Trips

Striped Bass: April - December

In the spring, you have your best shot to land a 50 plus pound Bass, a true trophy, AKA a Fish of a lifetime. This starts in May and usually peaks sometime in early June, but the XL bass will stay local, especially around Stratford shoals through the summer. So the fishing never really stops for them. During the Spring, the bunker show up in big schools, sometime in late April or early May and the large migratory bass are never far behind. Most of this happens in deep, open water. The menhaden (bunker) are full size and about 7-10” long, so the lures and flies, we use are on the bigger - side of the scale. Top water is always the best, most hands on way to stick a bass of a life time, but sometimes the fish are deeper in the water column, but just as hungry. On these days, sometimes we will be vertically jigging spoons and or dredging big flies, down deep with a heavy - sinking line. No matter the situation, Captain Pete has all of the rods, reels and gear needed for success!

I always tell my guys, try to book 2 days if possible. It gives us more time on the water, because sometimes the first day is spent getting dialed in on the bio mass of fish and getting used to the gear etc. You ever read those “epic” magazine articles and social media posts of the “trips of a lifetime” and wonder how these guys have so much success? It’s because they are booking these guides for 4/5 marathon trips in a week. Of course, they are going to have success! More time on the water equals more success! These same “trips” can be executed right here in the fabled waters of Long Island Sound. Being face to face with a 50 pound bass sipping cinder - worms or crushing bunker in 100’ of water in flat calm conditions makes for a pretty epic fly / spin situation on top.

As the bunker filter through the sound, during the summer, so do the bass and they are BIG. LI Sound is essentially a highway for these large Bass as they migrate from the Chesapeake and Hudson River systems. We mostly throw very large top-water lures to imitate the bunker as close as we can. Expect to see some epic top-water strikes from Bass up to 50 plus pounds! Gator Bluefish are also a welcome bycatch, to keep you busy!

During the Summer, most of the 50 plus pound fish filter through the sound to their summer hang outs mostly SW of Block and the Cape. This does NOT mean there aren’t bass to be caught close to home. A good body of fish hang out around Stratford Shoals all summer and I usually target these stealthy, resident fish once we get into the month of August. First light always presents a solid opportunity at a 30-50 pound fish in skinny water on artificial lures and even Fly. During the summers when there are large amounts of peanut bunker and/or snappers, the inshore striped bass fishing can remain at a “world class” level through out the entire summer, locally.

Fall Striped Bass fishing can be a bit of a wild card when it comes to whether or not we get a “spring-like” push of XL Bass back through the sound BUT the Bass fishing always improves from Summer into Fall. In October the bunker start to really migrate back down south, so they are mostly all exposed in the open water in shallow, close to the beaches. Large Bass always key in on these bunker in very shallow water and it can be some of the best visual experiences of the year, especially considering the drop in water temp and the dramatic improvement in water clarity. The end of October and through early December is when the PEAK of the Striped Bass Fall migration occurs. October through November is best for the larger fish that are usually keyed in on the bunker in very clear, shallow water. “Epic - visual” settings usually present themselves during this time of year, making it a very “high- demand” stretch for most fisherman, with a pulse! November into December is best for the smaller, migratory fish - usually keyed in on bay anchovies, silversides and peanut bunker - under the birds! And they aren’t the only fish around, during the fall, either!

Bluefish: May - November

Bluefish are usually here with authority by June and pretty much take over as the “apex” predator here, locally in LI Sound, especially during the day come mid July. They are caught a variety of different ways through out the season, but one of my favorites is Late Spring/Summer, putting clients on “finning” Blues out in deep water mid sound, especially on Fly. Throwing top-water spin at these monsters is equally as fun too! Blue fishing stays great through Fall.

During the Fall, they are found mostly blitzing on the surface or in large schools mid to lower water column, presenting a jig situation, which can be some of the most lights out, lock and load fishing of the year! By Mid - November they are mostly gone for the winter.

False Albacore: September - November

My favorite inshore fish. This is by far the coolest, fastest, and hardest fighting fish that visits our area, period. They are mostly surface feeders and we get some awesome runs of them here locally, usually starting in early - mid September and lasting through the second week of November! (weather permitting) It usually peaks sometime in October, but late October and into November have been very productive, the past 5-10 seasons.

I recommend booking two dates, if possible - maximizing the chance of finding these fast, elusive fish and staying on them. Its not an easy task, Long Island Sound is a massive body of water and these fish swim at very high speeds. With the extra time on the water, it also will dramatically increase the chances of success, especially considering the time of year (Fall) and how challenging it is to get Mother Nature to cooperate. Maybe, day ONE didn’t go as planned? The first day could possibly be spent finding them, for the most part of the day, but having that second day - dialed in with the confidence high! This is when those special trips happen! Man, I wish more of my regulars did this, but I get it. Bills need to be paid and wives need to be laid. For the most part.. These fish are small tuna that are very fast and unpredictable. One day they can be in one area, the next day, a completely different location. One HUGE advantage we have when fishing here, in Long Island sound is there are so many places within a trips - reach and when the false albacore enter Long Island sound they almost become land locked, not leaving them very far to retreat during a storm etc.. So, usually we find em’. That’s why still having that second day makes that “special trip” so much more likely. What’s better than getting your moneys worth?!

Every year is unique in its own way, regarding the numbers of them that we see, how they behave, when the season peaks, and even what they feed on. Some seasons the false albacore continue their “pelagic” behavior, mostly remaining in open and deep water feeding on bay anchovies, even when inshore in Long Island Sound. Other seasons they filter even shallower and up against the reefs and beaches, feeding on bay anchovies, silversides and peanut bunker. It all depends on the food. Just when you think you have them figured out, they will throw a curveball at you!

This is a light tackle/Fly anglers dream. It really is. The smile on some of my clients faces during this mayhem is absolutely priceless and honestly, the main reason I do this for a living. This is the best time of year to get out on the boat fishing in LI Sound, in my opinion, especially because you get to really get the full experience and feel for the amount of sea life the sound has to offer. These trips are usually pretty epic!

Get on the Book early as this is very high demand.

Atlantic Bonito: August - November

Elusive and Unpredictable. Those are the two words that first come to mind when talking Bonito. When I was a kid through about high school, this fish came into LI Sound in larger numbers than False Albacore, believe it or not. For some reason they have really become an elusive fish, especially here. We do still get them here and there and in 2019 we actually saw a sustained “run” of them but nothing solid since.

Every Fall, when the False Albacore show up there is always a shot at running into bonito. They don’t usually feed together, but when the water quality and bait situation is good enough for one of them to show themselves, it’s usually suitable for the other as well. Hopefully these fish cycle back into LI Sound, because they are really missed.

The Bonito are welcome - tasty, by catch during the late summer and fall months. We can see them as early as early July and as late at late October!

Also very high demand!