling-tide…

Northeast fly fishing report: June warm-water tactics and where to find the bite

June reshuffles the northeast fly fishing calendar fast, closing tailwater trout windows and simultaneously opening the season's best striper bite on tidal flats, peak smallmouth…

Why Midwest Fly Anglers Ditch Trout in Mid-June for Bass, Carp, and Bluegill

As water in Midwest rivers and reservoirs pushes past 70°F by mid-June, most fly anglers keep casting streamers at trout that have already stopped feeding, while a smaller group…

Snook Season Is Closed All Summer in the 10,000 Islands — The Gear Priorities Shift to Redfish and Tarpon Instead

Florida's Gulf-coast recreational snook season closes June 1 through August 31 — the same stretch when the 10,000 Islands' redfish and tarpon action peaks inside a maze of…

Redfish, Snook, and Tarpon Don't Need the Same Braided Line Once Summer Water Clears

Choosing braided fishing line for southern summer saltwater fishing involves tradeoffs that generic reviews rarely address: strand count, color visibility in clear flats water,…

How to fly fish western rivers when heat waves hit

When heat waves push western river temperatures past the trout danger threshold, early-morning timing windows, thermal refugia, and warm-water species pivots are the adjustments…

Striped bass fly fishing in the Northeast: June coastal guide

June is the peak window for Northeast striper fly fishing from shore, as feeding fish push onto sand flats, estuary edges, and rocky points within casting range of wading fly…

Kayak smallmouth bass fishing on Midwest rivers in June

Early June is the prime window for kayak smallmouth bass fishing on Midwest rivers, as post-spawn fish move to current seams and rocky shelves that shore anglers simply cannot…

Bucktail jigs for fluke: the northeast tackle breakdown

Charter captain reports and tournament angler feedback consistently identify jig weight selection and soft plastic trailer pairing as the two variables that separate consistent…

California halibut season: May flatfish fishing on the West Coast

May marks the peak window when California halibut push onto shallow bay flats and nearshore structure along the West Coast, with community reports from San Diego to San Francisco…

May flounder fishing in the North Carolina sounds: tides, rigs, and staging spots

May is the prime transition window in the North Carolina sounds, when flounder push out of tidal creeks to follow migrating baitfish along current edges in Pamlico and Albemarle.…

How to fish live bunker for stripers during the May northeast run

Charter logs and tournament records from New England and the Mid-Atlantic show that live menhaden is the dominant trigger bait when big stripers push into northeast bays during…

Midwest anglers guide to planning an Atlantic fluke season trip

Anglers from the Great Lakes and midwest interior make the Atlantic coastal run for fluke each May and consistently hit the same avoidable blind spots around tide timing, gear…

Fluke fishing in Rhode Island: Narragansett Bay season opener guide

Feedback from Rhode Island charter captains and Narragansett Bay regulars points to a consistent early-season pattern: May fluke concentrate along channel edges and mussel-bottom…

Best striper plugs for the May northeast surf run

Community feedback from northeast surf casters consistently points to a short list of hard and soft plastic plugs that outperform during the May striper migration window. This…

The Four-Week Post-Spawn Surface Window That California Reservoir Bass Communities Rely On — Clear Lake Tule Banks, Folsom Points, and Shasta Timber with CDFW Regulations and May Topwater Strategies

Angler reports from California's major impoundments consistently identify May as the tightest topwater window of the year for largemouth bass, with post-spawn fish actively taking…

How to fish a hollow-body frog for largemouth bass in May

Northeast bass anglers consistently report that hollow-body frogs outperform every other topwater presentation during the late-May pre-spawn window, but community tournament…

Delaware River shad run: timing, access, and tactics for April

The Delaware River shad run peaks slightly later than its New England counterparts, with water temperature driving the best action from late April through mid-May across stretches…

California spring trout stocking: where anglers are finding fish in April

California's CDFW spring stocking program peaks in April, and community fishing logs show that freshly planted rainbow trout concentrate near inlet channels and aerators in the 24…

Striped bass fishing in Rhode Island: the April arrival guide

Shore anglers and charter captains fishing Rhode Island waters consistently report that tracking the 52–56°F water-temperature window is a more reliable method for intercepting…

How to fish the spring shad run on California's Sacramento River

The Sacramento River shad run draws anglers from Verona to Red Bluff each spring, but regional fishing reports point to one detail that general western shad guides consistently…

School Stripers Are at the CT River Mouths in Late April. The Trout Stocking Schedule Is Running. Pre-Spawn Bass Are Staging on Southern CT Ponds. April Opens Earlier Than Most Anglers Treat It.

CT DEEP stocking is underway on the Farmington, Salmon, and Housatonic rivers, school stripers are already showing at tidal river mouths, and pre-spawn bass are staging on…

CT Striper Anglers Adjusted to the One-Fish Limit. Most Haven't Updated Their Rigs to Match the Treble Hook Restriction.

Connecticut's 2026 striped bass regulations — the 28-inch minimum, single-fish bag limit, treble hook restriction, and the tactical adjustments that actually matter once you're on…

Getting Started with Fly Fishing in Connecticut: Gear, Technique, and Best Waters

Fly fishing has a reputation for being difficult and expensive. It's neither, if you start right. Here's the honest beginner's path to fly fishing Connecticut's trout streams.

