Largemouth bass and northern pike fishing seems more like early April not early March at this point, with good catches in both states. A few river herring have started to show up and the holdover bass will quickly take notice.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, told me that the recent warmer weather brought about a very nice flurry in pike action. Despite being early March, the river is high and warming up so these fish are starting to stage up around their spawning areas. Look to small feeder streams, creeks and marshes to be the most productive areas. Large suspending crankbaits, spinners and soft plastics will all work, but a big live or dead bait close to the bottom is the easiest way to hook up with a toothy monster. The white perch bite in the lower river is improving and should really get going later this month. The Housatonic river holdover fishery continues to garner the most attention, and has been really strong some days. Some of the colder days have been tough, but if you target the second or third day in a string of warm days you should score good numbers. Trout fishing has now closed in CT outside of the management areas, but these management areas tend to be some of the best early spring spots. Consult the angler’s guide for a better idea of the Salmon, Farmington and other local TMA areas.
Joe, at Rivers End in Old Saybrook, reported that most of his customer traffic is people dropping off gear to get repaired or re-spooled for the upcoming season. Joe has also been getting the shop ready for their annual Surf Day, which will take place on March 25th. A number of anglers are heading west to the Housatonic for some good schoolie action on the warmer days. Locally, the schoolie action seems to be getting better in the lower CT and its tributaries, something that was also confirmed by Black Hall Outfitters in Old Lyme.
Jeremy, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, told me that things are quiet out west, with the exception of the Housatonic bass fishery. Between the large number of fish and the mild winter, this has been one of the most consistent winters for holdover fish in a while. It won’t be long before the first river herring trickle into the river, and that is when it becomes even easier to locate the larger holdovers. Jeremy also mentioned that most of CT’s trout waters are closed, but there are a number of good TMA’s in the western part of the state that are at a good fishable flow right now.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow reported that reports were good to very good late last week and into the weekend. Things got a bit tougher late last weekend as the river went up to 1,000 cfs and was dirty, but it has dropped back and cleaned up substantially since then. Temperatures are generally in the upper 30’s to mid 40’s, which means the trout will start to move around a bit. The bulk of the fish will hold in the softer/deeper water, but they will start moving into the current and riffles now to feed on nymphs, pupa and larva. The mostly spring-like conditions have the bugs active and ahead of schedule; Torrey is seeing all of the winter/early stones at once. Trout will occasionally feed on these stones, but typically choose to feed more on the nymphs. Specific imitations work, as do generic flies like Princes, Pheasant Tails and Hare’s Ears. As the flows subside, #18 Midge larva/pupa nymphed deep should continue to be effective. Other bugs to look for include Winter Caddis (18-24) and Midges (22-32). For Midge larva and pupa nymphed deep, think black, olive or red. The Winter Caddis hatch has been best after cool to cold nights like we will have this weekend, and the stones have been hatching more on mild days. Nymphing remains the most consistent producer of trout, but streamers continue to catch as well. Fish them slow and deep initially, and strip them in faster if the first presentation isn’t working. There is plenty of water that remains fishable throughout March, but be sure to consult the anglers guide for specifics.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Fishing has been up and down this week aboard The Frances Fleet in Narragansett. Things were difficult over the weekend, with some streaky fishing on both Friday and Saturday. Anglers were still able to pick away at a few decent fish so the trips were still successful, but not as consistent as it was a few weeks ago. Things started to head back in the right direction on Tuesday’s trip, when a good number of anglers managed 3-4 keepers each to 10 pounds. There was also a good deal of throwbacks to keep the action pretty steady. Captain Frank mentioned that bait was plentiful on Tuesday’s trip, something that was lacking on the few trips prior. That may be a good sign for the weekend fishing, after Thursday’s gale force winds are out of the area.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, had a number of strong freshwater fishing reports from local anglers in Rhode Island and just over the border in Massachusetts. The largemouth bass bite has been a popular one, with Omar Curi scoring a big fish in the Providence area, and Rob Taylor reporting good catches in Attleboro and at a few of the smaller Rhode Island ponds. Local carp enthusiasts continue to take advantage of the spring-like weather, including another beautiful fish by local angler, Jeff Henderson. Most of the larger river systems and ponds are holding some good carp, and the Blackstone River is not a bad place to start. There are scant reports of river herring starting to fill into the early runs, and the holdover bass should start to take notice. The Providence River continues to be a good bet to find some hungry holdovers. Rhode Island trout fishing is now closed in all bodies of water except for the TMA’s, but those TMA’s should continue to fish well right up to opening day.
Connecticut Fishing Report
A winter blast is set to hit us Friday night into Saturday, but as has been the case all year, it will be short-lived. Temperatures will bounce right back on Sunday and into next week, and the fishing options should remain open. Open water largemouth and carp fishing has been strong in Rhode Island and Connecticut; while pike and white perch fishing is going strong in the CT River. Our holdover fisheries continue to be steady, especially in the Housatonic; and things should ramp up soon as the river herring start to trickle in. Most Rhode Island and Connecticut trout waters are closed until opening day, but look to the TMA’s to produce some beautiful fish throughout March.