River herring are plentiful, keeping some bigger striped bass in our rivers, while more (and larger) migratory fish are showing up every day.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Rob Taylor, of Newport Sportfishing Charters, told me that some better striped bass have started to show up here and there, with a few more reports of 20-pound class fish this week. The tautog action in the upper bay has been good to very good, despite windy conditions most days. The cod action has also remained very steady around Coxes. Rob hopes to have his boat in the water by Monday or Tuesday and has started to get the go-ahead to start running trips for in-staters, and out of state resident trips should be right around the corner.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that there have finally been some reports of squid locally, but the bite remains hot and cold. Boat jiggers are finding buckets some nights, but they are putting some time in. The tautog bite has been very strong throughout the bay, in the rivers and out front. The fish have been in shallow water, and jigs continue to outproduce rigs. Some large schools of small striped bass are also in the area; they seem to be moving around quite a bit, but they are prevalent enough to find in most cases.
Mike, at Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, said that the shad reports keep coming in at a fever pace. The bite has been as consistent as ever up and down the Pawcatuck River. The bunker have also made their appearance in the river, and the stripers have been right behind. Most of the bass have been just in the keeper range, but there have been some legitimate outliers, including a 52-inch beauty and a few over 40-inches. The tautog bite has remained consistent on the shallow reefs, and the lack of fishing pressure due to the virus should keep things stronger than a usual spring season. Squid have remained mysterious, but a few better reports have trickled in; we have to be close at this point. Freshwater anglers are still reporting very steady catches of trout in the streams and trout ponds.
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Connecticut Fishing Report
Josh, at Three Belles Outfitters in Niantic, reported more schoolie striper action from all over the shoreline and tidal rivers this week. Bigger fish are still lingering around the herring runs. There have been whispers of bunker around the mouth of the CT. River, but it doesn’t seem there are any big fish on them just yet. No fluke reports just yet. In freshwater, bass fishing remains steady as we approach the spawn. In some smaller ponds, bass have been spotted making nests. A few pike reports came in from the northwest corner, but it has been quiet otherwise.
Andrew, at Fishin Factory III in Middletown, said things have been quieter than usual on the large striped bass front due to the water temperatures, but that hasn’t stopped some reports of 30-40-pound bass from coming in up north. We have a much needed warm week upcoming, but in the interim there are still some big fish patrolling the herring runs and LOADS of smaller fish hitting sandworms and soft plastics throughout the river. The shad season remains exceptional, and really hasn’t slowed down a whole lot. Scup are being taken on the New York side and fluke shouldn’t be too far behind, with a few reports coming in from Montauk. The shop will be holding their annual fluke and sea bass tourney again this year, with a great cash prize and an optional sea bass Calcutta. Entry fee is $20 for the fluke contest and $5 for the sea bass Calcutta.
At Rivers End in Old Saybrook, Joe said the shop has been very busy this week, with tons of people buying gear and plugs for the upcoming season, but also stocking up on sandworms to hit bass in the river. The bulk of the bass being caught are small, but with things finally warming up we should see a change in that trend. Fluke reports remain quiet, but once again we should start seeing a pickup in action with the warmer temperatures that are forecasted for the week ahead. Trout fishing remains great close to the shop and throughout the rest of the state, with great flows and strong stocking numbers!
Mike Roy, of Reel Cast Charters, told me he’s finally seeing a good amount of fresh bass with sea lice on them, so it appears the first good push of migratory fish is here. He’s also seeing some fish feeding on bunker, so the quality of fish should be improving very soon. The warmer weather finally appears to be here, meaning that the sizes and quality of the fish should be on the upswing soon. Mike also mentioned that he has been able to get a large quantity of face cover buffs from Humminbird and Minn Kota that they will be able to provide to their clients. Be sure to check with Mike to book a trip for the upcoming season!
Over at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, Max reported that the cold fluke opener sent everyone to New York. He reports decent results considering the conditions but be prepared for sea robins! There was a better push of bass this week in the usual early western sound hotspots; most have been small, but progressively bigger fish seem to be showing up every day. The islands are still producing fish, and some bigger ones (15+ pounds) have shown up this week. The mojo bite to the west continues to produce some bigger fish and consistent catches, so we shouldn’t be too far off. Freshwater guys are reporting a much better trout bite at the Saugatuck Reservoir, and the local rivers received a fresh stocking, so that bite should keep up.
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Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Striped bass opportunities continue to increase throughout Southern New England. There are plenty of fresh schoolies and small keepers out front and in the river mouths, while larger bass are continuing to work the herring runs. Word of some much larger migratory bass to our west is starting to gain steam, and a few more warm days should start sending these fish into our area. Tautog action appears to be hitting its stride in Rhode Island, with strong catches in shallow water. The shad runs are still producing good catches, while largemouth and smallmouth fishing remains strong in our lakes, ponds and rivers.