Cod and haddock took a step in the right direction, while ice anglers have been able to dust off the gear at a few spots in both states.
Fishing Report For Connecticut
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, told me that some anglers are still reporting some pretty solid cod action whenever the weather has cooperated. School striped bass can be found around the mouth of the Connecticut, and the action in the Housatonic is also starting to heat up. Ice fishing is starting to garner the most attention, with most of the small bodies of water locked up and fishing well, along with some of the larger bodies of water in the northern elevations. Solid reports of pike, largemouth and panfish have come in from both sides of the state. The weather isn’t ideal for ice anglers this weekend, but doesn’t appear to be enough to destroy the ice completely, so we should be in good shape next week. Andrew is fully stocked with all the ice gear and bait you’ll need, come by the shop and spend the rainy day stocking up!
Captain Greg, of Blackhawk Sportfishing, reported that last week was a tough one with some rough weather and a major decrease in the number of haddock that has been hanging around. Luckily, things started to turn around at the beginning of this week. The weather settled on Sunday and they were able to find a nice pick of scup, ling, cod, sea bass and a little flurry of haddock. Overall, fishing has been much better this week than last and it appears that we are going to have a bit of a warm-up that should help things. Heather in the office reminds everyone to look at the weather and plan accordingly. Updated sailing schedules are posted as soon as possible on Facebook or thru their office and reservations are required.
Max, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, reports that the striped bass have thinned out locally, but the Housatonic is still fishing well, especially on the warmer nights. School class bass to 30-pounders were caught throughout the lower river this week, with some bigger fish around the mouth feeding on the herring schools that have just shown up. The herring action has been very up and down, which is relatively typical, but there have been some good reports from Fairfield to Norwalk coming in sporadically. The stretch of time from just before Christmas to New Years is usually best for the herring bite, so things should really improve if the harbors stay ice free.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing, reports that the river is finally starting to settle and winter conditions have set in, with water temps in the 30s. The fish have moved to slower/deeper pools, deeper runs and slower/deeper riffles. Many trout may slide from the deeper pools to the riffles to feed in the afternoons. Winter Caddis hatches will start to happen in the early to mid-mornings, but besides that, fishing will be much better after 10 or 11 am. Another trend that usually shows up this time of year is that the trout will start to pod up, so you if you find one, chances are you can find a bunch. Over the past few days the #1 fly was the Mop, while Squirmy Worms, Eggs, regular nymphs and occasionally streamers are also producing.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Mike, of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett, reported a decent trip on Monday, despite some tricky wind conditions. They were able to fill up some coolers with a mixed bag of cod, haddock, ling, scup and sea bass. Captain Rich reported some solid late season blackfish action over the weekend as well. They found fish just about everywhere they looked on Saturday, with the biggest fish going 10 pounds and some nice cod to 20 pounds in the mix. Sunday’s trip wasn’t quite as successful, but they still put a good bag together; high hook took home 5 fish, along with cod to 12 pounds and a few haddock. Their blackfish trips have come to an end, but the cod action remains steady and they will continue to run 2 trips daily.
Captain Russ, of The The Seven B’s in Snug Harbor, told me that he had a very strong end to his blackfish season; he was able to find plenty of fish and enough keepers to put together quite a few limits. Although his blackfish season has come to an end, the cod action has remained very steady. From here on out they will be targeting cod, haddock and sea bass, from Wednesday through Sunday from 6 am – 4 pm.
In freshwater news, the trout streams have started to settle as the rain from November has let up since the calendar turned. All the recently stocked streams are at fishable levels and the flows are clean and clear. In more exciting news, the recent cold snap has provided anglers with an opportunity to get out and walk on water on many of the smaller ponds across the state. Largemouth bass and perch catches have been good from multiple bodies of water in the northeast and northwest corners. This weekend’s weather won’t help things, but we’ve built a nice base in many locations and should get right into the ice fishing swing shortly.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Cod action started to trend back in the right direction this week and the haddock have once again made an appearance. The warmer weekend weather should make sailing for cod a bit more pleasant, and it should also help the holdover striped bass bite to pick up. Look to the river mouths and harbors for school striped bass action, and don’t forget to bring the sabiki rigs and keep an eye out for herring. Freshwater anglers can look to the trout streams that are finally starting to settle, and shouldn’t get too negatively impacted by a little more rain this weekend. Ice anglers across the area have been excited about the relatively early start to the season, and while this weekend’s weather isn’t favorable, it shouldn’t be bad enough to ruin the ice in many of the northern stretches.