Opening day has nearly arrived, and while ice might be locking up some lakes and ponds, our rivers are providing some excellent multi-species fishing.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, reports that the Connecticut River pike bite is the number-one game in town right now. Pike anglers are doing well on large brightly-colored jerkbaits and soft-plastics, and as always, live baits are working well. A few decent reports from the Middletown area have come in, but the best angling success is coming from the Haddam area and the nearby coves.
The spring striped bass bite in the Connecticut River has kicked off, but it is still in its early and slow stages. A few fish were reported from Middletown to Rocky Hill and in the Quinnipiac River, but the safer bet is the Housatonic, which is still producing well. Blackfish and winter flounder have opened, but reports have been non-existent, other than a few blackfish taken in extremely deep water.
Opening day of trout season is this upcoming Saturday, and while there will be ice issues on many of the lakes and ponds in the state, there will be plenty of open water to make it a success. Andrew will once again be staying open until 10 P.M. on Friday night, and will open back up at 4 A.M. Saturday. He will have all of your opening day needs covered, and will also be having his opening day BBQ, so stop down.
Joe at Rivers End in Old Saybrook reported that things have been quiet in southern Connecticut, with not much in the way of tautog or winter flounder reports coming in since the season opened. A few tautog anglers reported finding some fish feeding in 80 to 100 feet of water, but overall fishing pressure has been at a minimum. In the Connecticut River, both striped bass and white perch have not really hit their spring patterns yet, but northern pike have been keeping anglers busy from Haddam to Middletown. The shop will be open at 5 A.M. Saturday to take care of all your opening day needs, and hopefully point you in the direction of ice-free bodies of water.
Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters contacted me this week and reported that water temperatures are slowly but steadily climbing in the Housatonic River. The fishing has improved each day, and his clients have been boating loads of schoolie bass, with a few decent keepers mixed in. The water remains chilly, so slowly fished Alabama rigs have been most successful, but as temperatures increase we should start to see the fish moving onto bigger plastics and swimming plugs.
Rich, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, said that the Housatonic continues to dominate the fishing attention in western Connecticut. The overwhelming majority of fish being reported are holdover schoolie fish in the 18- to 24-inch range, but a few anglers have found some bigger fish after dark. Rich has heard of a few fish eclipsing 40 inches and a handful over 20 pounds taking 9-inch Slug-gos and larger swimming plugs. Ospreys are all over the area, so it appears at least some herring are arriving. Some large sheets of ice may cause issues at the Saugatuck Reservoir on opening day, but the local rivers flowing well and should fish even better.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, reported that the Farmington River is running clear and dropped back down to 253 cfs from Riverton to the Still River. Below the Still, flow is at 733 cfs through the permanent TMA/C&R area. Last Friday the DEEP stocked more trout in the river, for the third time in two weeks, and all points along the river should be fishing well for opening day. With flows dropping and temperatures forecasted to be rising, afternoon surface temperatures will rise and so will trout activity. In the areas of higher flow, heavily weighted nymphs and deep slow streamers have been working well; while in the larger slow moving pools, dry-fly guys are finding some success with caddis and stonefly dries.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Small-craft advisories were all too common over the past week, keeping The Frances Fleet in Narragansett at port for most of it. The fleet was able to get out a handful of times, and cod results were so-so, with ocean temperatures remaining very cold. A consistent warm-up is needed, and looks to be on the way based on the forecast projections for the next ten days. The sailing schedule has changed from the winter schedule, and includes 7 A.M. start times on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with weekend trips available by reservation. Captain Frank reminds clients to call ahead on the morning of their trip, as last minute cancellations can occur depending on the weather.
Captain Howard, at Galilee Bait and Tackle in Narragansett, was able to get out after school bass a few times this past week. Small holdover bass are in the salt ponds, but temperatures remain unseasonably cold, and the fish remain in deeper water. Small soft-plastics on light jigs, worked slowly, have been the ticket for these coldwater bass. For the first time in a long time, the Narrow River is now free of ice and should be providing another spring bass option in the upcoming weeks.
Captain Thom, at Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle in North Kingstown reported that other than some school bass in the salt ponds, things have been quiet around South County. Sheets of ice are still prevalent on some of the lakes and ponds in the area, but many of the small ponds that are opening up are providing a good ice-out largemouth bass bite. Jig-n-pigs, tube jigs and rubber worms have been steady producers, but live shiners have been out-fishing artificial. Opening day of trout season is slated for this Saturday, and looks to be another good one with some excellent weather forecasted. As mentioned, a few lakes and ponds are holding some ice, which could cause a slight snag, but overall it shouldn’t be much of an issue. River flows have been stable and hotspots such as the Wood River are flowing clean, with plenty of fresh fish.
Fishing Forecast
One of the biggest signifiers of spring in the northeast is opening day of trout season, and after one of the more grueling winters in recent history, opening day has finally arrived. Opening day in Rhode Island and Connecticut will coincide for the first time, and it looks as though Mother Nature will provide a nice background for the weekend. Finding lakes and ponds that aren’t impeded by some ice may be a bit of a challenge, but most are opening up and our rivers are also at a very fishable level. If trout isn’t your flavor, look to spend the weekend targeting spring striped bass, as warmer temperatures will drive up activity levels.