Opening weekend of trout season was another great one, with some giant trout reported in Connecticut and Rhode Island. While most were out trout fishing, many others were out chasing holdover striped bass, which continues to improve each day.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown is fresh off another successful and busy opening day for himself and local anglers. Most trout anglers were able to find some fish over the weekend, but the cold water equaled a deeper bite than usual. In many rivers, deep suspending jerkbaits outfished bait; while in the lakes trolling wire proved to be the best strategy. The catch of the day came from Robert Myers, who managed a beautiful 14.6-pound seeforellen brown trout while trolling wire at Cedar Lake. In other river news, the white perch bite has finally taken off, and anglers are reporting strong catches from Hamburg Cove and around Baldwin Bridge. The Housatonic River is still the place to be for early spring striped bass, but a few confirmed reports of some river herring running up the Connecticut this weekend means that the bass won’t be far behind. Pike took a step back this weekend, with the fish likely staging to spawn. Post-spawn should be right around the corner and will offer up some of the best pike fishing of the year.
Joe at Rivers End in Old Saybrook reported similar solid trout results from the streams and ponds along the shoreline. Opening day was pretty good and reports have improved a bit each day, as the days have been getting warmer. Striped bass fishing on the Connecticut River remains a week or so behind, but anglers making the trip to the Housatonic have been finding plenty of schoolies and the occasional 15- to 20-pound fish. Locally, anglers have been hitting the white perch well in Hamburg Cove, the state launch and Ragged Rock.
Ian at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reported that lower temperatures and an early start equaled a slightly quieter opening day. That being said, reports were still very good from the Norwalk River and decent in the Saugatuck. Tautog reports remain non-existent, and winter flounder reports haven’t been much better. A few flounder were caught this weekend, which provides some hope for the upcoming two weeks. These fish can usually be found in shallow, sandy bays, which will warm up much quicker than the open ocean at this point. While tautog and flounder are slow, the striped bass bite in the Housatonic continues not to disappoint. Anglers are reporting great catches from Sikorsky to the mouth on light jigheads and small soft plastics.
Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters also chimed in on the bass bite in the Housatonic and reported that it really started to blow open over the past few days. Water temperatures are inching closer to 50 degrees, and the bass are now starting to hit larger plugs on a faster retrieve. Mike has seen quite a few fish this week, ranging greatly in size, and ranging in what they eat. Small jigs, Alabama rigs, larger swimming plugs and the fly rod have all caught bass this week. The fish are also starting to spread out up and down the river, which is generally a good sign of the impending “spring run”.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Roger of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett passed over the news that the excellent spring-like weather last weekend meant the fleet was out both days pounding the cod grounds hard in search of fish. Unfortunately, while air temperatures are finally starting to climb, the water temperatures are still lagging behind. Saturday proved to be slim pickings for cod anglers, but a few keepers came over the rails. An encouraging sign came in the form of large bait balls and much more bird activity than the previous few trips. The pool fish for the day was chock-full of fresh herring, so things should be looking up as the water temperatures return to normal. Warm temperatures and flat seas led to a trip out to Coxes Ledge on Sunday, but with water temperatures being even cooler out there, the fishing remained slow. The fleet is now sailing for cod on Saturdays and Sundays at 7 A.M. and hopes to see an increase in activity after another warm week.
Over at The Saltwater Edge in Middletown, the guys are reporting that schoolie fever is starting to take over, but it remains another week or two before things really start to get moving. Some reports of schoolies have come in from the Narrow River and the South County salt ponds, and most advise that a painfully slow retrieve is the key with the cold water. With the saltwater life starting off slow, many have turned to their local trout streams and ponds, and reports have been excellent. RIDEM once again did an excellent stocking job and quality fish are reported from across the state, including fish up to 5 pounds in the Wood River.
Howard at Galilee Bait and Tackle in Narragansett reports that schoolie fishing in the salt ponds has improved a bit with boat, kayak and a few shore anglers reporting catches this week. It remains a holdover fish game, as reports from the West Wall are that nothing has arrived thus yet.
At Quaker Lane Bait and Tackle in North Kingstown, Thom reported that opening day went off without a hitch, and anglers in all parts of the state are continuing to report quality catches. Holdover striped bass fishing remains slow but steady, with some fish being reported from the salt ponds and throughout the Pawcatuck River. Some fresh herring are starting to show up at both locations and that should translate into increased bass activity and some bigger fish this week.
Fishing Forecast
The saltwater game is a bit behind, but everything else is picking up the slack. Trout fishing started off strong on opening weekend and will continue to improve with the weather. Holdover striped bass fishing is now a great option across our range, and with the river herring showing up it won’t be long before the spring run is in full effect.