Mother Nature once again threw a curveball, sending cold temperatures, freezing rain and snow across the Northeast this week. This latest, and hopefully final, arctic blast is going to be a short-lived one and warmer spring-like temperatures look like they will prevail. Opening day of trout season in Rhode Island was another successful one last week and the CT DEEP has been hard at work getting the streams and ponds stocked and ready for this weekend’s opener in Connecticut. Flows should settle down and become very fishable in the smaller trout streams across the state and the weekend is shaping up to a good one. Spring-run striped bass remains a solid option in both states, although below-average sea temperatures have kept fresh fish to the south for the time being and the bulk of our fish are still of the holdover variety.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

Thom, at Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle in North Kingstown, reported that it has been a slow go for anglers searching for fresh migratory fish across the South County oceanfront over the past few days. Cooler temperatures and strong winds have kept many fishermen indoors of late but a few promising reports of schoolies around the West Wall in Jerusalem did come into the shop Wednesday morning. This may seem like a late run, but Thom believes that we have been a bit spoiled over the past few seasons with historically warm winters. Despite the recent cold, ocean temperatures are creeping closer to that magical 50 degree mark and it should only be another week or so before we start seeing the run take shape.

As far as Thom knows, tautog season opened up in the Ocean State on the 15th, even though RIDEM hasn’t officially released their 2014 regulations yet. Thom did not have any tog reports just yet but did have a few customers buying bait this week and that bite should start to take shape as well once water temperatures are up around 50.

In freshwater news, pre-spawn largemouth bass fishing remains very good across Rhode Island, with live shiners fished under bobbers still greatly outfishing artificials.

The Saltwater Edge in Middletown also did not have a ton of spring run reports to pass along but did note that a few customers had reported some sporadic schoolie action around the West Wall on Cocahoe Minnows. A few pods of holdover school bass also remain in upper Narragansett Bay for anglers willing to put their time in to locate them.

Opening day of trout season went off without a hitch last weekend and the heavy rains of this week will help distribute the freshly stocked fish throughout river systems. The Wood River remains one of the largest trout hotspots in the state and fly fishermen have had great success with traditional wooly buggers and nymph patterns; while spin-fishermen have been floating shiners and trout worms and casting Roostertails to hungry trout.

Connecticut Fishing Report

In between preparing for opening day, anglers across Connecticut have continued to keep busy targeting holdover stripers and stalking the catch-and-release Trout Management areas.

Andrew, at Fishin’ Factory 3 in Middletown, reported that anglers dunking sandworms have continued to have success with holdover striped bass on the Connecticut River, despite the river being well past flood stage. The lower stretches of the river are less affected by the seasonal flooding and are fishing slightly better. With no rain in the forecast, river levels should start to subside by the weekend and the rest of the river herring will undoubtedly be making their passage up river with hungry stripers right behind.

Spring tautog efforts have been kept at a minimum due to coastal water temperatures but Andrew reported that a good winder flounder bite has started to take shape at Bluff Point.

Andrew will be at the shop for the better part of the weekend to cater to the opening day crowds. He will be open Friday from 7:30 AM to 10 PM and will be back at the shop Saturday morning at 4 AM to 6 PM. Andrew will also be opening up on Easter Sunday from 6 AM to 4 PM.

Captain Blaine Anderson, from Anderson Guide Services and J&B Tackle in Niantic, reported that the winter flounder bite has finally started to pickup in the lower Niantic River; while holdover stripers can be found in the upper stretches of the river in hot pursuit of alewives.

A friend of mine and a local Thames River regular made a few recent trips to the river this week and was pleased to find alewives in most of the usual upstream tributaries. He was able to manage a few school-sized bass and a few small keepers on 9-inch Slug-gos in the upper Thames basin and the Shetucket River.

In the west, the Housatonic River continues to give up good numbers of holdover bass from the mouth north to Derby Dam. River herring are not yet there in large numbers but a few sporadic pods have got the bass moving around nicely. Fishermans World in Norwalk, reported that large schools of smaller bass remain prevalent near the mouth of the river; while some large specimens have been coming in the upper stretches to anglers fishing SP Minnows and 9-inch Slug-gos after dark.

Tautog have started their migration to the shallower water around the breakwalls in New Haven and Stratford, and anglers who have battled the wind and dunked some crabs have come home with some keepers.

Fly-fishermen that didn’t want to wait around until opening day have been taking advantage of some good trout fishing in the Saugatuck River TMA and the Hammonassett River TMA; while good reports of pre-spawn largemouth fishing have come in from across the state.

Fishing Forecast for Connecticut and Rhode Island

For many Connecticut anglers, the 3rd Saturday in April signifies a fishing tradition that may date through their family for generations. The heavy rain, sleet and snow from the middle of this week may have brought a scare to some of these anglers but the weather is brightening up and flows are setting up nicely for another excellent opening weekend. Trout fishing also remains solid in Rhode Island, but if trout is not your species of choice holdover bass should be around with a vengeance this weekend in both Connecticut and Rhode Island as we are creeping ever closer to arrival of our first fresh batch of fish.