Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt, this Black Hall Outfitters a Westbrook told me that he has made the most of the open water in late January, with a series of successful kayaking trips. He has been splitting his time between CT and RI, and has found good catches of salmon, rainbow trout, yellow perch and largemouth bass. Salmon have fallen in love with inline spinners, while the best trout action has come from slow trolling spinners and small Rapalas. The fish seem to be hanging on the drop offs near the big weeds and although the fights are slow due to the cold water there has been no shortage of action. Secondhand reports from remnant bass anglers still report steady catches in the Housatonic, along with scattered but relatively steady catches from eastern CT rivers.
Matt Stone went out in his kayak this week and went looking for a rainbow trout. (@sunrisekayakfishing)
Heather from Black Hawk Sport Fishing is done fishing for the season, but has kept busy doing boat work and starting his Talkin’ Tackle seminars online. Last week’s seminar was about hooks, and they got a lot of response and feedback. Stay tuned as they will have more seminars in the coming weeks, and you can find information on their website or Facebook page. Be sure to reach out to the ones you’d like to know too, as they’re always eager for suggestions and feedback.
And, at Dan’s Bait, Tackle and Charters in New London told me that most local anglers have still been taking advantage of open water opportunities while we wait for fishable ice to appear. 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 the residual bass bite remains the town’s main draw, while anglers look forward to cooler winter weather. The crowds have gotten tough in the Housatonic, but anglers are bouncing, dropping jigs and finding plenty of bass; especially on warmer days. Trout fishing has also caught the attention of local anglers. The Farmington River is the epicenter of the action, but most local TMAs are also putting up good fish. The state’s fall salmon stocking program has also gotten a lot of attention this year with the lack of ice, and anglers are still reporting good catches. There are signs of some colder weather/potential ice in February, and the store will continue to stock glitter in hopes that it will happen!
The world of fishermen in Norwalk reports that the beat continues…it’s trout or striped bass for most local anglers. Local creeks and TMAs have flowed well and fished well, and while this recent rain has dropped them a bit, the long-term forecast is promising for good trout fishing. Flies, mealworms and fish have been doing the work, with an emphasis on slow presentation, regardless of bait. The Housatonic is also staying consistent for striped bass and is also producing the best results for soft plastics anglers on a slow presentation. Local herring reports have been poor, but if we freshen up, we could see some schools of fish coming into the harbors.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Signs of a February cold snap are starting to look more encouraging for anglers hoping for ice, but in the meantime 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 were as steady as expected before the rain/snow, i this should stay the same after passing this rapid flood. 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 caught in the recent rain really goodso fspare water fishermen should be able to find ample open water opportunities for pike, perch and pike all over the river.