Fish Species

STRIPED BASS (Mornone Saxatilis): An anadromous fish, meaning they spawn in freshwater and live most of their life in saltwater.  We usually receive most of our fish from the Hudson river and the Housatonic River, where they winter over.  Some of our fish can be Chesapeake bay fish which make the long migration from down south.  Striped bass can be caught as small as a few inches up to 50 lbs pounds in our area.

BLUEFISH (Pomatomus Saltatrix): Usually show up in our waters at the end of may.  You can catch small snapper blues towards the end of August.  Blues up to 10-15 lbs are not uncommon. I believe they are the hardest fighting fish (pound for pound) in our waters.

FALSE ALBACORE (Euthynnus Alletteratus): Albies as they are most commonly know are the star of the show (when and if they show up).  Some years are better than others.  They can swim up to 40+ miles per hour and are known for the finicky, yet voracious surface feeds.  A truly prized game fish.  The little tunny has only recently (withing the last 10 years) have been a common game fish in Western Long Island Sound.

ATLANTIC BONITO (Sarda Sarda): A rare fish for our waters these days, but at one time were very prevalent during the fall run.  Similar to the false albacore, however there are diagonal black striations along the entire back of the fish, and they have teeth.

FLUKE/SUMMER FLOUNDER(Paralichthys Dentatus): A great tasting flat fish that is prevalent most of the year but fishing is best from May-July when there is Squid present.  I have had fluke spit up a whole 10" squid.

Photo Cred: James Hollyday

WINTER FLOUNDER (Pseudopleuronectes Americanus): Another flat fish that one time was very precalent in our harbors in early spring. Not it would be considered a good day to catch one to three fish while dunking sand worms.  They can be easily confused with their cousin the summer flounder except they have a much smaller mouth, and face the other direction, so to speak.

BLACK SEA BASS (Centropristis Striata): Another great tasting bottom fish that is fun to catch on light tackle.  Usually where ever you find seabass, you often will find porgies.  It is not uncommon to catch black sea bass up to 3 lbs.

PORGY/SCUP (Stenotomus Chrysops): A small but feisty bottom fish that is usually plentiful in Western Long Island Sound for most of the year.  You can jig them up or drop down a clam rig around structure.

BLACKFISH/TAUTOG (Tautoga Onitis): Blackfish have been described as bulldogs because of their small but stout stature and aggressive nature.  While they primarily only feed on crabs, once hooked can offer an amazing fight.  The trickiest part is knowing when to set the hook.