Tog bite peaks in the Sound as striper action slows
Blackfish season is off to a strong start in Connecticut. Per The Fisherman — Connecticut, AW Marina reports tog biting around rocks, piers and jetties, and J&B Tackle called opening-weekend fishing very good, with most keepers in the 18 to 20 inch range. Tartan II says it is shifting most trips to blackfish and has had no trouble filling the boat limit. Black Hawk reports limits of scup around the boat, some nice sea bass, and blackfish for those sticking with crabs. Water temperatures sit at 59.7°F at NOAA CO-OPS station 8461490, 61.3°F at station 8465705 and 62.6°F at station 8467150, a comfortable range for tog feeding on crabs.
New to these readings? What water temp, tide, and moon phase mean for fishing →
What's biting
Fish this water?
We're light on local intel here. Send us your report and we'll credit you.
Send a reportWhat's next
Expect the tog bite to hold through the coming days, with fish shallow and cooling water keeping them on the feed. Plan around tide changes. Station 8465705 shows low tide at about 1:18 PM local, with the next high near 7:29 PM. Station 8467150 shows low around 1:25 PM and high near 7:33 PM. At station 8461490 the next high lands near 6:02 PM. Rising water into those evening highs is a sensible window for rock piles and jetties.
Bait supply may be the limiting factor. J&B Tackle noted that crab supplies ran short after opening weekend, so stock up early. Striped bass are still an option but look slower. Belsan's Bait and Tackle, per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME, thinks many fish are passing offshore. Live eels after dark are the technique several shops mention. The waxing gibbous moon builds toward the full moon later this week, which can add to the night bite.
Context
Late October in Long Island Sound typically marks the shift from the scup and sea bass bottom bite toward blackfish on structure, while striped bass begin their southward migration. Water in the low 60s is on schedule for this phase. Black sea bass season closures in neighboring waters tend to push effort onto tautog and large scup, so expect crowds on the better rock piles. Check state regulations for current seasons, size and bag limits before harvesting.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
EVERY SATURDAY MORNING
Weekly fishing intelligence
Nationwide conditions, what's biting, and honest gear deals. One email, no noise.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.