Striper Fishing Improving With the Weather
This past March reminded us of what May usually feels like and now May has started out feeling a lot like March. The recent cold snap and much needed rains have dropped water temperatures a hair, putting a bit of a damper on some local fresh and saltwater fishing. That being said, there are a good number of worthy angling opportunities to be had right now and this weekend’s warm-up should be just what we need to put the action into high gear.
Rhode Island
Saltwater fishing continues to progress locally, albeit a little slower this past week due to raw weather. Peter at Saltwater Edge said surf fishermen in the Newport area are doing well in regards to schoolie striped bass with the occasional keeper-sized fish sprinkled in. He also said the squidding has been good on certain nights with buckets being filled in the usual haunts like Goat Island Causeway and others. Bigger bass are also enjoying the influx of squid. Peter heard word this week of a 30-pound striper caught mid-Narragansett Bay on a freshly jigged squid. There are reports of weakfish returning as well. For these elusive fish, try targeting upper Bay grass beds in rivers and bays with small pink Ron Z’s, Slug-Gos and shrimp flies.
OTW contributor Dave Pickering is still racking up keeper bass from shore in Narragansett Bay and he also caught his first bluefish this week; a 5-pounder on a white Slug-Go. When after early-season stripers, Dave recommended targeting shallow and moving waters like rivers, outflows, channels, and backwater ponds that have movement. He said to focus on places with current generated by tide, wind or natural water movement. Dave pointed out that stripers are naturally drawn to moving water because that’s where the food tends to flow. If you can find these spots in shallow water that heats up quickly, you probably have a good bet for early season fishing.
The recent weather quieted down cinder worm activity in Rhode Island’s salt ponds, though striped bass are still being found there. Dave at River and Riptide believes that the coming warm spell and full moon this weekend could really turn on the worm hatches and bass bite.
Mike at Watch Hill Outfitters said the Pawcatuck River has been fishing well for striped bass thanks to adult bunker keeping them there. Dean, a regular customer, landed a 41-incher this past week in the Cemetery Cove area using a small Gag’s Grabber popper that he reinforced with stronger hooks. Mike also noted that sandworms on bottom or Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows fished slowly are producing keeper-sized bass.
Fluke season just opened in Rhode Island waters on Tuesday, so not many reports have come in yet. Elisa from Snug Harbor Marina did tell me that John Martini brought in a 4.2-pound fluke on Wednesday that was caught off the south shore. She suggested trying bucktails with squid strips off the beaches in the Matunuck and Green Hill area. Steve at Breachway Bait and Tackle likes 70 feet of water this time of year in areas like Nebraska Shoal or Five Cottages, but would try shallower on bluebird sunny days. Mike at Watch Hill Outfitters suggested focusing in 60 to 90-feet of water off Misquamicut or around Old Reef. Wherever you end up, keep in mind that there is an 8-fish limit this season with a minimum length of 18.5-inches.
Blackfish are still being caught on rock piles throughout Narragansett Bay. Captain Thom at Quaker Lane Outfitters said green and Asian crabs are the ticket in water ranging from 15 to 50 feet deep, although he tends to stay in the shallower end of that spectrum this time of year. Thom said the same places that hold tautog in the fall should be good now, but specifically mentioned the water around the navy base in Newport as a good place to try. Thom reminded me that porgy season also opened in Rhode Island waters on May 1, but he doesn’t know of anyone even attempting to target them yet.
In freshwater, Thom said that he has seen no largemouth bass nests yet while checking out the Coventry pond near his home. He recommends sticking with live shiners for bass right now unless you have the patience to really crawl artificial lures. The Wood River is sporting beautiful water levels and hosting good numbers of trout according to Dave at River and Riptide. He said lots of caddis are coming off the water in addition to black quills. When no fish are rising, fly anglers can’t go wrong with a Woolly Bugger or nymphing with classic patterns like pheasant tails or hare’s ears. Here’s a great deal from Dave: anyone who stops in at the shop and mentions the OTW Report will get a free fly for the Wood River. This weekend is Rhode Island’s free fishing days, a great way to test the waters here in little Rhody.
Connecticut
The striped bass fishing continues to roll on inside Connecticut’s tidal rivers, but it’s also picking up on certain Long Island Sound reefs, which is a positive sign. In the Thames River, a couple roaming schools of menhaden are helping with the striper and bluefish activity according to Joe at The Fish Connection. He said the bass are mostly schoolies, but some toothy critters have been found to 9 pounds in Norwich Harbor. Joe’s grandson also reported seeing squid in the Mystic River and around Stonington docks one night this week.
