Another blast of arctic weather moved across our region this past week, bringing with it sub-zero temperatures, strong winds and (lucky for ice anglers) not a whole lot of precipitation. Rhode Island and Connecticut are inundated with ice that is not going anywhere in the near future and anglers are taking full advantage.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Safe ice can finally be found with good consistency across the state, and ice-fishing reports have been plentiful at East Providence Bait Company. Many anglers have opted to try their luck for trout this week at Barber Pond and Lincoln Woods. Trout have been cooperative at both locations and willing to hit live medium shiners fished under tip-ups, and while good trout have been more common at Lincoln Woods, Barber has been giving up a nice mix of trout and largemouth bass. East Providence Bait Co. is sponsoring their annual “Between the cracks” tournament this upcoming Saturday at Crystal Lake Golf Course in Burrville, and with a solid 5 to 6 inches of ice across the lake, they are expecting another great turnout.
Ice fishermen in search of northern pike have spent a lot of time on Stump Pond and Wordens Pond this week and most have reported a poor pike bite but a very good bass and pickerel bite on large shiners. A few lucky anglers did manage some northerns this week, with the larger specimens coming on bigger dead baits fished close to the bottom.
Another ice tournament that has garnered some attention from Rhode Island fisherman is the annual Meredith Rotary Derby at Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. This tournament generally attracts a big crowd and offers some nice pay-outs. If you are interested in fishing any of the aforementioned tournaments, a quick Google search can fill you in on the specifics.
The cod fleet spent this week moored to the docks, waiting out this winter weather, but both the Frances Fleet and the Island Current II will be sailing out of Narragansett as soon as a quick break in the weather happens. Both boats have their sailing schedule online and they are updated frequently.
All has been quiet on the holdover striper front, as frigid temperatures have once again kept open water interests to a minimum.
Connecticut Fishing Report
The talk of the week across Connecticut waters was of the keeper striper that was iced in Wethersfield Cove by Pat “Sully” Sullivan of Connecticut Outfitters. The fish hit a medium shiner under a tip-up and put up quite a fight on light tackle. While uncommon, that feat is not unheard-of and is truly something that makes Connecticut a unique ice fishery. The coves of the lower Housatonic River are now safe enough to be fished through the ice, and while I haven’t heard any first-hand reports, I am sure there have been some stripes coming through the ice down in that part of the state as well.
Fishin’ Factory III in Middletown had anglers coming in from all parts of the state to load up on bait and share some reports. Largemouth bass fishing has been excellent at Moodus Reservoir and Bigelow Pond in the east, while out west Longmeadow Pond and Winchester Lake have been giving up some trophy bucketmouths. The coves of the Connecticut River are all holding plenty of ice and the jig bite for calico and yellow perch has continued to be very good around structure in 15 to 20 feet of water. Northern pike have also been biting on the Connecticut River, but the mid-winter doldrums may have set in as good reports have been few and far between. Candlewood Lake has been fishing very well since the ice has set in, and Andrew had a customer report landing multiple 4-pound smallmouth this week on jigging rods.
The Valley Angler in Danbury is gearing up for its annual Jig and Pig tournament this Saturday at Squantz Pond, and has actually extended the sign up time due to the great interest in the tournament. If you are planning on fishing the tournament this weekend, be sure to call the shop soon as they are trying to get an accurate head count. In the week leading up to the tournament, the shop reported some good fishing at Squantz as anglers continue to find success catching brown trout under tip-ups. A few keeper walleye were also reported this week, which is a positive sign, as that bite really tends to slow to a crawl this time of year. Hefty smallmouth bass continues to be the talk of the shop as they continue to cooperate across the majority of the big lake.
Best Bets for the Weekend
The ice has set in and the lakes and ponds across our region will be abuzz with anglers this weekend. If you are having a hard time deciding where to fish this weekend, take a look at one of the local tournaments. They all offer a great day of food, fishing and fun, with that added excitement of knowing that your next flag could send you home a little bit richer.