The final act for ice anglers may be taking place in northern Connecticut; while quality open water options such as holdover bass, trout in the Connecticut TMA’s, and white perch are starting to pick up.
Fishing Report For Rhode Island
Captain Matt, of the FThe Frances Fleet in Narragansett, was finally able to put a couple strong days together, as the weather has finally decided to cooperate. On Sunday he was able to get out with a good crew and fished some wrecks close to home for cod. They put together a couple of nice catches locally then scanned the area for bait. The scanning paid off, as they found a nice pile of bait and plenty of cod. Shorts outnumbered the keepers, but there was still plenty of fish for the table and some good action. Wednesday’s trip was just as good; with perfect weather, great turnout and some good fishing. They found fish close to home and out on the usual grounds, and managed a nice bag of keepers to 12-pounds. They will continue to sail whenever the weather allows at 6 a.m..
Captain Andy, of The Seven B’s in Snug Harbor, reports that they were finally able to get out on the grounds this week and were rewarded with some good cod fishing. Over the weekend they had a solid group of anglers, and were able to find a nice pick of keepers at one of their final stops. It isn’t quite lock and load yet, but it’s a drastic improvement over the past few weeks, with fish pushing the 15-pound mark. They will continue to sail at 6 a.m. whenever they can, so be sure to check in with Andy at the office to confirm your reservation.
The ice has finally faded and the trout season has closed in Rhode Island, but things are opening up quickly and providing open water options for freshwater anglers. Look to the small ponds that are warming up quickly to open up and provide some great pre-spring largemouth fishing. Skim ice is also starting to fade at Johnson’s Pond and Stump Pond, and the big pre-spawn pike are on the food bag. If the weather continues to improve we should start to see some holdover action in the Providence River and in the salt ponds, but for the time being, bass anglers can cross the border and scratch the itch in the Thames. There’s still a good amount of ice on the upper Massachusetts lakes, so anglers who can’t retire the ice fishing gear just yet can look north for at least one more weekend.
Fishing Report For Connecticut
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, was just getting back from vacation when he told me that there were still a few groups fishing the ice on Wethersfield Cove Thursday. That ice is fading fast, but there is still some ice holding on in the upper elevations and many diehard ice anglers should have one more solid weekend to get after it. Most of the ice on the Connecticut River has lifted, and pre-spawn pike fishing should be getting into gear, as the big girls are starting to move. There have been a few rumors of white perch showing up around Hamburg Cove, and that bite should hit its stride soon as well. The holdover bass fishing is going strong in the Housatonic as the water temperatures slowly climb, and peak spring run river fishing isn’t too far away. Both the Farmington and Salmon River TMA’s are flowing well and clean, and they continue to produce some quality winter trout action.
Joe, at Rivers End in Old Saybrook, is coming off another great Striper Surf Day and told me that a number of anglers reported some good holdover fishing in the Housatonic and some decent catches in the Thames. White perch attention is picking up in the lower marinas, and a few anglers are finding success targeting pike with large shiners around the Haddam area.
Rich, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, told me that the Housatonic striped bass bite is the main draw in western Connecticut, with the warmer weather this week sparking a strong bite. The action has been steady, but the larger fish are still coming after dark from anglers working the late tides. Things should continue to steadily improve until the first river herring show up and everything blows open. Housatonic Minnows and Dart Spins have been the go-to lures lately, along with the always reliable Zoom Fluke on a jighead.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in New Hartford in New Hartford, reports that the holdover and wild trout have figured out that the Winter/Early Stones are on the menu, so he suggests nymphing with a dark, slim fly in the 14-18 range. They are also starting to see Tiny Winter Blacks/Capnia (#18-24), Early Blacks (#14-16), and Early Browns (#14-16). Quite a few anglers have taken advantage of the good conditions lately and reports have been varied, but overall pretty solid. Anglers are working hard for holdover/wild fish, but they are being rewarded with good sizes. The freshly stocked trout are receptive to a variety of flies, especially things like Woolly Buggers and “Junk Flies” (Eggs, Mops, Worms and Green Weenies). Don’t overlook streamers, as they have been picking up less, but larger fish lately. 4-6” streamers may not catch you many fish, but if you want to swing for a trophy, that’ll be your ticket. Water is still cold, so you still want to fish slow and deep, but as the water temps rise in the afternoons, some bigger trout are moving into the higher current areas to find bugs in the drift.
Rhode Island Fishing Forecast
Connecticut ice anglers should have one more weekend on a number of lakes and ponds across the state, while Rhode Island anglers may have to travel north to Massachusetts to find one more shot. Open water options are starting to pick up nicely and it appears that the weather and the cod are both finally starting to cooperate off of Rhode Island. Holdover bass action is good and only getting better in the Connecticut rivers, and we should start hearing some reports from the Providence area soon as well. Open water bass, pike and white perch should be strong options across both states; while Connecticut anglers can continue to look at the TMA’s for some great winter trout action.