One of the best December cold snaps in recent years has ice fishermen dusting off the gear; while the cod don’t seem to mind the cold at all.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Matt, of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett called in a quality report from the cod grounds on Wednesday despite the cold weather. The amount of strong cod action made most customers forget the cold. Plenty of quality fish around the 20-pound mark were caught and the pool fish eclipsed the 25-pound mark. Scup, sea bass and ling have all slowed down a bit, but there were still enough to round out the catch. Thursday’s trip was canceled due to weather, but Friday and Saturday look to be very good sailing days. Captain Mike also reported strong catches before the Christmas holiday, with bigger fish and more of them. Cod to 25-pounds were common, and a sea bass limit was obtained, even though they have slowed a bit.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me the school bass fishing continued to be steady in the Providence River right up to the cold snap. The reports have quieted down but there will likely be a good bite throughout the winter on the warmer days. Dave is starting to see a lot more interest in ice fishing, as many of the smaller bodies of water have some very good ice. Dave will have shiners and some gear all winter, and mentioned that Wilsons and Stump Pond are popular spots that are supposed to have plenty of ice. Dave also told me that he will be running a sale on all striped bass plugs this weekend, if you buy any 4 plugs you will get a 5th for free!
Mike, at Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, also mentioned that the head boats out of Snug Harbor and PT. Judith are reporting good catches of both cod and sea bass. As long as you can brave the cold, most trips have been very successful; with the wind being the only thing that has really halted trips. There have been quite a bit of herring running along the beaches, but most of the bass have moved on and the fishing interest is weakening. Trout reports from the local TMA’s were very strong before the cold snap, and should remain reliable throughout the winter. Mike will be closing for a few months after the New Year, and will be ready to pick back up in the spring!
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, told me that reports from his customers heading up to the cod boats have been very good, and there remains a good deal of interest despite the cold. Good numbers of herring are still on the cod grounds, and have been helping to accelerate the jig bite. The Housatonic was loaded with striped bass of varying sizes, and that should remain the case all winter. You may need an ice breaker to get to them now, but they will be there during our next warm spell. This cold snap is providing safe ice all over the state, and the weekend should be loaded with good ice fishing reports. Andrew has plenty of gear and bait in stock, for those who need to shore up their gear before the weekend.
Joe, at Rivers End in Old Saybrook, told me that there are quite a few school striped bass locally, both out front and in the tidal rivers. The Housatonic is main game like usual, but fish can be found in much quieter locations if you look around a bit. The shop has a good deal of ice fishing gear and bait in stock, and by the weekend some of the smaller coves on the river should be good to go.
At Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, Rich reported that the herring has been red hot for most of December, and while it has cooled a bit recently, he thinks it should fish pretty good until at least mid-January. The Housatonic showed no signs of slowing before the arctic blast, but will pick right back up when the ice fades. Bass over 20-pounds have actually been pretty common this year, and at this point they aren’t going anywhere. That’s the nice thing about this fishery; it provides a nice outlet for anglers if we do happen to get a warm spell and lose our ice (which always seems to happen lately). Ice fishing anglers have a reason to be excited for this weekend, even in southeast CT, and those making the run for cod are still being rewarded.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in New Hartford, reports that things will obviously slow down during the cold spell, but said it won’t be unfishable and he provided some tips for succeeding in the cold. Avoid the morning and fish during the late-morning to the early afternoon, which is generally the warmest time of day and sees the most activity. It might sound obvious, but sunny days also tend to be better as the surface temps will rise. Try to use a fixed run of line or an ice-off paste to minimize the amount of ice on your guides. Trout tend to congregate as they seek refuge from the cold; if you bounce around until you locate a fish, there is a good chance other fish will be close-by. Expect to fish subsurface, expect your hits to be subtle and don’t expect action all day long; there is usually a pronounced “bite window” this time of year and that is when you will do most of your damage.
Best bets for the weekend
Ice anglers had all their prayers answered in a big way this week, as a prolonged cold snap is going to provide endless amounts of ice fishing options in both states. Be safe, dress warm, check before you drill; but otherwise just enjoy, as you shouldn’t have much issue finding safe ice. The wind seems to be lying down and the cod bite should remain very good for all the anglers who don’t want to dust off the rod and reel just yet.