SALTWATER
Striped bass fishing is excellent right now. You just need to look in the right places. The mouth of the CT was on fire this past week with some absolute cows being landed. Bunker are thick in the river and harbors and the bass are on them. There were great reports of fish over 40″ and some were pushing 30lbs. Live lining bunker is almost a sure bet to find good fish. Sad Shad’s and large Slug-Go’s have also been pulling a few fish. Large top water plugs have been getting smashed at first and last light too. Fishing in the Housatonic has been very slow. It seems a lot of the fish are out of the river now. The mouth of the CT is where the action has been at but the fish will be moving out and setting up on the reefs very soon. There is still time to hit them in the river so get out there now.
The bluefish action has picked up since their arrival late last week. All harbor blues, but they are still a lot of fun to catch. The Black Hawk and Lucky Strike charters both reported excellent bluefish action. Trolling surgical tube umbrella rigs is a sure fire way to catch a ton of these toothy fish. Shore anglers have been finding success while dunking chunks. Fluke fishing remains slow overall, but hopefully the action will pick up soon. The best reports came from down in the Cos Cob area with some anglers finding their limits, but no door mats yet. Scup fishing is getting more and more consistent with some dinner plate sized fished being landed out on the water. High/low rigs baited with clam or squid strips have been productive. The salt water season has really kicked off now and the action is getting good out there for many species.
FRESHWATER
Bass fishing is still going well with many anglers finding success bed fishing. Solid largemouth reports came from Ball pond, Candlewood lake, Bantam (4lb 6oz lunker), upper Moodus, Saltonstall and Kenosia. Excellent smallmouth reports came from Candlewood (5lb 3oz lunker), Lillinonah, Bantam, Saugatuck reservoir and Highland. Finding beds is key right now, fishing near docks and other cover has proved to be productive as well. Tubes, jigs and crayfish soft plastics are safe bets when attempting to get a bedding bass to strike. Though, the topwater action is getting good with some piggies be caught at small/no name ponds. Go check out your favorite bass pond for a chance at some easy topwater lunkers. Crappie fishing is still hot and some slabs were reported from Candlewood, East Twin lake, Lillinonah and Hatch pond. Finesse jigs and micro soft plastics are still doing the jobs. If you find yourself having a hard time, go pick up some pin head shiners. Pike fishing seems oddly slow but I think people are just a little distracted by the salt water action right now. Some decent northerns came from the upper Housatonic, Lillinonah and the CT river (35″). The walleye bite remains decent with some nice specimens coming from Squantz, Saugatuck reservoir and Batterson.
The CT river has been giving up good catfish still and other reports came in from Silver lake and Wintergreen. The big kitties on the CT are liking chunked shad and bunker. Carp have been extremely active, you might see them launching out of the water right now. Great fish were reported from the CT river, Shetucket river, Candlewood and Squantz with some fish weighing in well over the 30lb mark. White perch are still biting up in Hamburg and other coves on the CT as well as the lower Housatonic. DEEP has finished their spring trout stockings. The upper Housatonic and Farmington are still fishing very well. Torrey at UpCountry Sport Fishing said the Hendrickson spinners #12-14 are still present in evenings in the Riverton area only (Hitchcock Chair right up to dam, we are at the very tail end of Hendrickson action), and we are getting reports of March Browns up there already (they have been hatching in the TMA for about a week now). Blue Wing Olives duns & emergers #18-24 have been on the river during the day this past week, as well with their spent form. The Rusty Spinner #18-24 showing in the late afternoon and evening. March Browns/Grey Fox #10-14 are showing up in the late afternoons & eves, along with the start of the Vitreus #16-18 and the larger Sulphurs #16 (Invaria). The Sulfurs are in the TMA, they are not up in Riverton yet.