Connecticut River reports have really been off and on this lately according to Pat at River’s End. One day he hears good news, the next day it’s slow. One pattern he has noticed is that it has been more consistent in the Haddam stretch than it is closer to the mouth. Pat was optimistic about what could be coming our way soon as he’s hearing impressive reports from right across the Sound.
Andrew at Fishin’ Factory III said the Connecticut River was noticeably tougher for him this week in the Middletown stretch while throwing lures for stripers. However, many of his customers drowning sandworms didn’t skip a beat. Also hitting the sandworms are good numbers of white perch, especially in the Harbor Park area. Andrew did say better striped bass reports were coming from the north in the Windsor area, perhaps because it’s shallower, warms up quicker and is caked with baitfish. He also noted that the Mattabasset River mouth has been a good place for pike, including a 40-incher that ate a bunker chunk.
In the open Sound, Kerry at J&B Tackle told me Plum Gut on a flood tide and the Race are giving up a few fish for those three-waying bucktails, though it’s not overly consistent yet. Mark at Hillyers said anglers are chunking up bluefish from the Millstone outflow, as well as picking up bass by trolling parachutes and tubes in front of there and along Bartlett’s Reef. Cappy at Captain Morgan Bait and Tackle said water temperatures in the central Sound are hovering around 54-degrees and areas like outer Southwest Reef, Six Mile Reef and Beacon Point are all starting to see numbers of striped bass and a smattering of bluefish. He also said he’s heard about catches of the elusive weakfish already south of Faulkner’s.
The striper fishing in the Housatonic River below the Derby Dam is heating up according to Chris at Harborview Bait and Tackle. He added that when the dam is making power the fishing seems to be better off. Chris also said that there are hordes of herring up there and artificial lures are working best to mimic them, including Guppy pencil poppers, plastic swimming plugs, and wooden metal-lips.
The western end of Long Island Sound is holding an increasing amount of bunker and striped bass. I stopped by Fisherman’s World in Norwalk on Tuesday and Rick told me anglers are snagging fresh bunker in local harbors and taking them to deeper water to use as chunk bait. Rick and a friend scored bass up to 22-pounds this way during their last trip out. With any luck, droves of bunker will keep making their merry way into the Sound.
In other saltwater news, blackfish season ended strong and fluke season doesn’t open until May 15. Porgy season just opened, but still no reports for them yet. As for winter flounder, Mark at Hillyers reported that numbers aren’t excellent, but enough to take your two-fish limit home on most trips. He suggested trying places like the flats across from the Connecticut River breakwater jetty, as well as the Niantic River and Harkness Memorial State Park. Mark said fishing sandworms or clams along with clam chum should do just fine.
For freshwater, the upper Housatonic River just received a truckload of 9,000 brown and rainbow trout on Tuesday. Torrey from Housatonic River Outfitters said the fresh browns are up to 14-inches long, but the new rainbows are bigger up to 18-inches. Even before this stocking, Torrey noted that it’s been the best winter and early-spring fishing he’s seen during his 27 years on the river; just amazing numbers of holdover trout being landed, which he partly contributed to very wade-friendly flows. For dry fly anglers, he noted good olive and tan caddis hatches lately and heard rumors of a few March browns coming off the water. The most consistent angling method has been nymphing though, with the most productive patterns being stoneflies in sizes #8 to #10, prince nymphs in #10 to #14, and caddis pupa in #14 to #16. To really cash in on the freshly stocked trout, Torrey said to swing a classic black Woolly Bugger this weekend.
The recent cold snap has been mess bass up who are trying to spawn according to John at Valley Angler, but he believes the warm-up and full moon on the way will have just about every bass around thinking about getting on beds, so focus in shallower water wherever you go. John also added anglers are picking off walleye at Squantz Pond along the beach dragging hair jigs tipped with night crawlers.
Best Bets for the Weekend
More and bigger striped bass and bluefish are streaming into Connecticut and Rhode Island waters everyday and this weekend’s warm spell could really blow things wide open. While tidal rivers are more consistent right now, they are not the only areas holding fish anymore. In Rhode Island, be on the lookout for good cinder worm hatches during the full moon phase this weekend. In Connecticut, try the upper reaches of the lower Housatonic River or the Windsor area of the Connecticut for a solid herring-induced striper bite.
In freshwater, the Cornwall area of the upper Housatonic River is fishing very well and the addition of 9,000 more trout this week will surely make things more interesting for anglers. As for freshwater bass, the warm-up and full moon phase this weekend had John at Valley Angler pretty convinced that every largemouth bass would be thinking “beds” this weekend. It might be worth the effort to ply the shallows of a lake like Candlewood this weekend looking for big bass.