Schoolie striped bass were coming up through the ice early in the week, and they are now being chased in boats at the tail end of the week. Unfortunately, the trend of extreme weather shifts has become a common occurrence this year and is forcing anglers to constantly shift tactics and target species.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Frank, of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett, was only able to leave the dock once last week in the midst of the frigid arctic blast. The few anglers on board made the most of their one shot, with 2-3 limit catches and multiple anglers bagging 4-6 keepers a piece. No monsters came over the rails, but a few fish in the 10-pound class made highlights on the trip. A good deal of ling and ocean perch are still mixed in with the cod, which are continuing to help provide steady action. The arctic blast was obviously short lived and Frank anticipates more opportunities to sail in the week ahead. The fleet will continue to sail daily at 5 AM, whenever the weather allows.
Captain Russ, of The Seven B’s in Narragansett, was not able to get out last weekend due to the obvious extreme weather. Most of our cold/windy periods this year have been short lived and followed by much warmer weather, and this latest period is no different. Temperatures have already climbed back into the 40-50 degree range, and are forecasted to remain that way through the weekend. If the weather allows, the fleet will sail on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5 AM.
Last week’s extreme weather was cold enough to buy a little bit more time for Rhode Island ice fishermen. Good trout and largemouth bass reports came in from Silver Spring Pond over the weekend; while a number of ice anglers reported good bass fishing on smaller ponds throughout the state. Tuesday’s quick warmup and ensuing precipitation ensured that the bigger bodies of water will not be safe for anglers this week, but the nights should be just cold enough to buy a few more days for anglers on the smaller, elevated ponds.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, reported that ice anglers have been cashing in on some fresh ice that was formed over the weekend. The rain has blown out a lot of the larger lake and tidal waters, but smaller lakes and ponds throughout the state should have fishable ice for a few more days. The northern reaches of the state have much more ice, and should fish well through the weekend. West side pond is said to have about 7 inches of ice, while Winchester Lake, Highland Lake and Tyler Lake are sitting around the 6 inch mark. A few anglers found some schoolie striped bass through the ice following the deep freeze, but those spots have been blown out and the schoolie game should transition back to rod and reel this weekend.
Rich, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that not much has changed in his neck of the woods, as there is very little safe ice in the southwest part of the state, despite the extreme cold of last weekend. Some of the smaller bodies of water locked up and should hold up for another day or two, but the rain killed most of the larger lakes. Most ice anglers have been heading north to Litchfield County for a shot at some fish through safer ice. Largemouth bass fishing has been very strong at Lake Winchester, and a few small pike have been in the mix as well. Highland lake and West Hill Pond have been attracting trout anglers who have found a few decent browns on tip-ups and jigs. The Housatonic striped bass have seen little pressure over the past week due to the weather. The quick warm up coupled with that lack of pressure should really kickstart that fishery once again as we get into the weekend.
The Valley Angler in Danbury was happy to report that the extreme cold of the weekend finally brought some safe ice to Squantz Pond and parts of Candlewood. Squantz is pretty well frozen close to the launch and anglers reported excellent numbers of brown trout over the past few days. Candlewood lake has 2.5-4 inches of good black ice in select spots at the time of this report, and is also fishing very good since it hasn’t been touched in months. It is hard to believe that Candlewood will hold up well after more 50 degree weather that is coming this weekend, so if you can find good ice now get after it.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, reports that all the slush and ice that was formed over the weekend was blown out with Tuesday’s rain. The river was running quite high Wednesday, but should settle down to fishable levels by late Thursday and through the weekend. The warm weather of the upcoming weekend should be ideal for finding some hungry trout. #20-24 winter caddis patterned flies can provide good action during the morning hours, while skilled nymphers are reporting good catches throughout the day.
Just a reminder that Rivers End in Old Saybrook is currently running a 20%-off sale on all plugs in stock, and are reminding anglers that it is a great time to have rods/reels serviced now before the season starts to kick into gear. This Saturday February 20th, Captain Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters will be holding a seminar at the shop on light-tackle fishing for striped bass, bonito and false albacore. Mike is one of the most knowledgeable light-tackle captains in the Northeast, and the seminar should be informative for both experienced anglers and those just starting off in the light tackle game.
Best Bets For The Weekend
From 0 degrees to 50 degrees in 24 hours would generally seem like an extreme shift in weather, but it is starting to feel more like the norm this season. Once again some strong ice-making weather was thwarted by an immediate warm up. Luckily, the cold helped keep a decent base of ice on lakes and ponds in the northern elevations, and have also provided Rhode Island anglers with a chance to fish some small ponds for a few more days. Get out on the ice while you still can, as it is hard to say how much safe water we will have after another weekend of 50 degree temperatures. If the ice becomes too sketchy for you, the offshore cod fishing and local trout fishing should once again benefit from the warming trend.