“One step forward, two steps back” seems to be the theme for ice fishermen this season. Connecticut and even Rhode Island were on the verge of generous options for hardwater fanatics, but this week’s spring-like weather put many lakes and ponds back to the drawing board. It’s too bad because some nice fish were iced since last week’s forecast, yet only a couple frozen bodies of water survived the thaw.
The recent warm-up has been a good incentive for a number of anglers to fish open water over the last several days. Fishing for cod seems to have turned a corner with a new body of fish settling into the grounds off Block Island. There are still sea herring clobbering Sabiki rigs in western Long Island Sound. Trout and holdover striped bass fishing in rivers has been in the sights of anglers too. In addition, there are a couple fishing and boating shows this weekend that will be worth the drive.
Rhode Island
Overall, codfish reports from local headboats have improved drastically over the last few days. Captain Chris of the Island Current said the first solid haul of the winter occurred late Sunday afternoon. They were fishing over 90 feet of water using 10-ounce diamond jigs with great success on a fresh body of cod averaging 5 to 8 pounds. Chris said the following day was phenomenal regardless if you were fishing bait or jigs. The cod were puking up mackerel and herring on the deck. The pool-winning fish was 15 pounds. Good action carried into midweek too. By 10 AM on Wednesday’s trip, there were already 100 keepers over the rail.
Other headboats experienced similar success this week. Captain Mike of the Frances Fleet reported a very strong day of local cod fishing on Wednesday. His sounding machine was continuously lit up with tremendous stacks of herring and mackerel. The codfish were underneath them and on the chew as well. The average take per angler was generally a half-dozen fat market-size fish, with at least several limit catches onboard too. There were not many throw-backs and the pool-winning fish was in the low teen size. While some fish were caught jigging early on the drift, the best bet ended up being bait on a hook later in the day.
In freshwater, chances for ice fishing anytime soon aren’t looking good. There were a few hardwater reports online from Johnson’s Pond, Wilson Reservoir and Harrisville Pond before this week’s rain and mild weather, but the ice didn’t survive. Those same bodies of water may be the first to lock back up again if Old Man Winter ever shows.
In the meantime, there is some great open-water trout fishing happening in the Wood River. Dave at River and Riptide fished it on Sunday after the storm. He was surprised to see how many trout were stacked up together. Several were holding in well oxygenated water below riffles. Using beaded purple leeches and olive Woolly Buggers, he caught a number of plump rainbow trout and native brookies, all healthy looking. With the crystal clear water the trout are a bit on the spooky side, so he suggested using 5x tippet to your fly. Dave also noted that the lower access points along the Wood below Rte. 165 like the Pines and High Banks are closed to vehicles, but you can still hike in.
Connecticut
The “lost winter” continues for ice fishermen in Connecticut. Dozens of anglers hit the ice over the weekend and some had success with pike, perch, crappie and pickerel, but it was short lived. This week’s rain and heat wave took a serious toll on most places that were ready to roll just days ago. Blaine at Connecticut Outfitters was very discouraged during our phone conversation Wednesday. The only place he could confirm that still had fishable ice was Tyler Lake in the northwest corner. A handful of other bodies of water may have enough ice to support anglers, but everything is weaker now and edges are shot so take extra caution when scouting.
There are open-water options for those that need their weekly fix of fishing. Chris at Stratford Bait and Tackle said Alabama rigs, which are all the rage on the bass circuit, have made their way on to the Housatonic River scene for holdover stripers. They are like an umbrella rig used in saltwater trolling, except small enough to be cast via rod and reel. Chris said a few anglers are picking up small holdovers in the Shelton area of the Housatonic, but it’s not lock and load.
Sea herring are still stacked in the western Sound. Rich at Fisherman’s World said Sabiki rigs, with a ½ or 1-ounce sinker depending on the current, are the way to go. He suggested trying right in front of Norwalk’s Maritime Center or various marina docks in the lower Norwalk River. Rich also spoke about good trout fishing upstream in the Wilton stretch of the Norwalk. Anglers are catching and releasing plenty of rainbow and brown trout up to 12 inches on small spoons and spinners.
For a change of pace, Cappy at Captain Morgan Bait and Tackle recommended targeting the unicorn of trout fishing, sea-run browns. This is the time of year for it and the weather is certainly cooperating. Two decent starting points would be the lower sections of the Hammonasset and Farm Rivers, especially in deep pools during incoming tides. Cappy said for spin fishermen, a small Rapala Countdown in gold or silver will work and for fly anglers, it’s hard to beat a bead head Woolly Bugger.
Pat at River’s End is hosting the CT/RI Coastal Fly Fishers for an afternoon of fly tying this Sunday from noon to 3 PM. The sessions are informal and open to everyone. Just bring your own vise and materials, pull up a chair at the table and start tying. This group is very sharing, helpful and tends to digress to fishing stories with little encouragement. If that’s not enough fly fishing for you, one of the biggest shows in the Northeast is this weekend, the Somerset Fly Fishing Show, at the Garden State Convention Center in New Jersey. This will be a real “who’s who” in the fly fishing industry. Another worthy event this weekend much closer to home is the Hartford Boat Show. You can drool over new boats and network with some great anglers from all over the region.
Best Bets for the Weekend
It finally sounds like the winter cod bite is worth writing home about. With a fresh body of fat fish in the area and bearable weather on tap, this weekend is as good of time as any to round up some friends for a trip. You have your choice for headboats – Island Current, Seven B’s and Frances Fleet to name a few – all of which will put you on a pile of fish. Be sure to call ahead the day before to make sure they are sailing.
For freshwater fans, ice fishing choices are severely limited, but that doesn’t need to keep you off the water. Trout fishing in rivers and streams is a solid option at the moment. In Rhode Island, try the main access points of the Wood River. In Connecticut, give the Norwalk River a shot in Wilton or stalk sea-run browns in the tidal sections of the Hammonasset and Farm Rivers.