Unless you’re willing to drive a ways, ice fishing is pretty much out of the question at this point. On the other hand, our ice-free bodies of water are creating unique fishing opportunities this winter. Anglers are cashing in on open water trout, bass, pike, pickerel, and perch – in February! For those that prefer the saltwater variety, codfish or holdover striped bass are good options too. Another great excuse to get out the house this weekend is the Northeast Hunting and Fishing Show in Hartford, where you can visit favorite vendors and network with anglers from all over the region.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Fishing for cod on the East Grounds remains a worthy option for anglers, especially with these comfortable February temperatures. Some big fish came over the rail late last week before wind kept boats at bay for three days starting Sunday. Captain Chris of the Island Current reported that Marc Ottenger of New Jersey landed a 44-pound beast of a cod last Thursday. On Friday, Tommy Waveo from New York took home the pool with a 28-pounder. The wind flattened out for Wednesday and the cod were right where they left them, with some anglers limiting out and a pool fish of 17 pounds. Chris said they are chumming a lot and that it has been mostly a bait bite (skimmer clams) in shallower water about 85 to 95 feet deep, where there have been slightly fewer pesky dogfish.
Captain Mike of the Frances Fleet also reported fine cod fishing in beautiful weather on Wednesday. At least six anglers caught their limits with a few others not far behind. A group of four from Massachusetts went home happy with a cooler of 30 keepers. No real giants lately, but fat market-sized cod that are gorging on the herring and mackerel. The upcoming weather window looks relatively nice for this time of year, so whether it’s with Seven B’s, Frances Fleet or Island Current, there are good codfish opportunities to be had right now.
Casting for winter stripers in upper Narragansett Bay can be another fun way to spend a few hours. OTW contributor Dave Pickering has seen an uptick in holdover bass in the Providence River this past week. He landed a dozen fish in his last couple outings, two of which were keepers, using 4-inch Zoom Super Flukes threaded onto 3/8-ounce jig heads. Dave believes color choice has been a factor with “white ice” the hot ticket lately. He keeps the baits as close to the bottom as possible with a slow retrieve and an occasionally bounce of the rod tip.
For freshwater anglers, all public lakes, ponds, rivers and streams are free of ice and open to fishing until the last day of February. Some folks are still taking advantage of the hefty rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon stocked in a number of ponds last fall, including Barber, Carbuncle and Meadow Brook. Anglers are also casting to other species of fish like pike, pickerel, bass and perch during this unusually mild winter; it can’t hurt to dust off the gear and try. Dave at River and Riptide Anglers has some customers finding cooperative rainbow trout in the Wood River recently. Clive Bennet scored eight trout on the fly rod the other day using fuzzy hare’s ear nymphs with tungsten bead heads.
Connecticut Fishing Report
A huge draw for anglers this weekend will be the 15th annual Northeast Fishing & Hunting Show at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. Dozens of fishing-related companies, guides and organizations from all across the region will be on hand. There will also be 50 hours of seminars including World-Record Striper holder Greg Myerson on targeting trophy striped bass, Captain John Planeta on deepwater fluking, Captain Greg Dubrule on night striped bass fishing the Race, Captain Pete Meyer on black fishing tactics, Captain Jerry Sparks and Captain Howard Reed on fly and light-tackle kayak fishing, Captain Bruce’s best kept secrets for trophy bass, Captain Bill Brown on great ground fishing around Block Island, Captain Pat Renna on light-tackle trolling tubes, and Captain TJ Karbowski on down rigging for striped bass success. Tickets are $12 for adults, $4 for children between five and 12 years old, and free for children under five.
The upper sections of the lower Housatonic River continue to offer holdover striped bass opportunities if you’re looking for a tight line. Captain Ian Devlin recommended focusing on the area from the Merritt Parkway north to the confluence with the Naugatuck River. Most of the bass are small, but there are keeper sized ones mixed in. Chris at Stratford Bait and Tackle caught a few from shore in Shelton on Monday using a white curly tail on a ¾-ounce jig head with a slow retrieve. Unfortunately, the Thames River winter fishery continues to disappoint this year. Joe at The Fish Connection said it has been really hit or miss for stripers in Norwich Harbor, where historically it’s been much better. On a slightly brighter note, Joe said the white perch bite is showing signs of picking up. He mentioned that the docks in Norwich Harbor are good places to find them with little jigs like Mister Twisters or marabou jigs.
It was another good week for northern pike action in the Connecticut River and her tributaries. Andrew at Fishin’ Factory III told me that some of his customers are scoring decent fish in the Haddam and Deep River area using crank baits or swim baits such as Live Target’s Blue-back Herring. Blaine Anderson of Connecticut Outfitters reported that the Connecticut River coves are loaded with yellow perch and crappie that are corralling juvenile baitfish. He also said there is plenty of ice in our neighboring states to the north if you don’t want to put away the gear just yet.
Fishing for bass and perch over traditional ice fishing spots on Candlewood Lake has been productive for a few anglers launching boats lately. Some nice smallmouth and yellow perch are hitting blade baits, drop shots, and jigging Rapalas in 30 to 40 feet of water. Trout fishing has been another solid option with the mild weather. Cappy at Captain Morgan Bait and Tackle suggest trying the Trout Management Areas of the Farmington and Hammonassett rivers.
Best Bets for Rhode Island and Connecticut
A codfish trip with some buddies could be just what the doctor ordered this weekend. It has been a solid bite of market-sized fish in some unheard of February conditions, and the chance for a trophy is always lingering. Or, this weekend’s Northeast Hunting and Fishing Show should be a good change of pace from the usual midwinter grind. Why not rub elbows with hundreds of like-minded fishermen and make some good deals and contacts in the process? Informative seminars and demonstrations are going on all weekend or you can just browse the booths. Look for On The Water at booths 118 & 120!