Striped bass are the big news in Rhode Island and Connecticut this week. Anglers in both states have some great opportunities to get out and catch a few schoolies this weekend.

Rhode Island

The migrating stripers had made it as far as Newport according to Mike at the Saltwater Edge. Access remains the primary challenge for Newport anglers, but in the open areas, a few schoolies are being taken. The water is still a little cold, Mike said, but over the next few weeks, things should really improve.

The more reliable bet for striper action has been the West Wall. The report from Galilee Bait and Tackle said that schoolie stripers are coming through in waves. The West Wall has been a hotspot, but Carpenter’s Beach and the Narrow River have some small stripers as well. The holdovers that wintered in the Providence River seem to be dropping out, following the herring into Narragansett Bay.

Still no word on blackfish action, though that fishing should be picking up.

Trout season opened in Rhode Island this week, and there should be plenty of fish left over for anglers interested in hitting the freshwater this weekend. Largemouth bass action is approaching prime time as the big fish move shallow and prepare for the spawn. Throughout southern New England, there have been big largemouth catches over the past few weeks.

Connecticut

Pat at River’s End had a lot to say about the striper action. Hamburg Cove is seeing a lot of striper action, and more fish seem to be moving into the lower river. Sandworms have been one of the top baits for the bass in the Lower Connecticut River. The Housatonic is also fishing well, with more action happening at the mouth of the river.

Trout season opens this weekend in Connecticut, opening up many more possibilities for trout seeking anglers. No doubt each stocking has been sweetened with a couple big breeders as well.

Also in freshwater largemouth fishing is hitting its peak. These warm days are pulling big female bass into the shallows where anglers are connecting with them on spinnerbaits, small crankbaits and jigs. Smallmouth bass are also moving shallower. Jerkbaits with long pauses will draw strikes from the smallies.

Best Bets for the Weekend

Our usual RI/CT Fishing Forecaster, Kierran Broatch is out enjoying his opening trout day tradition this weekend, and I suggest you do the same. I fished opening day on Beach Pond in Voluntown a couple years ago and was struck by the variety of fish taken. Big trout, salmon, pickerel, walleye and even a 10-pound bass!

Speaking of largemouth bass, that would be my other pick for the weekend. The largemouth fishing doesn’t get much better than it will be over the next couple weeks.

But, many fishermen just can’t wait to get their striper season started. Look low in the Connecticut rivers for bigger concentrations of bass, and target the West Wall, Carpenter’s Beach and the Narrow River. Keep in mind that most of these bass will be undersized. The odds of hooking a keeper right now are pretty slim. In fact, most reports are showing bass of 16 inches or less. With that in mind, crush the barbs on your lures so as to do minimal damage to these small stripers and give them a chance to grow into cows.