Pictured above: Jeff Henderson with a 16-pound Rhode Island carp.
Ice anglers continue to pray for cold, while rod-and-reel anglers are finding success with cod, carp, trout and holdover striped bass.
Connecticut Fishing Report
At Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, Andrew reports the he is still selling quite a bit of ice gear and bait, but the amount of fishable ice in the state continues to dwindle. There is still some decent pike, bass and trout fishing in the northern stretches of Litchfield County, but most of those lakes are getting hit hard. A colder weather trend is in the works in the long range forecast, and ice anglers across the state are keeping their fingers crossed. Many anglers are using the warm weather to their advantage, and are chasing holdover bass in the Housatonic and Connecticut Rivers. The Housatonic is still holding a bigger pile of fish, and they get more active on these warm days. Flows are good in the Farmington and Salmon River TMA’s, and anglers are also taking advantage of these fisheries while they are free of ice.
At Rivers End in Old Saybrook, things have been quiet around the shop, outside of those buying gear to target the state’s holdover bass fisheries. As usual, most of the attention is being spent in the Housatonic, but the lower Connecticut River tributaries are said to be fishing better over the past week or two. Ice anglers are finding some fishable water up north, but most are waiting for a cold snap.
Jeremy, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, reports that there are still a great deal of herring the harbor. Most are reporting very good numbers close to home, but they aren’t always easy to locate. The good thing is, if you bounce around enough and locate some fish, you can usually score very good numbers. The holdover bite in the Housatonic also remains very solid. Jeremy got out last week and managed very good numbers of school bass. Along with the school bass, he also hit a quality Atlantic Salmon and a carp around the 20-pound mark. That’s some pretty solid diversity for a mid-winter fishery. The schools of bass in the river are very tight and easy to locate, but they are not always eating. If you find a school that won’t chew, move onto the next. Before long you should locate some that are willing to hit small jigs and soft plastics.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, said that while ice anglers aren’t too happy with the weather, the local trout crowd is certainly enjoying it. Trout are biting well, and the lack of shelf ice is making things easier than usual this time of year. Torrey recommends moving around quite a bit until you locate some decent numbers. Winter caddis hatches (18-24) are still happening in the mornings, but each morning has been different than the last. Some mornings are seeing strong hatches, while others are quite slower. Generally, colder nights have equaled better mornings. Regardless of the amount of rising fish, nymphing has been consistently productive. Slow and deeply fished streamers are also accounting for some quality fish, especially during low-light conditions. The hot streamer rig has been a weighted streamer with a soft-hackle or nymph trailed off the hook bend 18″ behind. This rig allows you to cover a lot of water and present your nymphs/wets in water that would normally be hard to nymph.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
The The Frances Fleet in Narragansett was unable to leave the dock last week due to some extreme weather, but once things cleared up, the fishing fired right back up. Last Saturday, the fleet found a nice pile of fish close to home. High-hook took home 5 keepers, while most anglers managed a least a couple for the table. Sunday’s trip saw even better results, despite having a small crew of anglers on board. Most anglers limited out, with a good deal of fish in the mid-teens. The pool fish was an impressive 17 pounds, and both jigs and fresh clams produced equally well. Things continued to heat up as the week went on, as Captain Mike reported a full boat limit on Tuesday’s trip. The weather at the end of the week looks much better than last week, and fishing should continue to be strong. The fleet will sail daily at 5 AM, and they ask that you check ahead with the office to confirm they are sailing and to make reservations.
The Seven Bs in Galilee also reported that cod fishing was good to excellent this past weekend. On Saturday, jigs seemed to outperform fresh bait. Largest fish was 19 pounds with the average size in the 12- to 15-pound range. If you are interested to fish for Cod, call Capt. Andy at (401) 788-6012 for reservations.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, reports that quite a few customers have been taking advantage of the warm weather by getting out for some carp. The bite has been very good using pop-ups and hair rigs, and longtime customer, Jeff Henderson, managed a 16-pound beauty earlier this week. Schoolie striped bass action in the Providence River has also remained strong due to the recent warm spell. Most anglers are catching good numbers of fish on light tackle, using small white, silver and chartreuse Bass Assassins. There are decent schools of fish spread throughout the river, as far north as Hemenway’s. Many freshwater anglers are taking to the small trout streams and ponds that are still open and ice free. Results have been pretty good from the Wood River and Hopkinton Reservoir. There is relatively little to no safe ice in Rhode Island at the moment, but anglers are finding some in Worcester County. Dave still has a good supply of shiners for those looking to take the ride north. The cod bite also remains very good whenever the weather has allowed a trip. Captain Rob Taylor of Newport Sportfishing Charters reported some excellent cod results over the last few days.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
As ice anglers across New England continue to wait for another cold snap, rod and reel anglers can cash in on more fishing options than usual for mid-January. The cod bite off Block Island continues to be as strong as ever, while holdover bass fishing remains steady in Rhode Island and Connecticut. Trout fishing the streams that remain open for the winter has also been a good way to bend a rod this winter.