How to Fillet a Fish: Step-by-Step for the Most Common Species

Filleting fish is a skill that takes 20 minutes to learn and a lifetime to perfect. Here's the step-by-step process for bass, perch, trout, fluke, and striped bass — with gear…

Six Species in One CT Afternoon. A Field Guide to Everything Swimming in This State's Freshwater.

A working species guide to CT's freshwater fish — identification, habitat, seasonal timing, and honest notes on where to actually find them, from someone who's fished this state's…

The Ebb at an Inlet Mouth Fishes Differently Than the Flood on a Tidal Flat. How CT Shore Anglers Use Long Island Sound's Tidal Stages — and the Regulations Every Striper Trip Requires

Long Island Sound's semi-diurnal tidal cycle creates distinct feeding windows at inlets, tidal flats, and river mouths along the CT shore. What the stages mean, how local anglers…

Beginner's Guide to Fishing in Connecticut: How to Start, What to Get, and Where to Go

Never fished before and not sure where to start? This guide covers the basic gear, how to get your license, and the easiest CT spots and species to learn on.

The Beds on Bantam and Candlewood Are Visible in May. CT's Spawning-Season Ethics for Bass, Trout, and Stripers Are Three Separate Questions — and Fishing Forums Usually Conflate Them.

Bass beds on Bantam, Candlewood, and Lillinonah go visible in mid-May. Trout redds clear on the Farmington in March. Large stripers push into CT river mouths post-spawn. Spring's…

Most Northeast Anglers Break Off Fish at the Same Two Connection Points. Both Are Knot Problems, Not Line Problems.

Five connections cover every terminal rig and line-to-line junction Northeast anglers fish — with step-by-step instructions and the tying habits CT anglers have worked out that…

Connecticut Largemouth Doesn't Shut Down in September — Regional Tournament Reports and Angler Records Point to These Ten Public Lakes for Fall Production

Surf Fishing for Striped Bass in Connecticut: A Complete Technique Guide

Surf casting for stripers on the CT coast puts big fish within reach from rocky points, sandy beaches, and jetties across the Sound — this guide covers water reading, tidal…

Two of Long Island Sound's Best Striper Windows Run With Almost No Competition — Because Most CT Anglers Are Still Waiting for October

Connecticut River Shad Fishing: The Spring Run Guide

The Connecticut River shad run is one of the great annual fishing events in the Northeast — hundreds of thousands of American shad running upriver through May and June, hitting…

Connecticut Fishing License: How to Buy One, What It Covers, and What You Need to Know

CT fishing licenses cost under $20 for residents and take five minutes to buy online — what's covered, who qualifies for exemptions, and which license type saves you money.

Sunfish & Bluegill Fishing in Connecticut: A Beginner's Complete Guide

Bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish are in almost every Connecticut pond and lake, they hit simple baits, and a size 8 hook with a pinch of nightcrawler will out-fish expensive rigs…

Channel Catfish in Connecticut: Where to Find Them and How to Catch Them

Connecticut has a quietly growing channel catfish population in the Connecticut River and key impoundments — underrated, easy to target, and excellent table fare.

Black Sea Bass in Connecticut: How to Catch Them from Shore and Boat

Black sea bass hold on Connecticut's rocky reefs and wrecks from late spring through fall — they hit squid and clam readily, fight well on light tackle, and are some of the best…

Rainbow and Brown Trout in Connecticut: Beyond the Stocking Truck

CT stocks hundreds of thousands of rainbow and brown trout each spring — but the best trout fishing happens when you understand where wild fish hold, how they behave, and what…

Brook Trout Fishing in Connecticut: Native Fish in Beautiful Streams

Brook trout are Connecticut's only native stream trout. Wild, stream-born fish in cold Litchfield County headwaters look different, act different, and live in water that's worth…

Fly Fishing in Connecticut: Where to Go, What to Use, and How to Get Started

Connecticut has exceptional fly fishing — native brook trout in hemlock-shaded streams, wild brown trout in tailwaters, and stripers on the fly along the coast. Start with the…

Smallmouth Bass Fishing in Connecticut: Rivers, Reservoirs & the Fish Most CT Anglers Overlook

Smallmouth bass are Connecticut's pound-for-pound best fighting fish — living in the rocky rivers and reservoirs that largemouth avoid. The Housatonic, Connecticut River, and Lake…

Weakfish in Connecticut: The Comeback Story and How to Catch Them

Weakfish (sea trout) were once abundant in Long Island Sound. The population collapsed in the 2000s but is slowly rebounding. They're showing back up in CT waters — and dedicated…

Largemouth Bass Fishing in Connecticut: Where to Go, When to Go, and What to Use

Connecticut's bass fishing gets overlooked next to New England's trout streams — but Highland Lake, Lillinonah, and the state's coastal tidal coves hold quality fish year-round.…

Every CT Lake Has a 20-Pound Fish That Almost Nobody Targets. The Anglers Who Know Prefer It That Way.

Common carp reach impressive sizes in Connecticut's lakes and rivers — 20-pound fish are a realistic target for prepared anglers — and they're almost completely ignored by most CT…

Northern Pike in Connecticut: Where to Find Them and How to Catch Them

Connecticut has a healthy and largely overlooked northern pike fishery — especially in the Thames River drainage and the Connecticut River backwaters. Most anglers drive right…