The holdover striper bite was pretty slow last week. Sunday brought some serious freezing rain to CT and while it proved dangerous to travel in, it got the rivers flowin’ and the bass chewin’. With the water moving a bit faster, anglers found a hot bite with schoolies. Alabama rigs were a very effective way to entice fish. Other anglers did well with single soft plastic lures. The usual stuff has been working still. 4-7″ Sluggos, Fin-S Fish and other small baits on 1/2oz-3/4oz jig heads have been money. You can easily boat upwards of 100 schoolies with a few small keepers in a day. Of course this is most true for the mighty Housatonic. The CT can be productive as well, but the Housatonic is smaller and easier to find schools of fish. Make sure you rest up because by the end of the day your arms might feel like they will fall off from the action.
Ice fishing is really where the attention is at right now. Largemouth reports came from Pachaug pond, Bantam, Winchester, Pattagansett, Ball pond, Coventry, Avon and Candlewood lake. Speaking of Candlewood lake, the smallmouth bite is on fire! Solid smallies are being taken off of humps and structure. Ripping and pumping jigs hard off the bottom and shiners under tip ups have been working. These aggressive fish have been absolutely annihilating various baits. Candlewood has also been giving up some great jumbo yellow perch and some excellent brown trout. Good trout also came from Squantz pond, Ball pond, Beach pond, Mt. Tom and Tyler lake.
A few walleye have come from Mashapaug and Coventry. The bite has been most consistent from about 4:00pm on into the night. Shiners under tip ups will be your best bet and some of these fish are taking big pond shiners without hesitation. Pike have been very active and solid reports came from Pachaug pond, Lillinonah, Zoar, Winchester, Bantam and coves along the CT river. Targeting weed lines and any inflows from creeks is a good idea. A few anglers have been mixing it up with some live and some dead baits. I’ve been hearing and experiencing success with dead baits fished 1-2′ above the weeds on quick strike rigs. Pickerel have been keeping anglers busy on slow days just about everywhere. These scrappy fish can save the day and keep the skunk away. Panfish action generally is hot all over the state. Coves along the CT and Housatonic (including Lillinonah and Zoar) rivers are giving up great crappie, blue gill and white/yellow perch. Nothing beats a solid day of jigging and it’ll keep you busy if flags are slow. We have yet to hear the annual report of hard water schoolies from Wethersfield cove or any salmon to hit the ice yet either. But the season is still young!
NOTE: The Valley Angler’s annual Jig & Pig event is on 1/31 at Squantz pond. Check out this link and enter the tournament where you stand a chance to catch a jumbo seeforellen!
https://www.facebook.com/events/336503866533601/
Fishing CT is also holding an ice fishing derby on 2/21 at Wethersfield cove.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1400178146948948/
Kyle Quine
Fishing CT