Race rips fire as 68-degree water stacks bass on the flood

The eastern Sound finally hit that sweet spot where everything clicks. Water temps pushed 68 degrees this week, and that 4-degree jump from last Monday flipped the switch on bass that had been sulking in the deep water. The Race is fishing like it should in mid-June — mean, fast, and loaded with fish that want to eat.

I've been working the flood tide hard, starting my drifts on the west side where the current builds momentum before it screams through the gut. Three-way rigs with 6-ounce sinkers and white bucktails are getting hammered in 80 to 120 feet. The key is staying tight to bottom as you drift through — these fish are hugging the structure, and if you're not bouncing rocks, you're not in the zone. Had seven bass yesterday morning, including two overs that went 36 and 38 inches. The 38 came on a chartreuse-skirted bucktail tipped with a 6-inch Gulp eel, worked slow on the bottom as the current picked up speed.

Plum Gut is producing more consistent numbers but smaller fish. The slot bass are stacked up on the flood, especially in that 60 to 80-foot range where the bottom drops off sharp. White and pink bucktails in the 4 to 6-ounce range are money here — the current isn't as violent as The Race, so you can get away with lighter tackle and work the bait more actively. I'm seeing boats limit out on slot fish by working the edges of the channel where the current breaks.

The bait situation is what's driving this bite. Bunker schools are thick from Orient Point east to Fishers Island, and the 68-degree water has them active and vulnerable. I'm marking massive bait clouds on the finder, especially during the last two hours of flood when the current pushes everything tight against the structure. The bass are following the food, and right now that food is getting funneled through the major rips.

Bluefish are mixed in but not dominating like they can in July. Saw some gorilla blues in The Race that went 15-plus pounds — absolute freight trains that'll clean out your tackle box if you're not ready. Wire leaders are mandatory if you want to keep fishing after the first blue hits.

Weakfish showed up this week in decent numbers, mostly on the Connecticut side in 40 to 60 feet. Pink and white bucktails worked slow on the bottom during the last hour of ebb are producing fish to 24 inches. Nothing huge, but solid eating-size fish that are a welcome change from the bass grind.

The full moon spring tides are pushing hard water through all the major cuts. The Race is running 4-plus knots at peak flood, which makes boat handling critical but also concentrates the fish. I'm timing my drifts to hit the structure just as the current builds — too early and the fish aren't positioned, too late and the rip gets too violent to fish effectively.

Looking ahead, this weather pattern should hold through the weekend. Water temps are stable in the mid-to-upper 60s, and the bait is showing no signs of moving off. The new moon is coming next week, which should ease the current speed and make The Race more manageable for smaller boats. I'm expecting the bite to stay strong as long as the bunker schools hold in the area.

For the weekend warriors, focus on Plum Gut if you want numbers and The Race if you want a shot at a trophy. Both spots are fishing best on the flood tide, roughly two hours after slack water when the current has momentum but hasn't gone nuclear yet. Bring heavy tackle — 30-pound braid minimum with 50-pound fluorocarbon leaders. These fish are in the rocks, and light tackle is just donating gear to the bottom.