Photo by Tom Migdalski

For southern New England saltwater anglers, July means hot fishing in Long Island Sound. And the favorite summertime quarry in the Sound is striped bass. Thanks to strict conservation efforts instituted in the 1980s, recent years have produced an explosion in the region's striper population.

The action peaks in June and continues well into July. If you are seeking a king-sized cow bass, you'll need to invest more time fishing at night. These large, lone feeders are primarily nocturnal and will fall for favorite foods like live eels and menhaden.

But daylight fishing can produce good catches of school-sized bass. These fish are available in great numbers, and odds are that when you find one, you'll also find many of its schoolmates. According to local charter captains, now is a good time to get in on the schoolie bass bite.

"I'm very optimistic about the Sound's striper population," said Captain Dixon Merkt, of Old Saybrook, Connecticut. "There's a strong nucleus of fish in the 18- to 32-inch range, and over the last couple of years we've done very well with them. I think this year will be as good, if not better, than the last few years. What's exciting about July stripers is that when you find them, you normally find them in numbers. You're not going to catch just one fish -- you're going to catch six or more, especially if they are breaking along a rip or over a reef."

Many of Connecticut's linesiders are fish that spend the off-season in the deep channels of our major river systems and the Hudson River in New York. Once the water temperature reaches about 50 degrees (usually late April or early May), this multitude of fish migrates into Long Island Sound to spend the summer.

During the same spring period, another body of fish migrates northward from Chesapeake Bay, rounds Montauk Point at the tip of Long Island and floods into Long Island Sound, where both populations merge and create outstanding late-spring and early-summer fishing.

Action on July's schoolie bass can be good from almost any tidal location, including shore-fishing from estuaries, beaches and jetties, or by boat. Although these fish will bite throughout the day, your best bet is to fish early and late when the sun is low and beach and boat traffic is minimal.

The Connecticut coast boasts numerous reefs and rips that hold bass throughout the season. For anglers without a boat, the Nutmeg State has several great shoreline access spots as well as many party boats and private charters to put you on the fish. Listed from east to west, here are some of the top bass hotspots in your area this month.

BARTLETT REEF, WATERFORD
At the east end of the state, the highly productive Jordon Cove launch area is in Waterford.

"It's a great all-purpose spot," Capt. Merkt said, "because you can fish it from shore or boat. It's a hotspot from the rocks at first light for most species through the season, starting with the bass in the early summer and ending with false albacore and Spanish mackerel in the fall."

When launching at Jordon Cove, Bartlett Reef is out of the bay and a short run to the southeast.

"If you have a small boat," Capt. Merkt said, "try the north end of the reef where there are assorted rockpiles. They produce excellent bass fishing at this time of year. My favorite time here is the outgoing tide. But be careful of the breaking rocks at low water. If you are new to the spot, you'll need a chart.

"There's also good fishing at the south end around the spindle. Another larger rip is located farther south of the spindle, but you'll need a seaworthy craft to fish there. The entire length of the mile-long rip is good fishing, and working birds will often pinpoint the fish for you," he noted.