The cold snap has ice anglers praying and everyone else cursing. There’s an outside shot at ice opportunities up in the elevations, but a slight warming trend is coming and things should be back to normal next week.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, reported that he has had a lot of guys buying cod gear in anticipation of getting out to Rhode Island, but other than that the saltwater game has slowed. As local ice anglers wait for ice, many have been hitting the Housatonic or Thames River for some schoolie striped bass action. Boat guys have been dialing in a good bite in the Housatonic, and shore guys are scoring more times than not; especially at night. Trout anglers did very well in the TMA’s up until the cold snap, and again we will likely have some mild days over the next few weeks so that bite should remain consistent. With the temps and winds dropping, there is a shot some guys will be ice fishing the smaller ponds in the elevations this weekend, but we will likely need a little more sustained cold before all the big lakes are ready.
Gene, at Black Hall Outfitters, reports that anglers have transitioned to schoolie striped bass fishing with the blackfish season ending this week. There is a good deal of school fish in the river and along the shorelines; with some decent numbers of hickory shad in the mix. Gene mentioned that if you are in the market for a new kayak or SUP, stop by the shop. They have some good deals and savings on 2017 demo models and all remaining new stock.
At Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, word is that the herring have finally started to show up in good numbers, and action has been very good right in the Norwalk River. The Housatonic River continues to produce some quality fish, especially in the northern stretches above RT 15. The mouth of the river is also still holding some massive schools of fish, but these seem to be on the smaller side. The Saugatuck Reservoir guys are starting to find some better action, and hopefully the skim ice won’t kill that action. Some big largemouth and trout are being taken, and some decent walleye have been caught at dawn and dusk. At this point, with the cold temperatures, live shiners are your best bet for all species.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in New Hartford, reported that total flow was at a nice medium level of 268cfs in the permanent Catch & Release/TMA earlier this week. Depending upon the day, time of day, and distance from dam, water temps have ranged from upper 30s to mid 40s, and water temps have been progressively dropping. The warmest water will be coming out of the dam in Riverton, and mornings will see the lowest water temps. Most days this time of year the better fishing is late morning until dusk (higher water temps). Most of the water is coming out of the dam now, which helps to moderate the water temps and keep them a little warmer and more trout-friendly than on other streams. They continue to see some good afternoon Blue Winged Olive (BWOs/Olives) hatches most days, with trout eating them on the surface in the 1-4pm time slot. The morning Winter Caddis hatch continues to be good most days- it is typically an early to mid-morning deal with #18-24 flies- make sure to have both the pupa and the winged adult. The December post-spawn brown trout streamer bite remains strong, just make sure to fish them deep and slow down your presentation (olive has been a hot streamer color). Nymphs should be dead-drifted near the stream bottom, and expect strikes to be subtle so pay close attention.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
The Frances Fleet in Narragansett lost a few trips this week due to the brutal cold and the strong winds, but leading up into last weekend the tautog fishing was still consistent and the cod fishing continued to heat up. The weather seems to be warming quite a bit early next week and there should be some good opportunities for a trip. Tautog trips will end after tomorrows trip, while cod will sail Monday, Wednesday, Friday and the weekends at 6 AM. As always, check with the office for updated scheduling and reservations.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, reports that the local squid bite seemed to have slowed down, but is still going strong for the guys who are getting out to Block. Locally, the school bass fishing has started to pick up for the winter in the Narrow and Providence Rivers. The freshwater guys have been braving the cold and are still finding a good winter carp bite in most of the usual locations. Trout action was solid up to the cold snap, and should be good in the TMA’s as it warms up next week.
Mike Wade of Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly reported that as tautog fishing has started to wind down, the cod bite was picking up the slack. Not much was happening this week with the weather, but with the way cod was trending, things should be really strong as we get into some warmer weather this week. Schoolies are starting to invade their winter haunts around Providence, and also in the Thames in eastern CT.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
The sudden cold snap made kept the fishing reports quiet this week, and most ice anglers are keeping their fingers crossed for a shot to walk on water this weekend. Some smaller ponds may be fishable, but for the most part I think it will remain a waiting game. In the meantime, cod fishing should be strong in Rhode Island; while winter-over striped bass seem to be fishing well in all the usual locales. If we don’t get quite enough safe ice to get out this weekend, open water trout, pike and carp will all be viable options across CT and RI.