It’s just about done for ice fishermen across southern New England, as nothing kills the thin ice faster than rain. Freshwater anglers continue to hit the TMA’s for some decent winter fishing, while saltwater anglers are still finding cod and herring to play with.
Rhode Island Fishing Report
Captain Russ, of The Seven B’s in Narragansett, reported that the local cod fishing has grown a bit spottier since the winter storm and the subsequent winds came through the area. Two trips were made at the tail end of last week, and while the fish were spread out, a few keepers were found at each location that was fished. The schools of fish being spottier is requiring a bit more work than in previous weeks, but the good news is that there are still good numbers of fish in the region. As temperatures climb and the weather settles, cod patterns should improve to pre-storm levels. Cod trips will continue to sail Friday through Sunday at 5 AM, weather permitting.
Captain Frank, of The Frances Fleet in Narragansett, also found the fish to be more scattered this week than in early January, but was still able to manage some fish at most locations. Last Thursday’s trip saw hi-hook take home 8 quality market cod, another angler took home 7, and most anglers on board at least managed a couple for the table. Conditions were a bit worse on Saturday, but once again most anglers left with 2-6 keeper cod up to about 12 pounds. As mentioned earlier, things should only improve as the weather pattern settles from Thursday on through the weekend. The Frances Fleet will sail daily at 5 AM if the weather allows, but be sure to check online or call to ensure that the boat is sailing before you head down.
Continued warm temperatures coupled with Wednesday’s rain have just about brought an end to ice fishing across Rhode Island. Reports from die hard ice anglers in the area mainly consist of traveling to New Hampshire or Vermont for a shot at some quality ice fishing. The extended forecast looks a bit more promising with temperatures dropping after the weekend, but for the most part 2016 looks like the ice season that never was for the Ocean State.
The local TMA’s have taken a bit of a hit with the heavy rain, but flows should start to settle nicely for the weekend. Warm weather and plenty of sun is forecasted for the weekend, so trout activity on the Wood and Blackstone Rivers should be strong. A few rumors of holdover striped bass in the Providence River have trickled into Ocean State Tackle in Providence and as temperatures continue to rise it may be worth poking around some of the go-to holdover spots.
Connecticut Fishing Report
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, had a quiet week around the shop, with the prolonged warm spell keeping most Connecticut ice anglers off the ice. Quite a few ice fishermen hit the northern parts of the state last weekend for one last trip, and results were average at best. A few of the smaller northern ponds had a decent amount of ice and may hold up through the warm and rain, however it will likely take a few cold nights to harden the slop back up. The weather has blown most of the ice out of the tidal rivers and the holdover striped bass bite in each one should be decent this weekend. The lower Connecticut River is holding a few decent schools of bass around Essex, and the white perch fishing is also said to be pretty good in the same area. The local TMA’s came up with the rain but not enough to blow them out completely. The Salmon River and Farmington River TMA’s will likely be fishing well by the weekend.
Rich, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that the herring fishery in the harbor is still going very strong for early February. The warm weather has certainly helped the fishing and has cleared the harbor of all ice, making access much easier. Shore anglers have been faring well around the aquarium and there is also said to be a few schools in the mouth of the Saugatuck. The Housatonic River regulars are still finding striped bass, although things have remained on the slow side this week. The nighttime bite remained a bit better than daytime, but as the days get longer and warmer the bite should start to accelerate. Once again there is no ice in the southwest portion of the state and anglers have been either heading north or pounding the local TMA’s. Those TMA’s are said to be on the slow side, but they should also benefit by more hours of warm daylight.
Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, reports that the Farmington fished good to great last weekend and through the early part of the week. With temperatures climbing close to 50 and flows remaining clean and clear, it has been one of the best freshwater options for local anglers. Prior to the rain the river was around 250 cfs in the permanent catch and release area. That number has certainly climbed over the last 24 hours but not enough to kill the fishing for the weekend. The morning hours have seen a decent winter caddis hatch, with #20-24 imitators getting some nice fish to rise. Nymphers have been doing well all day, while streamers are seeing less action but are responsible for a number of the largest fish.
Best bets for the weekend
It is only fitting that we hit 60 degrees with an inch of rain in the 2016 ice season that never really was. CT anglers may have a chance of finding some ice on small ponds in the northern elevations, but should proceed with caution. Luckily, most of the TMA’s have been fishing pretty well and are providing an outlet for anglers until spring. The holdover striped bass bite should benefit from the lack of ice on the tidal rivers, while cod fishing will benefit if we have some stability in the weather pattern heading into the weekend.