Black Sea Bass

Season in Connecticut

OTW May 2025: season opens mid-May (May 17 or 18). CT DEEP Aug 2012: good over hard rocky bottom and wrecks. OTW July 2025: keepers a challenge in the western Sound. OTW Oct 2025: activity ticked up. OTW Jan 2023: a good showing before the season ended (boat). (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Hard rocky bottom and submerged wrecks (CT DEEP 2012); better in the eastern Sound (OTW July 2026 search summary).

On the bottom right against structure: pier pilings, jetty rocks, reefs.

What to look for

Structure: pilings, rocks, live bottom. Many short fish mean you need to move to bigger structure.

What to throw

Bucktail or jighead with a 4 to 5 in paddle tail1/2 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in tail. Slow hops along the bottom: lift, drop, let it touch, repeat.

Bait

Squid strips (about 3 in by 1/2 in), Cut mullet or bluefish, Shrimp, Crab. Two-hook dropper rig with 1/0 to 3/0 circle hooks on short droppers, sinker just heavy enough to hold the bottom.

Leader

Short 2 to 3 in droppers with 1/0 to 3/0 circle hooks.

Common mistakes

• Fishing open sand away from structure
• Keeping fish under the 13 in limit (many pier fish are short)

Landing

Swing small fish up; use a pier net for big ones.

Handling

• Sharp dorsal spines
• Sharp gill cover spines

Smooth the dorsal fin down from front to back before you grip it.

Keep or release

Good eating; keepers can be hard to find in the western Sound (OTW July 2025).

Recipes for black sea bass

Typical: About 12 in, 1 lb. Large: 3 lb and up (big males with a blue hump). SC record 8 lb 3 oz (1995).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the CT limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Connecticut DEEP Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.

Sources

• On The Water: What's Biting in May in Connecticut? (Elser, Rayner, 2025) (Angler knowledge)
• CT DEEP Long Island Sound marine fishing report, Aug 2 2012 (reposted on Patch) (Official source)
• On The Water: What's Biting in July in Connecticut? (Elser, Rayner, 2025) (Angler knowledge)
• On The Water: Connecticut Fishing Report, Oct 16 2025 (Black Hall Outfitters, Middlebank) (Angler knowledge)
• On The Water: Connecticut Fishing Report, Jan 12 2023 (Dan's Bait, Black Hall Outfitters) (Angler knowledge)
• NOAA NEFSC Essential Fish Habitat source document: black sea bass (2nd ed.) (Official source)
• SCDNR species profile: black sea bass (Official source)
• SCDNR saltwater game fish records (Official source)

All the fish of Connecticut