Ice Gets Iffy, Cod Bite Slows
Last weekend was one of the busiest ice-fishing weekends for southern New England in quite some time. The rain and warmth that came this week took away some of our hardwater options, but several bodies of water had more than enough ice to survive and more cold is on the way. In addition to ice fishing, there is a solid cod bite off Rhode Island if the weather cooperates, holdover stripers and herring in tidal rivers, and trout fishing in and streams.
Rhode Island
A number of frozen lakes and ponds in the northern part of the state most likely endured the latest skirmish in the temperature tug of war we’ve been experiencing this winter, although you may need a plank to get on the edges. Larry at East Providence Bait Co. has been selling a lot of bait to anglers hitting the hardwater, but said to be cautious of conditions after Wednesday night’s rain and wind. He noted that customers have been using live shiners under tip-ups and jigs to tap into the trout and salmon stocked at Lincoln Woods. Larry also mentioned a tournament that ‘Between the Cracks’ is sponsoring this Saturday at the Crystal Lake Golf Course in Burrillville. It’s $10 to enter and there are prizes for biggest fish in each category, as well as for best cook so break out the old Coleman grill. Check-in begins at 5:30 AM and the tournament runs from 7 AM to 2 PM. You can call Gerry, the tournament organizer, at (401) 651-5680 about latest ice conditions there. As for other places that held up during the warm-up, calling local tackle shops that carry ice equipment or checking the Rhode Island forum on www.IceShanty.com are good places to start, but the only real way of knowing for sure is by checking conditions yourself!
When the weather allows it, there is some great cod fishing to be done right now off Block Island. The Island Current out of Snug Harbor has had some great trips over the last several days with large concentrations of bait in the area. On Saturday, the pool-winning codfish was around 20 pounds caught by Mary from NY. There were also many cod limits reached and added catches of pollock and baseball bat-sized ling. On Monday, Island Current had two boats on the grounds that both did well, including catches like Erik from CT’s 34-pounder, as well as Matt F. and Charlie G.’s combined total of 20 cod up to 21-pounds. On Tuesday, two Island Current boats were on the cod grounds again, one of which was full of folks from OTW. Captain Chris said the bite was noticeably slower than it had been the previous two outings, but there was a steady, slow pick throughout the day with a nice mix of cod, ling and pollock, in warm temperatures to boot. The big fish of the day was a 20-pound pollock. Wednesday’s trip was called off due to a wind advisory, but local head boats will be sailing again as soon as weather permits.
Frances Fleet also reported some stellar cod action on the grounds earlier this week. Monday seemed to be the day of days, as first mate Chris reported a full boat limit of cod landed with 25 fish over 20 pounds, and five of those were over 30-pounds! High-hook of the trip managed 22 keepers, five of which were over the 20-pound mark. Tuesday was also slower for Frances Fleet out there, but high hook still brought in 15 keepers and the pool-winning fish was approaching 30-pounds. Not a bad couple of days of cod fishing until foul weather put things on hold again.
Some anglers are still plugging away for holdover striped bass in places like the Providence River according to Steve at Saltwater Edge. He said a customer nabbed a 32-incher last week with an SP Minnow and that others are catching on soft-plastic baits and white bucktails, all around the hurricane barrier. Steve said that it’s been pretty quiet otherwise with many people using the downtime to get ready for the upcoming saltwater season by servicing reels, tying leaders, changing hooks on plugs, and the like.
There is also stream fishing for trout to be done until the end February. Dave at River and Riptide spooked some skittish brook trout in gin-clear water over the weekend on the Wood River. He had a nice follow while drifting egg patterns, but no takers. He’ll be going to one of the more popular access points downstream this weekend where there are plenty of stocked trout still present from the fall. I can think of worse things to do than talking trout along a beautiful stream on a sunny winter day!
Connecticut
This week’s rain and warm temps didn’t help ice conditions, but it wasn’t a death knell for our season by any means either. A number of lakes and ponds across the state still have plenty of ice if you’d like to chase some flags or jig up some biters this weekend. Cheyenne at The Fish Connection said the Griswold Fish and Game Club is hosting a big derby on Pachaug Pond this Saturday. Registration starts at 5: 30 AM and the derby runs from 7:30 AM until 1 PM. There is an entry fee of $25 and cash prizes for top three largest fish by weight only. Think big baits for big pike if you want to be among the top three finishers in that one.
Another classic ice tournament that was scheduled for this Saturdy, the Jig & Pig on Candlewood Lake, was just pushed back one week due to poor conditions. Dave at Valley Angler, who is organizing it, said you must be registered by Friday, February 8th at 6 PM. The Jig & Pig runs from 6 AM to 2 PM out of the New Fairfield State Park Boat Launch. There is a $25 entry fee and cash prizes will be awarded for the heaviest bass, perch and trout. Dave said some jumbo yellow perch and smallmouth bass have been coming out of Candlewood before the rain. Even though several bodies of water still have fishable ice, remember that no ice is 100% safe. Hardwater anglers have to use their heads out there this weekend and don’t leave home without your spud bar and ice picks!
The warm weather this week brought a few open water anglers out of the house as well. Jason at Bobby J’s Bait and Tackle targeted winter stripers in the Housatonic River on Tuesday night and found them chewing pretty well. He and a couple friends caught 13 fish, including three keepers with the two biggest going 32 and 34-inches. Rick at Fisherman’s World said sea herring can still be found in certain western Sound rivers and harbors, like behind the Maritime Center in Norwalk. The golden ticket for the herring remains Sabiki rigs, but the tide they bite most on seems to change. Rick also noted that some sea-run brown trout are being caught on the Saugatuck River, but mum’s the word on exactly when and where for that unicorn of a fish.
Fishing Forecast for the Weekend
Ice fishing has to be at the top of my list for this weekend because February is here and we’re probably only looking at a few more solid weeks of this type of fishing. Cold weather is back and should firm up many places that lost some ice in the recent warm spell. Whether you’re entering a derby or want to take the kids out for their first time on ice, there are plenty of choices up north this weekend. Live shiners on tip-ups or live grubs tipped on a jig are great ways to pull fish from under the ice. Stay safe and have fun out there!