Mild temperatures have kept more anglers out on the water targeting tautog, and the results have been very good in both Connecticut and Rhode Island. Cod fishing around Block Island is improving daily, and pre-ice freshwater fishing for all species it at its peak.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Russ, of The Seven B’s in Narragansett, reported a very successful weekend of tautog fishing following the holiday. Friday and Saturday saw full boat limits, while the Sunday trip saw nearly full limits as well. The quality of fish has been very solid, with pool fish generally coming in around 9 to 10 pounds. For most of the season, the number of cod that have also been caught has steadily increased, and this week was no different, with 6 to 10 solid keeper fish on each trip. Tautog trips will continue to sail from 6 AM to 4 PM Wednesday through Sunday, and private charters are available aboard the Jeanie B. This will likely be the last week of charters on the Jeanie B so take advantage of some strong fishing while you still can.
Captain Frank, of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett, reported some very good cod and sea bass fishing since the holiday. Black sea bass limits have been easily attainable, with fish to 5 pounds not uncommon. Most anglers are going home with at least a half-dozen keeper cod in the 10- to 12-pound range, with some of the pool fish being as heavy as 18 pounds. Bait has been doing the most damage for cod and sea bass, but anglers who have stuck with the jig have managed some of the largest fish. Each trip has seen some large scup and ocean perch in the mix, along with a good deal of smaller cod to keep the action very steady. Tautog trips aboard the Lady Frances have also been very consistent, with limits being reached on nearly every trip. Pool fish have been right around the 12-pound mark on most trips, and quality fish in the 8- to 12-pound range have remained plentiful. With warm temperatures in the forecast and action showing no signs of slowing, the last few weeks of the season should remain hot. Cod and sea bass trips will sail on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and weekends from 6 to 3, while tautog trips will sail daily at 6 AM aboard the Lady Frances.
Dave at Ocean State Tackle in Providence reported that the squid fishing has been very good in Newport, Jamestown, and the “Calamari Causeway” AKA the Goat Island Bridge. Larger squid jigs are working best, with most of the squid running 12 to 14 inches in length. Dave relayed a report from Block Island Fishworks: Out at the Block, the squid in Old Harbor have been even larger – up to 17 inches! Cod fishing has been very good south of Block Island, and folks sticking to freshwater are chasing trout, bass and pike. Stump Pond is Dave’s pick for pike, and the Blackstone River his choice for trout.
Mike, at Cardinal Bait and Tackle in Westerly, will be shutting down the shop for the winter after this weekend, but offered a quick report. Large schools of bait, mainly herring, remain plentiful along the South County beaches, but the surf casting has slowed down. A few small striped bass were caught along the beaches and in the salt ponds this week, and it appears that the majority of the bluefish have moved out for the season. Tautog fishing, on the other hand, has showed no signs of slowing down, with good reports coming from local waters and around Block Island. Black sea bass fishing has slowed down in local waters, but good numbers are being caught on the cod grounds around Block Island.
Mike, at Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, reported that he has still been targeting tautog in local waters, and the fishing has been very good. Water temperatures remain a bit warmer than usual, which has resulted in good fishing on the nearshore shallow rockpiles, as well as the usual late-season deeper reefs. Cod reports have been improving from around Block Island, and the cod grounds are now full of a good number of diverse bait schools.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Lou, at Hillyers Bait and Tackle in Waterford, reported that a lot of customers are still buying up crabs and hitting the blackfish grounds, and results remain very strong. Over the weekend a fish eclipsing the 10-pound mark was weighed in that was caught close to home in Niantic Bay. Anglers are reporting relatively easy limits, with the best concentrations of keepers in 50-60 feet of water. Striped bass and bluefishing has started to die off out front but local schoolie hunters are finding some fish in the Niantic River and in their wintering grounds throughout the Thames.
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, had a few customers reporting large schoolie striped bass blitzes around the Waterford area around the holiday, but over the past few days it seems like the greater concentration of fish has moved up the Thames River. School bass are also being caught, along with white perch, in the Connecticut River around the Essex area. Reports of striped bass in the Housatonic are also solid from the mouth up to Shelton, and that fishery will likely continue to improve as the winter fish stage up. The guys that are still blackfishing are still having success in varying depths. Deeper water has held the most fish, but some shallow honey holes are still holding fish as well. Blackfish season closes next Tuesday, so taking advantage of the mild weather and looking for some blackfish should be worth the time this weekend. Pike reports continue to improve in the Connecticut River coves, with the warmer days seemingly out-producing the colder ones. Again, this sets up nicely for this weekend.
Ian, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that large schools of herring are starting to show up in the western sound. Shore-bound anglers haven’t found many, but anglers fishing around 11B and 28C are jigging them up with good success. There are still some 20-plus-pound striped bass out west, and livelining some fresh sea herring has been a successful way to find them. Surfcasters in the area have also found some decent keeper bass on live eels after dark. Large schools of squid have recently shown up in the area as well, and are offering another good late season option whether you are looking for bait or table fare. Blackfishing has been very solid from 10 to 30 feet of water, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a limit during the seasons’ last weekend. Freshwater anglers hitting the Saugatuck Reservoir reported good catches of smallmouth bass and trout, along with a good number of walleye, which seem to be on the pre-winter feed.
Best bets for the weekend
Another weekend of above average temperatures is ahead of us, and should set up nicely whether you’re fishing the salt or freshwater. Tautog fishing remains very strong in both states, and with Connecticut’s season coming to a close, this weekend should be a good one to fill the freezer one last time. Cod fishing continues to improve in Rhode Island and it doesn’t get much better than 50+ degree codfishing in December. Freshwater options are plentiful as bass, pike and walleye are feeding heavily before the winter. Mid-week rain brought up the flows in most local trout streams to a steady but fishable level, and the bite should be strong in both states this weekend.