This week has seen weather conditions all over the place. It’s difficult to decipher what to fish for and where when in “fishing limbo” during the early spring/late winter. Here at On The Water, much of our team refers to this time of year as: Farch.
February and March are transition months; fishing is possible, but it almost always involves figuring out what the most productive option is for wetting a line. Freshwater bass are a popular target along with trout, striped bass, pike and panfish. The options are there, but the weather and water conditions will likely be the decisive factors when planning an outing.
From Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook, Matt Stone says the trout stocking has continued and is a popular choice in the rivers this time of year. Recently though, Matt took some time targeting northern pike from his kayak; he had a few follows and promising lookers, but nothing would take the bait. The water is probably just a bit cold for them. Matt reported the water was between 34 and 37 degrees Fahrenheit. Other anglers around the area were catching bass on jigs and jerkbaits.
Matt said panfish are also becoming more active just as the bass are, but they aren’t quite fired up yet. A few more days in the mid-50’s will inevitably lead to consistently productive fishing, and the freshwater bass bite will follow suit.
Max at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk said that with trout season staying open, action has been very consistent. The state is still stocking, but many places like Mill River and Saugatuck River are complete and anglers are doing well. The fly areas of the Saugatuck were stocked well, and customers are coming in for their spinning tackle to follow suit of the fly guys. Max says the shop is fully stocked up on rooster tails and other inline spinners, Kastmasters and PowerBait. The Saugatuck Reservoir opens on the second Saturday in April, and is a popular spot for freshwater anglers once open.
For striped bass, the Housatonic is still producing with jigs and even the occasional SP Minnow, mostly at night. The bass are plentiful here, yet finicky due to heavy pressure. Max says as herring run up into local smaller rivers in late March, striped bass will be there waiting for them. Try out your local river mouth for some possible early season stripes!
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
In the coming week, fishing is bound to improve. Towards the end of the month, anglers can expect holdover bass to get riled up as herring enter the harbors and run up into the rivers. Saltwater season is around the corner, and if you’re yearning for some salty air, stay up to date with the headboats! Warmer weather and sunshine means some possible wreck trips in the near future.
Over the next week more trout will be stocked across the state, and in many of these lakes the bass bite will begin to turn on around the trout stocking. Panfish are slowly moving to shallow waters, and a few days of warm weather will have largemouth bass actively in search of a meal; the question is weather that meal will be a bluegill or a young trout. Big swimbaits imitating perch, trout and bluegills are popular starting now; the fish that were dormant most of the winter will be looking to fill their gut prior to the spawning period. Looking ahead, freshwater fishing is going to get exciting. Stop into the local shops for all your needs!
We hope to see many of you this weekend at the New England Saltwater Fishing Show hosted by the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association ! Drop by the On The Water booth to pick up a magazine, sign up for Striper Cup or just say hello and meet the team.
When was the last time the state of Vermont was ever mentioned in the fishing reports? Why do you include Vermont with New Hampshire and Maine when Vermont is never even mentioned?