Connecticut:
LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing has picked up some over the last week in a number of areas (but some work is generally required). Try targeting dark bottom, warmer backwater coves that warm quicker. Fair to good reports from Mashapaug Lake, Ball Pond, Lake McDonough, Pachaug Pond, Candlewood Lake (fair at best, later reports indicate some fish are moving up onto beds) and Squantz Pond (fairly good, including a 4.25 lb largemouth). Live bait, hard lures and soft plastics are working. Tournament angler reports are from Gardner Lake (fair action, mostly on 1-lb fish, with 2.3 & 2.2 lb lunkers). Mansfield Hollow Reservoir (mediocre fishing, not much size, 2.72 lb lunker for one tourney, better fishing with a 5.9 lb lunker by Ken Ferry for another tourny), Mashapaug Lake (fair action, 2.1 lb lunker), Pachaug Pond (fair fishing, 3.84 & 3.04 lb lunkers), Pattagansett Lake (fair fishing, with a 4.0 lb lunker), Quaddick Lake (good day of fishing, with fish pre-spawn, spawn and postspawn bass, 5 lb lunker), Candlewood Lake (slow to fair action, with 6.75 lb, 5.18 lb, 4.7, 3.96 lb lb lunkers) and Lake Lillinonah (fair for largemouth).
Rhode Island: The Burrillville Bass Club ( BBC) has fished 3 Thursdays now of the 27 week schedule. Echo Lake first to start the 2016 season and 14.85 took first on the 5 fish limit. Week two a cold front slammed the door for a 9.85 creel to take first at Smith and Sayles Reservoir and this past Thursday the hardened off , like a tomato plant, group fished Wilson's Reservoir in Pascoag with cold rain 41 degrees, 15 mph wind and with 27 minutes to go a 5 pound:45 oz bucket mouth got fooled on a crankbait to take the bragging rights for a week. All fisher's had bright red cheeks from the wind burn. Ice on your rod eyes or snow, this group competes till skim ice stops the fall season and the freshwater manmade earthen dam ponds and lakes are lowered for the winter. Wilson's was entirely smallmouth bass till 1953 when the largemouth bass were introduced and now control the reservoir. On a rare occasion a stunted bronzeback can be caught near the exit waterway where it goes under the bridge on East Wallim lake road. The waterway, a popular location to hold fund raising ice tournaments received very little ice fishing pressure in this past warm winter and should produce larger bass in 2016.
SMALLMOUTH BASS. Fishing has been tough in many areas. Best reports are from Colebrook River Lake and Squantz Pond (several fish in the 2-3 lb range). It’s slow to fair fishing (at best) at Candlewood Lake (anglers are seeing lots of fish schooled up, but can’t get them to bite), Beach Pond and Mashapaug Lake. Tournament angler reports are from Mashapaug Lake (a few, with a 3.2 lb lunker), Pachaug Pond (a few), Lake Lillinonah (fair to good action, 3.86 lb lunker), and Candlewood Lake (hard fishing with few catches for some, fair for a few, 3.67 lb lunker.
BLACK CRAPPIE fishing continues to be good throughout the state, with reports from Candlewood Lake (on fire at Danbury Town Park), Pachaug Pond, Lake Lillinonah, Highland Lake, Rogers Lake and a number of the smaller ponds in southeast CT.
WALLEYE. Very good reports from Squantz Pond, and it’s been slow at Mashapaug Lake. Beach Pond a few have been caught by trout fishermen by a pleasant accident.
NORTHERN PIKE: fishing has been slow, with reports from Pachaug Pond, Quaddick Lake and Mansfield Hollow Reservoir. A shot of warmer weather may help pick up the action.
Catfish:
(Horn Pout) Fishing is very good right now and the catfish are one of the best tasting freshwater fish to cook on the grill. When the Dandelions start blooming on your lawn it is the time for the spring catfish harvest. All New England States have very good populations of Catfish, Channel or Albino and Connecticut has had the most aggressive stocking program in all New England. The rivers have some big ones staged around the brush dams or after any rips where they stage looking for a passing meal. Do not overlook local farm ponds and always ask permission to fish them and to share the harvest with the property owner.
CONNECTICUT RIVER:
The river remains cool (still at 52° F as of Tuesday, 5/3) and this may be affecting runs. Flows are turbid and somewhat high, but are well below typical early May levels. STRIPED BASS (schoolie-size and some bigger fish) are being found throughout the river. Some 20 lb plus fish caught in the upper river (good action on bloodworms and plugs). Action at the mouth has been better early in the morning. AMERICAN SHAD can be found throughout the river (fair to good action continues in the Enfield area) although water temperatures may still be slowing them down some. Willow leafs have been working well. BLACK CRAPPIE fishing is fair to good. Some LARGEMOUTH BASS are being caught (best reports from Salmon River Cove).
Salt Water Report:
Stream STRIPED BASS fishing is very good for “schoolies” in most of the tidal rivers along the Connecticut shoreline. There are also some very nice keepers in the mix as well. Striper spots include the Pawcatuck River, Mystic River, Thames River, Niantic River, lower Connecticut River (DEEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier and Dock and Dine), Black Hall River, New Haven Harbor (Sandy Point), Housatonic River and Norwalk Harbor including the islands. Sand and blood worms have been working the best, especially in turbid waters around the high tide and the beginning of the ebb. Casting swimming lures, small jigs (Chartreuse color) with twister tails, soft baits, and Kastmasters and other metal lures will all work.
