Striped bass trips are available both day and night from late April to mid November.  Experience the thrill of targeting these powerful, beautiful, majestic fish from a kayak, casting topwater plugs and other artificial lures, live eels, and in some cases live lining bunker. The "sleigh rides" stripers will take you on in a kayak are like nothing else! 90% of the trips I guide are specifically to target striped bass.

(All striped bass landed in healthy condition with CT Fish Nerd will be released, NO EXCEPTIONS.)

Better known throughout the northeast as "albies", they are the fastest swimming fish that grace Connecticut's waters. Maddening at times but the reward of catching them outweighs the frustration. The extreme highs and lows of targeting them, and of course the drag burning runs are what keep anglers coming back for more every year starting in September. Chasing these fish in the kayak is an absolute riot, and their topwater blitzes are a spectacle.

Variety is the spice of life, and Long Island Sound provides just that. A mixed bag trip could mean stripers and/or blues on topwater in the morning, followed by jigging for bottom fish like fluke, scup (porgy), black sea bass, weakfish, and you are likely to encounter some oddball species in between. Light tackle makes it that much more fun!

What these fish lack in the way of looks, they make up for in raw power and deliciousness. One of the best fighting and best tasting fish in Long Island Sound. There is a spring, summer, and fall season for blackfish, most of my efforts are in the fall, fishing fairly shallow with light tackle.

These fish are hands down the hardest fighting fish for their size in Connecticut's freshwater lakes and rivers. Most of the smallies I target and guide for are in river environments, which always makes for a fun kayak fishing expedition! Smallmouth trips are available and worthwhile year-round, even through the extreme heat of summer and dead of winter. River Wading Trips for smallmouth bass are also available June thru early September.

Pike are the one of the largest predatory fish in Connecticut's freshwater lakes and rivers. They can be a bit more elusive than other species, but tying into a big one is extremely rewarding! These fish will get your adrenaline pumping by following lures all the way back to the kayak, their strikes feel like a freight train, and their jumps are sensational. Pike trips are available year round.

Some of the best fishing in the state through the colder months is for panfish such as black crappie, yellow perch, and white perch. It may sound like an odd choice for a target species, but with non-stop action once you find them, and some speciemens breaking 15" or more, they make for a fun day on the water. They also taste pretty good too.

The most recognized freshwater gamefish in the country is certainly a great target species right here in Connecticut just about year round. Most of the largemouth bass fishing I spend time doing is in the spring before they spawn due to my annual shift in focus to striped bass, but I have plenty of experience with summer, fall, and winter largemouth bass bites, and will guide for them year round.

A mixed bag trip on the Connecticut River could mean a large variety of species caught using a wide array of techniques in several very different freshwater habitats. Depending on time of year, these trips could yield 10 or more species, including largemouth & smallmouth bass, pike, pickerel, crappie, yellow & white perch, bowfin, striped bass, and others. Part of the excitement in fishing the Connecticut River is not knowing what you'll catch next!