Rhode Island anglers are seeing red-hot largemouth bass fishing in freshwater and cod in the salt. Connecticut anglers continue to pick away at good numbers of holdover bass, as river herring start to trickle into our tidal rivers.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Frank, of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett, reported that they made it out after cod twice last week and once again had great results. On Thursday, a small boat’s worth of anglers had plenty of keeper fish to pick through, with the largest fish in the low-teens. A good number of short fish were also in the mix and kept action busy. Saturday’s trip saw many more anglers and a whole mess of cod fish. The Gail Frances had about 200 keeper fish on board after the first two hours, and the final tally saw a full boat limit of about 400 fish. Action was lock and load all day, so much so that the boat was able to return back to the dock well before the regularly scheduled time. The fleet will continue to sail at 5 AM each day, as the morning bite has been a good one. Be sure to check ahead with the office, with weather delays and/or scheduling changes always being a possibility.
Captain Russ, of The Seven B’s in Narragansett, was happy to report that he was also out on the cod grounds on Saturday and had similar, excellent results. Fishing was strong, with nearly everyone on board reaching their limit. Keeper cod doubles have become commonplace on the Seven B’s as the spring season is really kicking into gear. If the weather cooperates, Captain Russ will sail Friday thru Sunday at 5 AM each day.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, reported that freshwater fishing once again stole the show around Providence this week. The largemouth bass bite has been very strong, with the Ten Mile in Pawtucket being a steady hot spot. Bass are hitting live shiners all over the water column, and are also taking suspended lures and topwater baits. Carp fishing results have been varied, and appear to be weather dependent. When the weather has cooperated the bite has been very strong in a number of ponds, including those in Roger Williams Park. A number of homemade baits have been producing, but the old classic sweet corn has been a top producer. Rhode Island trout season will be opening Saturday April 9th, and Dave mentioned that he will be open overnight on the 8th to cater to all trout anglers. Tautog season is right around the corner, with the opener being April 15th, and Dave has the shop fully stocked with rigs and will be getting bait soon.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, reports that holdover striped bass action remains at the center of attention in Connecticut. The Housatonic remains the safest bet for finding fish of all sizes, but those looking to get away from the crowds would be happy to hear that some regulars are starting to find fish in the Connecticut. Some large schools of herring have been seen holding just outside of the river, and any day now they should be making their pilgrimage up the river and kicking things into gear. Yellow and white perch fishing remains very consistent in Hamburg Cove and should stay that way through April. Pike guys had an excellent March, and April has potential to be even better. Flows have stayed clean and it will take a lot to really blow the river out, as those fish finish spawning they will be hungry. As we gear up for opening day, Andy reminds trout anglers that the TMAs of the Salmon River remain open and are also fishing pretty well.
Hillyers in Waterford checked in for the first time of the season and reported that there is not a whole lot going on in terms of saltwater fishing in the area. There are some schoolies and a few random bluefish around the Millstone outflow, and the Thames is starting to see some better holdover bass action. Most saltwater anglers in the area are starting to gear up for the April 1st tautog and winter flounder openers. The Niantic area provides some of the best early season fishing for both species, as our saltwater options start to grow this weekend.
At Rivers End in Old Saybrook, Joe reports that the lower Connecticut River is starting to pick up for striped bass anglers, but the bulk of anglers continue to battle the crowds at the Housatonic. Despite the crowds fishing remains good, with a few anglers reporting as many as 50 bass in a night. Pike fishing has been strong in the Connecticut, with the Haddam area continuing to out-produce everywhere else. The Connecticut River coves, both north and south, are also putting up good numbers of calico and perch.
The guys at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk report that the Housatonic remains the talk of the town in western Connecticut. River herring are just starting to trickle in, but they are not yet concentrated upriver. As a result, fishing for bass has been good from the mouth all the way up to the dam. As the temperatures climb and more herring show up, bass are more willing to hit larger offerings. Large danny swimmer, SP minnows and 9-inch sluggos are now top producers.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, reported that fishing remained strong along the Farmington last weekend through the early part of this week. The whole river from the dam in Riverton down to the Route 177 bridge in Unionville is now producing quality trout. Nymphers continue to have the most success, but each day has seen more and more fish on top, making the streamer bite much improved. #12-14 Hendrickson type nymphs should now be in your bag, as the first reports of Hendrickson hatches are trickling in. Along with Hendrickson’s, there have been plenty of winter caddis in the mornings, early black stones from late morning through early afternoon, paraleps, baetis and midges in the afternoon hours.
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
As the calendar nears April, more and more fishing options start to blossom. We are still about a week away from opening day of trout season, but Connecticut will see the opening of tautog and winter flounder this weekend. Holdover striped bass will continue to pick up steam, as river herring are only a few days away from making their presence felt. Cod fishing in Rhode Island is lock and load right now, and is a great way to kill some time before opening day.