Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook got out a few times this week to target bass and trout, with pretty solid results. Largemouth bass were eager to hit jerkbaits, especially when fished with small (2-3 second) pauses. Matt has also found success working slow moving senkos around dusk and after dark for largemouth. The freshly stocked seeforellen trout cooperated this week as well, with a couple big specimens hitting spoons and jerkbaits. In the salt, we have the spring tautog opener this weekend, but the water temperatures aren’t quite there yet. Hopefully we get a bit of a warmup, as the water temperatures aren’t too far off. In the meantime, holdover striped bass fishing has picked up the slack, with great fishing throughout the rivers and around the herring runs.
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Heather from Black Hawk Sportfishing was getting back from another great CT Fishing & Outdoor Show. They had a great winter show season but are now ready to get the boat in the water and start fishing. They plan to start sailing very soon, so be sure to check out their website and/or Facebook page for spring scheduling updates.
Dan, at Dan’s Bait, Tackle and Charters in New London is excited to be opening the shop for the season this weekend, and will be stocked with all your early spring needs! As far as fishing, anglers working the trout streams and/or the recently stocked trout ponds are being rewarded with strong catches. The trout stocking has continued in many of the lakes and ponds across the state, and that is drawing the interest of many local anglers. Many of the local lakes and ponds are also garnering interest from largemouth bass anglers, as that bite seems to be slowly improving as well. The same can be said for anglers targeting crappie, as they seem to be putting on the food bag recently. The holdover striped bass action has started to fire back up nicely, with reports of steady action, along with some topwater action on the warmer days. Spring tautog opens this weekend, and Dan recommends not shying away from squid and/or sandworms for bait, as these soft baits seem to good producers early in the year.
Bobby J’s Bait and Tackle in Milford said that the holdover striped bass activity remained consistent on the Housatonic this week, as the water temperatures are slowly but steadily creeping up. The better fish are still coming after dark and are starting to favor some larger baits. Herring reports have been quiet but they are undoubtedly starting to show up, and that will greatly improve the bass activity. Trout anglers are taking advantage of the increased open season, along with a recent stocking of Seeforellen brown trout. Those not looking for the giant Seefs are finding plenty of steady action on the local TMAs using a variety of different presentations.
Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that trout fishing continues to steadily improve, with flows improving and the state continuing to stock dozens of water bodies throughout the state. The Mianus, Saugatuck, and Mill Rivers continue to fish well, along with just about any other body of water that was stocked recently. The Farmington River has also been a hotbed for large holdover trout for anglers that are willing to take the ride. Anglers are catching trout on a variety of lures and baits; with spinners, spoons, small soft plastics and jerkbaits all catching well. You can see the latest stocking information via the CT DEEP website or Facebook page. Bass action in the Housatonic is steadily improving, with the increased flow helping things out as the water starts to clear. 3-9 inch soft plastics on light jigheads have been getting the job done, and large swimming plugs have started to induce strikes from some larger bass, as the herring are likely starting to trickle in.
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Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Connecticut anglers continue to see improved holdover striped bass fishing as the flows are starting to clean and the water is starting to warm up, along with the early herring arrivals. Some bigger fish are showing up after dark, and we shouldn’t be too far away from everything blowing wide open. Shad reports have been quiet, but they should also start showing up in the Connecticut River any day now. The state is essentially opened for trout year-round, and while some areas may be catch and release, all of the TMAs are fishing well. The DEEP also did a big round of stocking over the past few weeks, including stocking some large Seeforellen’s, along with another round of lake trout into a few select lakes across the state, so give their website a look for more stocking information. Pike fishing should improve soon, as the fish start to put the pre-spawn food bag on, and there are still ample open water opportunities for bass and panfish across the state. Spring tautog season opens on April 1st, but we are likely a week or two away from optimal water temps for that bite.
How about some reports from the north east section of ct . Farmington river is a good area