Rhode Island Fishing Report – December 15, 2016

Cod and sea bass keep biting off Block Island, while freshwater anglers are scoring good trout and pre-ice bass catches.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

The Frances Fleet in Narragansett reported one of the strongest weeks of winter fishing this season, with a couple of tremendous hauls last week. Last Wednesday’s trip most definitely took title as best trip of the week; limit catches were managed for nearly every angler, and the rest were only a fish or two away from a limit. Every other trip that sailed over the past few days has also seen near limits for everyone on board. There haven’t been any monster cod coming over the rails, but nearly every keeper has been a quality “gaffer” in the low to mid-teens. Plenty of black sea bass remain in the mix, and limits are still relatively easy. The tautog season ended today, but cod trips will continue to run Monday, Wednesday, Friday and weekends at 6 AM.

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, also reported that the cod and sea bass bite has remained stellar, and he has been selling a good amount of gear. Most anglers are finding good cod results with jigs and Gulp. DEM recently stocked trout for the winter season at a number of locations in the area. Dave recommends Lincoln Woods and Olney Pond for local anglers. The Wood River should also be holding a decent number of fish in the areas that are still open. Dave has a full supply of trout bait, gulp and terminal tackle for the winter trout angler. Carp anglers that don’t mind the cold are still reporting good catches in most of the bigger rivers and ponds. Squid enthusiasts are still reporting good catches around Jamestown and Newport, despite the drop in temps. Schoolie striped bass can be found in decent numbers in the Seekonk and Providence Rivers. Dave will remain open 7 days a week until Christmas Eve: Sunday thru Wednesday in the mornings, Thursday afternoons and all day Friday and Saturday.

Mike, at Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly in Westerly, also cashed in on the good cod and sea bass bite this week. He made a trip last weekend with Captain Tom Logan of Fish On Charters. They managed a full boat limit of black sea bass and 18 keeper cod. Things have slowed down on the striped bass front, outside of some schoolies in the salt ponds, local rivers and eastern Connecticut rivers.

Connecticut Fishing Report

Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown, also took notice of the strong cod bite off Block Island. He reported that the decent weather and red-hot bite has brought a ton of customers into the shop buying up cod gear. Locally, some anglers slowed their schoolie striper pursuit due to the colder temps, but those who’ve braved the elements are still finding a decent bite in the lower Connecticut River and more so in the Housatonic River. The colder water has tightened up the schools, so the boat anglers are doing a bit better than the shore crew, but all our still catching. Pike are still biting well on the Connecticut River and will likely do so until it starts to lock up with ice. Speaking of ice, Andrew is loading up the shop with gear, and with the cold blast coming this weekend, it won’t be long before we start walking on water.

Joe, at Rivers End in Old Saybrook, told me that he still had a good deal of customers heading up to the Housatonic to chase school striped bass. The bite has slowed a bit due to the cold, but it appears to be another banner year of holdovers, as there seems to be no shortage. The lower Connecticut River and its tributaries are also holding a few schools, but the numbers and size aren’t as strong as the Housy. Lower CT River anglers are also starting to find more white perch and hickory shad over the past few days.

Ian, at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk, reports that there are still plenty of striped bass in the Housatonic, but it is getting a bit tougher to hook up. The bigger fish also seem to have thinned out, and most catches are dominated by small schoolies. The harbor continues to see more and more herring, but most are reporting that it has not blown open just yet. Still, if you put some time in you should be able to come away with a decent haul. Freshwater anglers continue to buy up shiners, and are reporting good walleye and smallmouth results at the reservoir. The next few days may put a skim coat on that and shut it down, but warm rain over the weekend should open it back up for a bit.

Torrey, at Upcountry Sportfishing in Pine Meadow, reports that the river is still moderately low but it is much improved from where we were a month ago. There is a nice flow of 92 cfs through the permanent catch and release area in New Hartford, and anglers are finding a strong winter brown trout bite. Winter Caddis (18-24) in the mornings and Blue Winged Olives (24-28) in the afternoon remain the main hatches, with tiny Midges (24-32) also in the afternoon mix. Water temps are in the mid 30’s for the most part, which means the trout will be starting to drop out of faster water and move to their slower moving winter lies. Metabolisms start to slow and the fish will be most active in the warmer afternoon hours. The fish may tend to move to moderate riffles and feed on nymphs in the warmer parts of the day.

Rhode Island Fishing Forecast

An arctic blast may keep a few anglers inside through Friday, but things look to be warming right up following the precipitation on Saturday. Cod and sea bass should continue to bite very well off the island; if you are fortunate enough to have some time off to make a trip, now is the time. Trout anglers could look to Lincoln Woods, Olney Pond and the Wood River in Rhode Island, while CT anglers could find some good action in the Farmington and Salmon Rivers. The winter trout bite should provide a nice buffer for freshwater anglers waiting for ice.