The most bizarre winter in recent memory took it a step further this week with temperatures reaching into the 60’s on the first day of February. Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted six more weeks of winter this morning, but I’m not buying into it. Even though the ice fisherman in me is whining like a schoolgirl, it’s hard to not embrace the spring-like warmth. You’d be hard-pressed not to find an angler lately who isn’t itching to break out their boat or open water gear. Many did just that over the last few days, capitalizing on freshwater opportunities like trout, pike and smallmouth bass, or targeting cod, herring and holdover striped bass in tidal waters.
Rhode Island
There were scattered reports of 200-pound class bluefin tuna gorging on sea herring in the lower Narragansett Bay this week. I’m told this winter grouping of fish is notoriously hard to catch, but the fishery is open to recreational angling. You need a tuna permit and are allowed one fish per day between 27 and 73 inches.
There are much more cooperative saltwater fish to target at the moment. Captain Mike of the Frances Fleet reported a very good day of cod fishing on Sunday. Everyone onboard went home with at least a few fillets and some anglers did better with seven or eight cod apiece. All the action throughout the day came on bait. Chris Pagliaro from Hartford took home Sunday’s pool with a nice codfish just under 15 pounds, one of his six keepers for the day. Captain Mike said there are plenty of sea herring, mackerel and even some squid around providing the forage for the cod on the grounds. As he alluded to last week, things are slowly starting to fill into their normal winter mode; it’s just going to take a bit longer this year, possibly due to the still anomalously high sea surface temperatures.
Like the weather, the local cod bite heated up even more on Tuesday. Captain Chris from the Island Current told me they crushed codfish in 100 feet of water on the East Grounds. Everyone onboard got their limit and one angler alone pulled 30 keepers over the rail. The cod were mainly keyed in on skimmer clams and the high hook of the day was 17-pounds. The waves were too much to handle on Wednesday, but Chris was optimistic about the sailing conditions from Thursday through Super Bowl Sunday.
The unseasonably warm weather this winter has benefited the holdover striped bass fishing in upper Narragansett Bay. OTW contributors Dave Pickering and Nick Pacelli have been doing pretty well lately with their best night coming last Friday in Upper Narragansett Bay. Using small Zoom Super Flukes in light-colored patterns on jig heads under ½-ounce, they were averaging schoolies in the 26-inch range. The highlight of their night was a double hookup of keeper bass just over 30 inches long, which must have been a blast on light tackle in late January.
Ice fishing is off the table, but that doesn’t mean sweetwater anglers haven’t been enjoying themselves. With most of Rhode Island’s lakes and ponds totally ice-free, a number of people are taking advantage of the rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon that were stocked late in the fall. Captain Thom of Quaker Lane Outfitters said the bite has been good lately due to the combination that these hatchery fish are used to being fed and that there’s been little angling pressure because the lack of safe ice. He said many of his customers are visiting Barber Pond and fishing live shiners or PowerBait under a float or casting spoons and Rooster Tails. Trout and salmon are not the only species on the minds of local anglers. Thom mentioned that he’s been selling extra large Arkansas shiners to pike fishermen who are launching kayaks in Hundred Acre Pond and Worden Pond.
Lakes and ponds are good options, but the Wood River is the best bet for those that like a little moving water. Dave at River and Riptide said some of his friends did well fly fishing for trout below the Check-in Station this week. All the main access points of the Wood are hosting trout and stripping Woolly Buggers or drifting weighted nymphs like pheasant tails seems to be doing the trick.
Connecticut
Unfortunately, I have come to the realization that ice fishing in Connecticut may be just about over for the season for me (not like it ever really got going anyway). Sure, there are a few shallow bodies of water in the northwest hills that you can walk on, but for many anglers it’s really not worth the effort or gas money. That being said, thankfully there is a plethora of open water angling opportunities to take advantage of so we don’t go stir crazy.
Ice or no ice, Candlewood Lake continues to produce quality smallmouth bass catches this winter. Pat at Candlewood Bait said a customer caught some nice fish this week in 18 to 30-feet of water while slowly reeling Keitech swim baits just off bottom. His best smallie was 4.75-pounds from 18-feet deep. Other productive artificials for Candlewood’s open-water winter bass include hair jigs, blade baits, and jigging Rapalas, all of which should be close to bottom.
Blaine at Connecticut Outfitters said the main stem of the Connecticut River and its coves are ice-free and fishing well for pike, schoolie stripers and channel catfish. Tired of the lack of ice fishing opportunities, he was readying his boat for a pike trip when I spoke to him on Wednesday. His friend Bill Stratton caught and released a nice fish approaching 40-inches on a dead golden pond shiner from shore earlier that day and another customer had landed a 38-inch pike at the warm-water discharge in Hartford a few days earlier, so they are biting for sure.
On my lunch break on Wednesday afternoon, I watched at least six boats in the Shelton area of the Housatonic River doing pretty well with small holdover striped bass. Most of the anglers were jigging soft-plastic baits on jig heads, but a few were casting small umbrella-like rigs called Alabama rigs. The drag of the Alabama rig seemed too much like work for my liking and the jigs were out producing them regardless. The boats were doing a whole lot of moving around trying to stay on top of the roving pods of bass. I wish I could say that the Norwich Harbor striper bite has improved any since the last dismal news, but it isn’t so. Jack at The Fish Connection said there is a very slow pick for boat anglers using soft-plastic baits on the Yantic River side of the harbor, but the action remains noticeably slower than years past.
Fishing for sea herring with Sabiki rigs in the lower sections of Long Island Sound tributaries is still worth going according to reports. Cappy at Captain Morgan Bait and Tackle said Guilford Harbor is a good shot for the central Sound, Chick at Stratford Bait and Tackle suggested Bond’s Dock in the Housatonic River, and Nick at Fisherman’s World recommended in front of the Maritime Center in the Norwalk River. If you are looking for something different but still fishing related this weekend, River’s End is hosting a knot-testing session on Saturday at 10 AM. The shop has a machine made by Berkeley that will let you know exactly how good your knot strengths and line connections are.
Best Bets for the Weekend
Above normal temperatures will carry over into the weekend, so shake off the cobwebs and try to wet a line before the Pats and Giants do battle Sunday evening. It’s rare that we have this comfortable weather in February, especially aboard a vessel off Block Island. Fishing for cod on one of Rhode Island’s fine headboats should be a great bet this weekend. The weather forecast looks good, the bite has been steadily improving and there’s always a chance to lay into a slob of a cod. For landlubbers, try open water trout and salmon fishing in one of Rhode Island’s stocked ponds, head to the Connecticut River with some big bait for toothy pike, or hit up ice-free Candlewood Lake for quality winter smallmouth bass fishing.