Fall bass and blues settling back in after the nor'easter

What's biting

What's next

Water is still cleaning up after the storm, per Saltwater Edge, so expect the first days back to be most productive on protected shorelines. Shore has been the most reliable option locally: AW Marina reports a beach angler landed slot-size striped bass, and porgies were caught from Avery Point. Boat anglers should plan around the tides. Station 8461490 peaks at 4:10 a.m. EDT and bottoms at 10:37 a.m. EDT, while stations 8465705 and 8467150 peak near 6:05 a.m. EDT and bottom around 12:15 p.m. EDT. The early-morning hours around those highs are the windows worth planning around. J&B Tackle hoped the storm would push more bait and fish into the area, so if bait and bluefish show up inshore over the next few days, the bite should follow. Tautog and black sea bass remain the bottom-fishing targets while the water stays in the high 60s.

Context

Early October is when the fall migration typically builds in Long Island Sound, with stripers and bluefish following bait as the water cools from its summer peak. Water in the mid-to-upper 60s°F is the usual range for this stretch, so the run looks on schedule rather than early or late. Tautog typically move onto structure as temperatures drop, and bottom action usually strengthens through October. Check state regs before harvesting, especially for bass and tautog.