Rhode Island Fishing Report – January 12, 2017

Ice anglers saw their hopes quickly shattered this week, but open water anglers have more options than usual for Mid-January.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

The The Frances Fleet in Narragansett has had a hard time sailing due to the wind over the past few days, but when they have gotten out, results have generally been good. There has been a decent amount of fat, market-sized cod taken on all trips, and hi hooks generally score 6-10 keepers each. The majority of fishers went home with at least a couple of cod on most runs. Tremendous amounts of bait on the grounds and the traditional spawning season may have had something to do with the fishing only being in the good category and not the extraordinary one. Pool fish have averaged mid-teens, and there have been a decent amount of gaffers. Both bait and jigs have been producing although bait seems to have been the best bet recently. The Lady Frances is now on a daily sailing schedule weather permitting at 5 am. Please call the office the day before to make a reservation or book on line through the website.”

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence , reports that quite a few customers have been heading to Worcester County, where some decent ice can be found on the smaller ponds. Largemouth bass from 4-6 pounds were reported with some regularity this week. Safe ice is impossible to find in Rhode Island at this point, and we can only hope for another cold snap. The Seekonk and Providence rivers are still holding a healthy number of school striped bass; which are keeping anglers busy during this warm spell. David is in the midst of a shop re-design, and there are some great sales to be had. Give him a shout; chances are he has what you are looking for.

Freshwater anglers have also been taking to any body of water that is open for trout fishing right now, to find some action while they wait for ice. The carp anglers are also using the warmth to their advantage, and scoring good catches in most of the major rivers.

Connecticut Fishing Report

At Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, Andrew reports that there is still a bit of ice in the area, but most of it is in the northern stretches. Places like Highland and Winchester have decent ice, and are said to be fishing well. The holdover striped bass bite continues to garner a lot of attention, with anglers taking advantage of the mild temperatures. The Housatonic is still the best bet for numbers and size, but all of the major tidal rivers are producing.

Jeremy, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, reports the herring fishing in the harbor remains pretty decent. The fish are there, but seem to be moving around quite a bit. If you have tough luck in a spot one day, don’t discount it the next. The Housatonic is still producing some quality striped bass whenever the weather has been mild. The colder days seem to turn the bite off, but on these mild days the fishing has been red hot.

At Rivers End in Old Saybrook, things have been quiet around the shop. The ice fishing die hards are traveling to the northwest corner, but most of those lakes are getting pressured hard. The cod bite is good off Block, whenever the weather has allowed the fleets to run. Locally, some school striped bass and white perch can be found in the lower Connecticut River and its tributaries.

Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, reports that all the shelf ice from earlier in the week is gone, and the fishing has picked right back up. It may take some patience this time of year, and you may have to move from spot to spot to find some fish that are eating. Winter caddis remains a safe bet in the morning hours, and into the early afternoon. Midges are also appearing in the afternoon hours, and the nymphers are continuing to find success.

Rhode Island Fishing Forecast

The early-week cold snap was extremely short-lived and is keeping ice anglers scrambling. The long range forecast doesn’t look very promising, and we may be on pace for a record warm January. This may kill the spirits of ice fisherman like myself, but at least it opens up possibilities for rod and reel anglers. The holdover striped bass bite will remain strong on these warm days, and allows anglers to take full advantage of some extraordinary holdover numbers. Most of the major trout streams are ice free, and are now flowing very well. Cod trips will also be much more enjoyable without the bitter cold, as soon as the wind takes a break.