For the first time in a long time, I can say with a shred of confidence that spring may be arriving. The winter that seemed to never end gave us one more slap in the face on Monday with snow and ice blanketing most of the Northeast, but temperatures have jumped up to the 60-degree mark and they appear to be here to stay. Striped bass are still plentiful in our tidal rivers, saltwater options are opening up and open-water pike and trout should improve as flows start to recede.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

Monsoon rain coupled with some tremendous winds kept the Frances Fleet off the water for most of last week, but when they were able to squeeze a trip in they were able to put some keeper cod on the boat for most of their customers. Numbers aren’t excellent but the fishery has remained fairly steady, and with the weather finally settling there are a few more weeks of good cod fishing remaining. The fleet has changed their sailing schedule and will now be sailing Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sundays at 7 am, weather permitting.

Steve Mckenna, at Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle in North Kingstown, has begun his search for spring stripers but fishing continues to be spotty, with the prolonged winter likely delaying things a bit. Schoolie bass can still be found in upper Narragansett Bay and the Providence River for those who are willing to put in the time. Reports from the salt ponds and around the mouth of Snug Harbor have yet to really materialize but the longer days and warmer temperatures should be changing that soon.

Rhode Island freshwater anglers have been taking advantage of a good bass and pike bite while they wait patiently for opening day of trout season to arrive. Water temperatures are still on the low side for early April and both species have been responding better to live shiners fished under bobbers, as opposed to artificials.

Connecticut Fishing Report

The heavy rains of the weekend have brought river flows up and those flows are consistently dirty and debris-heavy. Despite the less than optimal conditions, striped bass and pike fishing remains solid in the larger tidal rivers. Andrew, at Fishin’ Factory 3 in Middletown, reports that the regular Connecticut River pike crowds have still been finding success drifting big live and dead baits around the Haddam area. The toothy critters have also been crushing bright colored spinnerbaits and soft plastics from Middletown to Rocky Hill, with the best bites being in the coves and backwaters that are less affected by the high, dirty flows.

River herring have yet to arrive in full force in the Connecticut River so the widespread striped bass bite has not started yet, however anglers have continued to have success with school bass in the lower river. White perch fishing has also remained very steady in the lower river, and is a great early spring option.

The Fish Connection in Preston has heard some reports of herring in the tributaries of the Thames River and with temperatures steadily increasing the larger schools should be here in no time. The largest number of bass in the Thames remains the holdovers in and around the Norwich Harbor area. A few sizeable fish have been taken in some of the usual spring hotspots and they should remain consistent for the next couple of weeks.

The Housatonic River has held a great population of stripers all winter long and with the thaw underway the fishing has been consistent and widespread this week. Jason, at Bobby J’s Bait and Tackle in Milford, has seen the number of keepers being reported increase greatly this week. Bass in the low 30-inch class have been hitting 9-inch Slug-Gos and SP Minnows during the lower water cycles, while more current-friendly offerings such as bottle-darters have been producing at times of higher water. Many of the bigger bass have been coming in the upper stretches of the river, north of I-95; which is usually a telltale sign of the early spring run.

Large concentrations of smaller stripers are still holding in the lower stretches of the Housatonic as well, as Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters reported that he had plenty of fish from 25 to 30 inches around Stratford and Milford on a recent trip he made to the river.

Many of the Trout Management Areas across Connecticut were fishing well before the heavy rains but the high flows have put a temporary hold on that fishery. With the weather stabilizing the flows should start to get back to normal soon, and there will be plenty of trout to catch and release prior to the official opening day.

The saltwater season has officially started in Connecticut, with winter flounder and tautog opening on the first of this month. Early April is generally a great time to get those first tog on the boat for those of you who start your season early, while winter flounder can be found with some regularity from both the shore and the boat. Niantic Bay and Bluff Point are great starting points for early-season flounder; they provide easy access for land and boat anglers.

Fishing Forecast for Connecticut and Rhode Island

It’s finally spring in New England, and that usually spells success for anglers targeting stripers in our rivers and back bays. This spring is shaping up to be no different and the next few weeks will be the best time to take advantage of this unique fishery that we have. For the saltwater anglers dying to scratch that itch, the weather forecast looks like a favorable one to go after some early season tautog and winter flounder in Connecticut, or to make one last cod trip out of Rhode Island.