Ice anglers remain frustrated, while cod and holdover bass anglers continue to cash in on the mild winter.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Russ, of The Seven B’s in Narragansett, got out twice after cod over the past weekend. Friday’s trip was very good, in terms of numbers as well as average size of fish caught. Saturday’s trip saw a quite a few short fish, but action was great and most anglers still managed some quality keepers. Trips will continue to sail Friday through Sunday, weather permitting.
Captain Frank, of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett, has seen continued strong cod fishing on all of the trips they have made, and word of the great fishing has been bringing out large crowds of anglers. The mild weather at the end of last week resulted in quite a few anglers on board, with nearly all of them going home with at least a couple market sized fish for the table. Limits were a bit tougher to come-by last week, but a few anglers on board limited out. This past Monday’s trip saw limits for nearly all anglers on board, despite the bitter cold and deteriorating conditions. Limits were full of mostly market sized fish with a few larger fish to 15-pounds in the mix. The cod grounds are full of herring, mackerel, whiting and squid, so the fish shouldn’t be going anywhere soon. Most of the mackerel that is in the mix is pretty large, and quite a few anglers are hooking up with some macks to bring home for the table along with their cod. Bait and jigs have been producing equally well, but Frank mentioned that drift conditions have required heavy weight (16-20 oz), so be sure to bring fairly stout gear. The fleet will sail daily at 5 AM, weather permitting.
Freshwater anglers continue to wait for ice, as the little bit of safe ice they had at the tail end of last week was lost to the weekend rain. Trout anglers are reporting good catches along the Wood River and also in the lakes and ponds that were re-stocked during the fall. Barber Pond and Carbuncle Pone are good places to start.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, reports that things are quiet across Connecticut as the weekend rain did a number on the little ice we had, and also dirtied up the rivers to the point that holdover fishing was difficult. Some of the smaller lakes and ponds in the northern portions of the state did not completely open up with the rain, and they will likely be fishable this weekend. Larger bodies of water that opened up will likely not be safe until next week, due to the strong winds and threat of more rain this weekend. The rising rivers and cold temperatures slowed down the schoolie striped bass river fisheries, but as flows settle and temperatures rise a bit, there will likely be some quality fishing throughout the Housatonic this weekend. The lower Connecticut River is also still holding some school bass, as well as some nice schools of white perch around Essex. The Farmington and Salmon Rivers had been low, and took the rain well. Fly fishing the TMA’s is still producing some quality trout.
At Hillyers in Waterford, local fishing has slowed to a crawl over the past few days, but anglers continue to buy up cod gear like crazy. Just about everyone who has come through the show is reporting good cod fishing on their private boats, as well as on the busier head boats. Safe ice will be hard to find in the eastern part of the state until the temps drop again next week. In the meantime, a few anglers have found small schools of striped bass in the Thames and a good pick of scallops and clams in Niantic.
Things have also slowed down a bit in the western part of the state, according to Fisherman’s World in Norwalk. A ton of rain, followed by some colder temperatures has caused some skim ice on the harbor most mornings. The ice generally clears by midday, and the herring fishing remains very good once you can get a line in the water. Skim ice and rising flows also slowed down the Housatonic striper diehards, although some reports of very nice bass after dark came in the past few days. It would appear that the daytime bite continues to get more and more streaky as we get deeper into the winter, but if you’re willing to put some cold hours in after dark you can still be rewarded. Fishable ice was pretty much non-existent prior to the rain in the southwest portion of the state; and will likely remain that way until a prolonged freeze sets in early next week. In the meantime, freshwater anglers can scratch the itch in the local TMA’s; which are still fishing well.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, reports that the total flow through the permanent catch and release area is at 510 cfs; which is a very fishable level despite the recent rain. Clarity also remains very good, and the trout are now settling into their winter patterns. The cold nights are causing some slush on the river in the early morning hours, but it has not been enough to really hamper the fishing. On very cold mornings look to fish about the Still River in Riverton, where slush and bank ice rarely forms, no matter the temperature. The cold nights have also brought about the winter caddis hatch from the early morning to mid-morning hours. Look to match this hatch with slow fished nymphs and streamers, while targeting soft, deep runs and deeper pools. During the winter month’s trout tend to congregate in these areas, and can often be found in groups of multiple fish. Avoid too much weight while fishing slow for trout, and expect hits to be much more subtle than in previous weeks.
Best bets for the weekend
The 2016 ice season has yet to really materialize across most of southern New England, and this weekend appears to be more of the same. A few small bodies of water in the northern reaches of both states may have some safe ice, but you may be better off traveling a few hours to the more extreme north. Luckily a cold weather pattern looks to be settling in next week so things may be changing for the better very soon. In the meantime, look to make a cod trip; which is now going as strong as ever in Rhode Island. Also, as our rivers settle, holdover striped bass fishing and trout fishing should pick back up over the weekend.