Rhode Island Fishing Report – January 28, 2016

The small amount of ice we made last week is quickly fading as temperatures climb back toward the 50 degree mark. Ice anglers are heading north for a shot at some hardwater, while others are hitting rivers for holdover bass and trout in the TMA’s.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

Captain Russ, of The Seven B’s in Narragansett, had some weekend trips sidelined due to the winter storm, but found continued cod fishing success at the tail end of last week. Trips ranged from a handful of keeper fish per angler to quick full boat limits some days. Pool fish have generally been in the upper teens, with a few 20-pound fish in the mix. Bait and jigs are both producing well, with the particular conditions dictating which is best at certain times. It is best to be prepared to fish both if possible. Cod trips will continue to sail Friday through Sunday at 5 AM, weather permitting.

Captain Frank, of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett, reported that the cod fishing continues to be excellent, as we are in the midst of one of the best seasons in years. Fishing was red hot prior to the winter storm, with great action on Thursday followed by quick full boat limits on Friday. The fishing was so strong on Friday that the full boat limit was reached well prior to the scheduled end of the trip. Bait and jigs both continue to produce depending on conditions. With another prolonged warming trend and light winds due to move in, some excellent cod trips should be in store for the weekend and through next week. The Frances Fleet will sail daily at 5 AM if the weather allows, but be sure to check online or call to ensure that the boat is sailing before you head down.

While Rhode Island cod anglers continue to cash in, ice fishermen are experiencing one of the most frustrating seasons in recent history. A deep cold snap last week brought some fishable ice to certain lakes and ponds in Rhode Island; unfortunately it was followed by a streak of unseasonably mild weather. Some smaller bodies of water such as Breakheart Pond and Wilson’s Pond were still fishing late this week, but it is going to be tough to find good ice after Saturday. Scouring the state for some small ponds might be necessary in Rhode Island, but taking a ride north to Massachusetts might be a safer bet.

As has been the case most of the season, freshwater anglers may want to take to the local TMA’s for some quality trout action if you don’t want to travel the state searching for ice. Flows have been light and clear in the Wood River and Blackstone River, and results have been strong on warmer days. Surface temperatures in the streams should be on the rise Sunday, making it a great day to try your hand at some trout.

Connecticut Fishing Report

Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, reports that he still has a ton of customers coming in for cod gear, as many anglers are making the most of the great cod fishing and mild winter. The headboats have been doing well, and anglers in private boats are finding good results at Cox’s Ledge and Sharks Ledge. Last week’s cold snap brought about a case of lockjaw to many of the Housatonic River striped bass, but the fish are still there in good numbers and should start biting well with the warm weather forecasted next week. Rumors of some striped bass through the ice have come in from the Hamburg Cove area, and while that ice is fading fast, anglers should be able to start finding fish with rod and reel once again. As far as ice fishing goes, not a whole lot is safe in the central and southern parts of the state but ice in the norther part of the state should hold up as long as we don’t see too much rain. Bantam lake’s south cove has decent ice and is putting up some solid pike action. Burr Pond, Tyler Lake, Park Pond and portions of Highland Lake are also reported as safe and putting up some nice bass and perch action.

Joe, at Rivers End in Old Saybrook, also reported that ice anglers haven’t been finding much of anything locally, and a good deal of them are taking to the road and traveling north. The Housatonic is still chock full of bass, although getting them to bite is starting to prove difficult. The same can be said about the Thames River; which seems to be holding a decent population of holdover bass this season. The bite in both rivers should kick right back into gear with the 50 degree weather forecasted next week.

Rich, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that anglers in the southwest have the ice fishing itch pretty bad, but once again are not finding anything safe close to home. Some are traveling north to Litchfield County, while others are taking to the local TMA’s for trout action that has been described as average at best. The local herring fishery is entering its tail end and finding has school is starting to prove tougher. Once a school is located, numbers are still good, so this should be a good weekend to fill the freezer one last time.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, reports that the Farmington continued to fish well last week despite the colder temperatures, and only should improve as temperatures continue to climb. The past few days have been warm enough to see no slush issues, and flows are extremely clean and moderate. 159 cfs is reported from Riverton to the Still River, with the permanent catch and release area seeing about 260 cfs. Warmer nights are really helping the early morning winter caddis bite in #20-24 and midges have produced some nice browns during the afternoon hours.

Best bets for the weekend

Once again mother nature continues to toy with ice fishermen, as last week’s bitter cold was followed up by what looks to be one of the warmest early February’s in years. Luckily, some bodies of water across the northern elevations made enough ice to support ice fishing for a while, but as a whole most lakes and ponds will not be safe. As that door closes a few open, as the warming trend should increase angling success in the holdover striped bass and river trout fisheries. While ice anglers are experiencing a dreadful winter, cod anglers are seeing the complete opposite; with this weekend looking to be another great one to chase cod off of Rhode Island.