Time to Get Fresh with Salmon, Trout, Bass, Pike and Panfish
It’s that time of year when freshwater fishing and other hobbies have replaced saltwater options for many anglers. It may take a little thinking outside the box, but there are a number of ways to scratch the fishing itch with December at our doorstep, including opportunities for Atlantic salmon, trout, smallmouth bass, crappie, and northern pike. If you can’t shake the salty urge, there are a few straggler stripers along the beaches, holdover bass entering winter hangouts, and blackfish on deep-water rock piles.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
You can cue “The End” by The Doors now because Rhode Island’s inshore saltwater is all but over. Hopes for a repeat of last year’s late push of striped bass feeding on sea herring are dwindling fast. There are a few schoolies being caught along the South Shore, but it’s pretty barren out there according to Steve McKenna at Quaker Lane Outfitters. He and plenty of other anglers are instead turning their attention toward freshwater options, like trout fishing in several ponds stocked this fall. Steve suggested Barber, Carbuncle and Onley Ponds to name a few places. To entice these trout, he recommended casting metal spoons, soaking Power Bait on bottom or fishing small shiners under a float. For other places to try, follow this link and scroll down for a list of all designated trout waters throughout the state: http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bnatres/fishwild/pdf/freshabs.pdf.
Ponds weren’t the only place to receive fall stockings. Dave at River and Riptide said the Wood River is full of trout and has a good, clear flow. He believes the upcoming weekend should be a good one for fly fishing there using big prince nymphs sporting bright hotspots to help them stand out. For anyone not looking to hang up their light-tackle saltwater gear just yet, Dave added that there are hickory shad and schoolie bass in the Narrow River. He recommended casting small chartreuse Clousers on a six or seven-weight fly rod about a mile north of the river mouth.
If you’re trying to fill the freezer for this winter, there are still ways to get out for tautog and codfish. Captain Frank of the Frances Fleet reported that local blackfish action was quite good this past reporting period with only one real slow day (Friday) due to dirty water. He said this past Monday was the best recent outing with a near full boat limit of tog up to 12.5 pounds! Frank added that more and more cod are showing up as well with Saturday being the best day for them into the mid-teen size in pounds. If your boat isn’t winterized yet, Matt at Snug Harbor Marina told me the blackfish windows are getting shorter, but there are still plenty of keepers to be had in 55 to 65 feet of water off Newport and east of Block Island.
Connecticut Fishing Report
As in Rhode Island, the fading saltwater season has many anglers dusting off their freshwater gear or hitting deer stands. One sweetwater option that has become synonymous with late fall is broodstock Atlantic salmon. Over 1,000 salmon up to 15 pounds have been released in the Naugatuck and Shetucket River this year and no one has been able to keep any until this coming weekend (daily creel limit becomes one fish on Dec. 1). OTW contributor Chris Elser has been tapping into some 12-pounders on the lower Naugatuck River while swinging sparse flies less than two inches long that have white or chartreuse in them. He said these salmon are lazy compared to their wild brethren, so he concentrates on the deeper runs and tail-ends of pools. Chris noted that one similar instinct they do have to wild fish is that they like to take the fly right at the very end of the swing after following it for several yards! For more info on broodstock stocking and regulations, click here: http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=4173&Q=511870.
The Connecticut River is another fishery attracting a lot of anglers at the moment. Andrew of Fishin’ Factory III said several people are coming in for golden pond shiners and fishing them under slip floats for northern pike. He has other customers targeting pike along the riverbank with artificial lures like swim baits and soft-plastics, but the live goldies have been out-producing everything lately. Andrew also relayed that the crappie bite in several Connecticut River coves remains red hot. For them he suggested fishing over structure with small jigs tipped with pinhead shiners or white curly-tail grubs.
Anyone looking for a freshwater bass fix can head over to Candlewood Lake. Pat at Candlewood Lake Bait and Tackle reported that anglers drifting live shiners or fishing Keitech Minnows in 25 to 40 feet of water are reeling in some nice smallmouth bass in the 3- to 4-pound range. He added that water temperatures there are still in the mid- to high 40’s.
While freshwater may be the more consistent play right now, there are still some saltwater opportunities left to take advantage of in Connecticut waters. Schoolie stripers and the occasional small keeper are being caught along certain Long Island Sound beaches according to Pat at Rivers End. He reported that bass ranging from mid-teens in inches to mid-teens in pounds are being caught along the Waterford shoreline with top-water lures during daylight hours and needlefish plugs and Slug-Gos after dark. However, there are still no confirmed reports of sea herring showing up yet.
A better bet for striped bass right now is probably fishing our tidal rivers, where many of these fish will be wintering over. Cheyenne at The Fish Connection reported that schoolies are being caught again in Norwich Harbor with white Fin-S Fish and Super Flukes on 3/8-ounce jig heads. Jason at Bobby J’s said the Housatonic River from the Sikorsky Bridge to the Derby area is loaded with bass in the 18- to 24-inch range slamming Diawa SP Minnows. Blaine of Connecticut Outfitters found plenty of Housatonic stripers in that same stretch last weekend using 4- to 5-inch soft-plastic baits on 3/8-ounce jig heads. Lastly on the striper front, Chris from Stratford Bait and Tackle told me a customer recently landed 23 shorts and 2 keepers from the mouth of the Housatonic at night this week using plastic swimmers.
Blackfishing in the Sound keeps getting tougher as they continue to move deeper and get picked over at the more popular spots. Nick at Fisherman’s World recommended bouncing around to various breakwalls and deep-water rock piles to find your limit. He added that Luke Tucciarone culled through a lot of shorts for some keepers up to eight-pounds at the New Haven walls last weekend, so there are still some decent fish around, but you have to really work for them.
Fishing Forecast for Connecticut and Rhode Island
Whether it’s targeting trout in Rhode Island or northern pike and salmon in Connecticut, freshwater fishing is probably your best bet this weekend. Try casting spoons in Barber Pond or drifting nymph patterns in the Wood River. Or you can soak golden pond shiners under a slip bobber in the Connecticut River or swing streamers in the Naugatuck or Shetucket. If you’re not ready to throw in the towel yet in saltwater fishing, hop on a head boat for blackfish off Newport or toss soft-plastics on jig heads and Diawa SP Minnows for holdover stripers heading up the Housatonic River. There are still plenty of ways to find a tight line out there – good luck!