CT Stripers Erupt After May New Moon — Long Island Sound Bass Blitz On

What's biting

What's next

With the new moon a few days behind us and the moon entering its Waxing Crescent phase, tidal exchanges are stabilizing before building again toward first quarter. That tidal rhythm matters for Long Island Sound: Bobby J's noted that outgoing tides are 'critical right now' for anyone targeting deep-water reefs, while inshore structure is producing around the clock.

The bait diversity on display right now is exceptional. Squid, bunker, mackerel, herring, silversides, and rain bait are all present in the Sound, per The Fisherman — Connecticut. That smorgasbord gives stripers little reason to move on — expect the main body of the spring run to hold through at least Memorial Day weekend as fish stage and feed before pushing further north and east. Captain Morgan's Bait and Tackle reported that 'the big gals have been tearing up the shallows and nearby structures as tide dictates outcome more than the time of day,' so key on the tidal swing rather than chasing a specific hour.

For the coming weekend, artificials are performing right alongside naturals. Fisherman's World reported customers doing well trolling spoons and mojos in deeper water, while Captain Morgan's confirmed that flies and artificials are 'easily keeping pace' with bait presentations in the shallows. Live eels, squid, and menhaden remain go-to choices, but don't overlook large surface plugs and swimbaits during low-light transitions when fish are pinning bait against structure.

Tautog continue to produce regionally, with The Fisherman (Northeast) noting the tog bite 'remains strong' across southern New England — a pattern typical for mid-May water temperatures in the mid-50s. Green crabs fished hard on bottom structure should stay productive through the month.

Bluefish are beginning to appear in neighboring Rhode Island waters, per The Fisherman — Rhode Island, with some large fish spotted tailing on the surface. It likely won't be long before those fish push west into Long Island Sound — pack a wire leader option just in case. Fluke are entering the picture slowly in Rhode Island as well, per The Fisherman — Rhode Island, but inshore LIS water remains cool by typical flounder standards. If the warm trend holds, the fluke bite should gain traction heading into early June.

Context

For Long Island Sound, mid-to-late May is historically the peak of the spring striper migration. Striped bass typically begin appearing in earnest in early May as fish that wintered in the Hudson River and Chesapeake Bay push north along the coast and into the Sound. By the third week of May it is not unusual to see a broad mix of schoolies to trophy-class fish throughout the Sound — and the 2026 season appears to be tracking right on schedule, if not slightly ahead of a typical year.

What stands out this season is the remarkable diversity of bait already in the system. The Fisherman — Connecticut sources describe simultaneously active schools of squid, bunker, mackerel, herring, and silversides — a convergence that often doesn't fully materialize until late May or early June. The Fisherman (Northeast) characterized the broader New England scene as 'a supercharged spring striper run' with sizes averaging upper-teens to 20 pounds and fish up to the 40-pound class now entering the region. For LIS, that context suggests the trophy end of the season's run may still be incoming, as the biggest migratory bass tend to arrive at the trailing edge of the main push.

Tautog have historically been a reliable mid-May target in Connecticut, with action typically tapering as surface temps push from the mid-50s into the low 60s over the course of June. Fluke, by contrast, usually require water in the low-to-mid 60s to become a consistent daytime bite — conditions that are likely two to three weeks away for most of the Sound at current buoy readings. No direct year-over-year comparison data is available in the current intel feeds to say definitively whether this season is running early or late, but multiple Connecticut shops and the charter fleet reporting strong striper action simultaneously points to a full, healthy spring migration well underway.