Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt, this Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me it was more of the same for anglers all over CT this week. The bite has slowed a bit, but anglers are still finding good success with trout in the Salmon and Farmington rivers, and a decent salmon bite in the Shetucket River. He has managed most of his fish with yellow or gold line spinners, but the center pin and spoons can also work. With most of the state’s lakes and ponds now ice-free, anglers have been taking advantage of the coldwater bass, crappie and pickerell action. The best bet for remaining striped bass remains the Housatonic, but the Thames and lower CT estuaries have improved a bit this week.
Heather from Black Hawk Sport Fishing reported that they ended their season on a high note, with some good trips during the holidays. They had a good run of bass before the season ended, along with some cod, haddock and pollack. They are now done for the season as they are pulling the boat for some maintenance. Be sure to keep an eye on their Facebook page and/or websites for updates on the spring sailing schedule!
And, at Dan’s Bait, Tackle and Charters in New London told me that with the up and down weather it has been difficult for anglers to choose whether to put away the summer gear or start preparing the ice fishing gear. Some skimmed ice is showing, but open water opportunities remain the focus for most anglers. The Norwich area is producing bass from 20 inches to nearly 40 inches, although most remain of the schooling variety. Looking for deeper areas where the current drops off and fishing soft plastics very slowly has been the ticket for most anglers. Reports are similar in the Housatonic, where anglers are finding plenty of bass on soft plastics fished on various types of lead heads. Good weather days have been sporadic, but anglers heading to the cod grounds report good catches whenever they can get there.
Bobby J’s Bait and Tackle in Milford reports that most anglers are heading to the Housatonic for stripers or hitting the TMAs for trout. What has been a very mild January has fueled an even better than usual bite in the Housatonic. The mild January has also increased the fishing pressure, so be prepared to bounce to some lesser-known spots if possible. The Sunnyside area has been a hot spot of late, with most of the fish still coming on soft plastics threaded to various sizes of lead heads. The bigger fish still tend to come after dark, but fishing has also been steady for anglers fishing during the day. All the local TMA’s are bringing in some good fish, with a good number of them on the fly. The Naugatuck River flows have also cleared/settled, and anglers are reporting a good increase in salmon activity this week.
The world of fishermen in Norwalk also told me that the two main focuses for local anglers have been either stripers or trout. The Norwalk, Saugatuck and Mianus rivers have been producing good catches, with worms, flies, spinners and spoons. The Naugatuck River is also producing good salmon results for paddle anglers. It’s very similar to the Housatonic, with soft plastics on light heads that produce lots of bass. Day fishing is producing better numbers, while the bigger fish still tend to show up after dark. It’s been far from a good year for anglers targeting herring, but there are still some being caught around the harbors for those trying.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
While signs of a February cooling are on the horizon, the the mild winter continues, and they do too winter open water fishing possibilities.
Connecticut fishermen can continue take advantage of the abundance of stripes low and they continue to see more consistency as the rivers clear up. While the mild winter can be aggravating for ice anglers, it has helped highlight the strong fishery we have. Reports from the Housatonic they were as stable as expected before the rain/snow, i which should remain the same as we stay soft after the weekend. If you don’t want to head to the Housatonic, good news, reports from the lower CT and Thames Rivers have improved this week. Freshwater fishermen can take advantage of a bite of salmon in the Shetucket and Naugatuck rivers, along with some recent fall trout. The Connecticut River has started cleaning ifspare water fishermen those who take advantage are finding ample open water opportunities for pike, perch and pike all over the river.