Tautog action continues to pick-up for Rhode Island anglers as we wait for fluke and sea bass to get going. Striped bass activity is intensifying across the area, in both the tidal rivers and with fresh arrivals across the beaches.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Heather from Blackhawk Sportfishing was happy to report that they’ve finally started the 2021 fishing season with a few porgy trips. The numbers were very encouraging and should only get better as the water warms up over the coming weeks. More porgy trips will be posted to the website, along with squid trips, which should be firing up very soon. Tickets will be available to purchase on their website on Monday evenings at 8 p.m. All trips will be by reservation only, so be sure to grab your tickets early! They are also booking private charters and they are filling up quick, so be sure to book asap!
Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters has been focused on the lower river bite and has found solid numbers of schoolie and slot bass. Water temperatures are still on the lower side, which has limited the surface activity, but 7-inch sluggos worked subsurface has remained a top producer. There seems to be more and more herring getting pushed on the surface this week, and that should only intensify as the water warms. Mike still has some openings this month, so be sure to book one ASAP!
Evan, at Black Hall Outfitters reports that the fishing is heating up in the salt and freshwater. Trout fishing has been consistent with the best action being at the Farmington and Salmon Rivers. Powerbait, spinners and small Rapalas remain the lures of choice. Largemouth action has also been consistent on jerk baits, swimbaits, and chatterbaits. For an added bonus, the catfishing in the CT River has been good with reports of big fish and big numbers. In the salt, migratory stripers are moving through, everywhere from Rhode Island to the Housatonic. Sandworms are the hot bait, but they had reports of guys chunking bunker with success on larger fish. Both the Old Lyme and Westbrook shops are open and have a full supply of bait and tackle!
Ted, at Three Belles Outfitters, told me that the tautog fishing ended strong, but unfortunately anglers now have to head to Rhode Island for an open season. Striped bass action has slowly but surely been improving, with more fish in the mid 20-inch to slot range coming on soft plastics and jigs. Largemouth action has gotten a little tougher, with large male bass now protecting their beds. The crappie bite has been awesome in shallower water this week, while the rest of the panfish remain harder to find. Trout action continues to be as strong as ever, with good numbers of tiger trout and some big rainbow showing up locally.
Joe, at Diorio Guide Service, has gotten back out on the big river this week and told me that the school bass fishing has been excellent. They have been getting fish on both topwater and jigs, with Yo-zuri topknock and Joe Baggs Patriot fish doing most of the work. Most of the fish are under the keeper size, but they seem to be getting a little better each week!
Captain Chris Elser told me that trout fishing remains excellent in all of the western CT streams and the Hendrickson hatch is underway on the Housatonic, Farmington and Shepaug Rivers. It remains a great time of year to hook a big wild brown on a dry fly! The western sound estuaries continue to hold resident striped bass that are on the prowl for river herring, with the larger bass preferring a nocturnal pattern in the skinny waters. There are some bunker schools in the Milford/Stratford area, and Chris was starting to pickup some fish on 10-inch Big Occhis along the marshes and mudbanks in that area.
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Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Frank, of The Frances Fleet in Point Judith, reports that they were glad to finally get back out on the fluke grounds. They sailed with a nice group of anglers who weren’t worried about the rain, and they were able to manage some nice catches. It’s still a bit early and wasn’t a red-hot start, but they picked up a handful of nice keepers and a decent pile of shorts. They will continue to sail whenever the forecast cooperates.
Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that anglers who have been able to find some good pods of bait have been finding some better fish. Billy Silvia found some menhaden in the Bristol Beach area this week, and there were some large bass feeding underneath. Anglers have also found some school to slot-sized fish blitzing under birds in Greenwich Bay. Topwater offerings and larger soft plastics have been the top producers for bass. Tautog fishing has been steady throughout Narragansett Bay, while squid fishing is picking up across the state. Squid anglers are reporting the best catches on jigs in white, orange, pink, and blue.
Dustin, at Rhode Island Kayak Fishing Adventures, told me that the tautog bite has continued to improve this week, with better numbers of keepers on most trips. They are being caught at a multitude of depths, tight to their usual rocky structure. The pre-spawn largemouth bite is still gaining steam in the area, with big fish being taken in shallow water, on a number of different presentations. Migratory bass are slowly filtering in, and we should see a real push of fish withing the next two weeks.
Nick at Big Bear Hunting and Fishing had another strong weekend of trout fishing, with some good catches coming from the Wood River on nymphed Pheasant Tails. Salmon are still being caught in Carolina, but the sizes are still on the smaller side. The tautog fishing has improved to a point where limits are getting very manageable in relatively shallow water.
Captain Rob, of Newport Sportfishing Charters, just got back out on the water over the past week and is starting to put a nice beating on the tautog. They have found plenty of keepers on most trips and started getting into some much larger fish over the past few days. Things should only improve from here, be sure to book a trip soon!
Chris Catucci was gearing up for a tournament in Delaware this weekend but told me that the largemouth fishing has been strong across Rhode Island. He was able to take 1st place in the Ocean State Kayak Bass tournament last week, with some quality pre-spawn fish. The bite has been best at drop-offs around rocky points and should remain that way for a few more weeks. He hasn’t been out in the salt, but he is hearing that tautog limits are getting easier and striped bass activity has picked up big time along the beaches.
Connecticut Forecast
Striped bass activity continues to improve with bass hot on the tail of herring in the rivers and fresh arrivals showing up out front. Tautog is the top pick for Rhode Island ground fishermen, but solid numbers of squid in the area should get the fluke game going soon. The American Shad bite was strong in the CT River before the floods and should get going once again as the water clears. Trout fishing remains the main game in the freshwater world and is consistent as ever. The same can be said for largemouth bass, that can be taken across all different types of water and by all types of methods.
