Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt, this Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me he spent some time this week working some of the state’s trout waters and has had success targeting hungry rainbows in the Salmon River. The water has been clear and flowing well (although that may change after Friday), and the trout have been taking flies, egg sacs, line spinners and Berkely trout worms. Ice anglers won’t have a chance this week, but they shouldn’t wait too long as temperatures will likely drop immediately after Friday’s rain. Striped bass fishing has been quieter than usual in the creeks and tribes of eastern CT, but the Housatonic is still supposed to be fishing well. Freshwater bass anglers are still reporting good catches of smallmouth and largemouth on hair rigs in the CT River.
Matt Stone of Black Hall Outfitters found steady rainbow trout action in the streams this week.
Heather from Black Hawk Sport Fishing they reported that when they were able to go out last week the fishing was excellent! Last Thursday had a great group of anglers and coolers full of jumbo bass, porgies and some cod in the mix. Their trips are now completely time based – they will go out as much as possible, so make sure you check in at the office before your trip! Check our website for timetables and tickets. As a reminder, they post new trips every Monday night at 8pm, for trips approximately 3 weeks in advance.
And, at Dan’s Bait, Tackle and Charters in New London told me that anglers who don’t mind fighting some winds have been able to get some good catches of residual striped bass in local tributaries and tidal rivers, along with some schooling bass still running through the beaches. Most are reporting the best success with paddletail soft plastics on a 1- to 3-ounce jighead. Some of the fish will still take a swim plug, but as the temperatures continue to drop, slowly worked soft plastics will be the main producers.
Captain Mike Roy a Reel Cast Charters they reported that they are done with their season but were still finding plenty of bass that were eager to chew in the lower CT river last week. Anglers looking to get out for some light striped bass action should find no shortage of fish until the ice shelves start floating down. Mike wanted to thank all of his customers for another great season and wish everyone a Happy Holidays!
The world of fishermen in Norwalk reports that most local anglers are now heading to the Housatonic for the remaining stripers. At this point in the season, the most effective area seems to be north of the I-95 bridge, with fish taking smaller baits in the 4-6 inch range. The bite can be up or down depending on the day, but focusing on fishing the back of a warm stretch is usually the best bet. Trout fishing in local streams can be good and hitting small streams with flies, lures and small lures can be productive. It looks like we’ll have some ice fishing opportunities in the near future, and the shop is fully stocked with ice tackle and gear for the season! Saugatuck Reservoir has still been fishing well for bass and walleye for anglers hooking shiners under slip bobbers, but it will likely be over as it should be frozen and closed for the year after this head of week
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Connecticut Fishermen can continue to take advantage of the abundance of striped bass. The Connecticut bite has been a consistent producer for years, and this year looks to be no different. The Housatonic’s hot bed is that, with good reports from shore anglers and boats. If you don’t want to head to the Housatonic, something good has happened school action in the lower CT River, Thames River and most small estuaries in the Eastern Sound. Freshwater fishermen can take advantage of another round of Atlantic salmon half in the Shetucket and Naugatuck rivers, along with some recent fall trout. Anglers fishing many of the state’s lakes and ponds find a strong pre-ice bite for smallmouth, largemouth and crappieand there should be plenty of opportunities to find some safe ice after this weekend!