The ice held up in CT and northern RI; while those closer to the shore may want to try and get in on this cod bite.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Matt, of the Frances Fleet in Narragansett, was happy to report that things settled down nicely on Wednesday, and the fleet had a successful day on the cod grounds. Early on in the drift they were picking off 1-2 fish on each drift, and as the tide slowed, they were finding 3-5 fish per drift. Anglers were catching on both jigs and bait, with high-hook taking home 8 fish on the jig. The weather outlook does not look favorable for Friday, but things look decent for the weekend and good for the beginning of next week. If you are thinking about a trip, be sure to call the office a day early to check the weather and sailing schedule.
Captain Russ, of the Seven B’s, reported that the bite on the cod grounds has been pretty good whenever the weather has been reasonable, unfortunately, the weather continues to change quite a bit. Last weekend and early this week was pretty good with a good number of 15-20 pound fish. As the temps have started to drop and the winds picked up, the fish seem to have lockjaw. February can be a tricky month weather-wise, as things will keep changing, but if you can find a decent weather window to make a trip in, you should do well. The boat is now sailing 5 AM to 3 PM when the weather permits, but call the day before to check the sailing status and reserve a spot.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that last weekend’s weather took a toll on much of the ice, but the recent drop in temps has kept some places plenty fishable. Generally, the northern part of the state has quite a few bodies of water that remain safe; while the southern region is in tough shape. Wilsons and Bowdish Lake are two spots with confirmed solid ice, along with many of the smaller ponds in those areas. As always this time of year, tread carefully and follow your safety precautions. The warmer weather has opened up the rivers nicely, and some anglers are starting to find decent numbers of school bass in the Providence River. Most of the cod boats are reporting the same results, with a good slug of fish on the decent weather days, and a tougher go of it when the seas are kicked up and the temps drop.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, told me that there is still plenty of fishable ice in CT, and he has been busy selling bait and gear all week. Candlewood Lake is still holding ice in most spots, and the fishing has been very strong according to most. Bantam Lake is producing some decent numbers of mainly small pike on the southern end; while anglers are reporting good bass and pike catches at Winchester. The walleye bite remains good at most of the stocked lakes, including Coventry; which seems to have just started putting up decent numbers of keepers. The Housatonic River crew has remained relatively quiet, but Andrew has started to hear a few good reports from the regulars, and that bite should keep intensifying as the days get longer. Andrew is also still selling a good amount of cod gear, and it seems that most trips have been successful whenever the weather has allowed.
The Valley Angler in Danbury had quite a few quality ice fishing reports coming in over the last two weeks. The ice remains very good across most of Candlewood, and the fishing has been outstanding. Football shaped perch have been commonplace all over the lake, and most anglers are reporting excellent smallmouth action throughout the lake as well. Some hefty trout have been coming up through the ice as well, and while not as common as the smallies, there seems to be enough to give you a decent shot every trip. The shop will be hosting its annual Jig n Pig tournament on February 10th; it is always a great event so check their website for details.
At Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, Ashley reports that the ice fishing remains very strong across most of central and northern CT. A lot of anglers have been hitting Candlewood and some of the smaller local ponds for some good jigging action; while pike fishing seems to have hit a bit of a mid-winter lull. That being said, a few good pike are still coming through the ice, but expect to put some time in. The Housatonic striped bass bite has started to pick up, with the water warming a bit. After dark remains the best bet for big fish, but fish to 40-inches have started to chew during the daylight hours as well.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in New Hartford, had some very good reports last weekend, brought on by the spring-like weather, and it continued into the week for the most part. Last weekend saw some of the nymphers have easy double-digit days, with quite a few above average fish being landed. Dries and streamers also produced some fish, although nymphing remains the best way to go right now. If you decide to fish streamers, try patterns with built-in motion (Buggers, Zonkers, Zuddlers etec.) in olive, white and black. Try to fish them slowly in deeper water by swinging or slow-stripping. Midges and Winter Stones remain the most common hatches, but a few Early Stones are starting to be spotted.
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
The beat rolls on as we hit the winter doldrums of February. Luckily, a quick warm spell didn’t kill all the ice in Rhode Island and did little to affect the ice in CT. Nighttime temperatures are going to remain cold enough to keep the ice hard, despite the longer days. For those trying to wet a line the conventional way, the winter-over stripers seem to be waking up, while the cod boats are producing whenever the weather allows.