Fishing is awesome in the lower rivers/estuaries where the water temperature has approached the magical 55°F mark and there are schools of 1 year old menhaden! The top-water fishing has been fantastic…
In the Ocean State: Fishing legend Dave Pickering has had the best April Striped Bass fishing in his long career. Schoolies and now big runs of keeper size stripers have arrived. White Slugo's with a wood float ahead is a sure fire ticket to a keeper at 28 inches.
WINTER FLOUNDER:
Fishing is improving in the Poquonock River at Bluff Point State Park, Niantic River, The Brothers, Jordan Cove, lower Saugatuck River, Calf Pasture Beach area, Norwalk Islands (Cockonoe) and the channels in Norwalk Harbor. Other flounder spots include the lower Mystic River, and the mouth of the Thames River in the Pine Island area including Baker Cove.
WHITE PERCH:
Fishing is good for these tasty panfish in most of the tidal rivers and coves along the Connecticut shoreline. Perch spots include the Pawcatuck River, Mystic River, Thames River, upper Niantic River, lower Connecticut River (DEEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier), Black Hall River, Lieutenant River, North/South Cove and Hamburg Cove. Grass shrimp and small garden worms are the keys to success.
SCUP:
(porgy) fishing is fair with the first scup of the season migrating to the major reefs/rock piles. Porgies measuring 10-16 inches (“hubcap size”) have been reported! Porgy fishing has also been reported at these shore fishing locations: Rocky Neck State Park, Meigs Point Hammonassett State Park and Fort Trumbull State Park. Locate your favorite Enhanced Shore Fishing Opportunities for these excellent eating “Reef Slammers”. These “panfish of the sea” are easily caught on sandworms/cut squid or any other small piece of bait. Contact your local bait and tackleshop for updated fishing information.
BLACK SEA BASS:
Fishing is slow with this gnarly weather we have had. The early season hot spot is Falkner Island. Fishing over any deep water structure in 60 to 100 ft around slack tide will produce some trophy-sized “humpbacks”. Fish shallower and you will catch plenty of keeper-sized sea bass. It’s important to continue to move from structure to structure to find these beautiful and awesome eating fish. Remember, CT black sea bass regulations are as follows…15 inch minimum length, 5 fish daily limit from May 1st to December 31st. Berkely Gulp (swimming mullet) on a jig along with squid with a spinner works great for these “Bucketmouths”.
WEAKFISH:
Look for weakfish in Guilford/New Haven Harbor over to the Milford/Stratford area along with the Peconics (NY).
BLUEFISH:
The Race, Millstone Outflow, Plum Gut and the north side of Long Island including Gardiners Bay and the Peconics are early bluefish spots.
DEEP Offices/Facilities Address Town State Zip Marine Headquarters, M-F 8am-4pm, 860-434-6043 333 Ferry Road Old Lyme CT 06371 Eastern District, M-F 8:30am-4pm, 860-295-9523 209 Hebron Ave Marlborough CT 06447 Western District, M-F 8:30am-4pm, 860-485-0226 230 Plymouth Rd Harwinton CT 06791 Franklin WMA, 860-642-7239 M-F 8:30am-4:30pm 391 Route 32 Franklin CT 06254 Sessions Woods WMA, M-F 8:30am-4pm, 860-675-8130 341 Milford Street (Rte 69) Burlington CT 06013 CTDEEP Main Office M-F 9am-4pm, 860-424-3105 79 Elm Street Hartford CT 06106
Program Regulations : A bonus striped bass is at least 22 inches but less than 28 inches. Open Season: May 1 through December 31, 2015. Only one bonus striped bass may be harvested daily. The fish must be tagged immediately upon harvest, with the tag securely affixed to the lower jaw. The tag must remain on the fish until you have returned to your home or other location where the fish is to be consumed. Anglers are also required to complete a bonus striper report card provided with the tag immediately upon harvesting a qualifying fish. Mail the report card back to Marine Fisheries within two days of harvesting the fish. The card is already addressed and postage paid for return on the reverse side. It’s free, so please mail it back to assure continuation of this program. Tags are valid in Connecticut state waters only. The normal limit of one (1) striped bass 28 inches or greater may also be harvested. STRIPED BASS REPORTING CARDS & TAGS NOW AVAILABLE. The Bonus Striped Bass Program will run from May 1 through December 31 in 2016. DEEP will distribute TWO Harvest Tags and Harvest Report Cards per license holder this year. The tag must be securely affixed to the jaw of the fish immediately upon harvest and must remain on the fish until you arrive home. The harvest report card must also be completed upon harvesting a qualifying fish. The report card should then be returned to DEEP within two days of harvest. The cards are pre-addressed to Marine Fisheries and are postage paid. You simply need to drop the completed card in any mail box. Tags are available at DEEP Offices and Facilities listed below. There is a limit of TWO TAGS annually per Connecticut fishing license holder. However, for convenience one person may pick up at most FOUR TAGS for friends and relatives by presenting valid Connecticut fishing licenses for these anglers. Children are also eligible to receive a tag by signing up for a free Youth Fishing Passport. Tags are available on a first come first serve basis for as long as supplies last. Special section- BONUS STRIPED BASS FISHING PROGRAM-
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