New England - Connecticut Fishing Reports

I talked to Rich at Fisherman’s World who said that striper fishing in the area should be good and getting better by the day as we move through the month of April. Early in the month anglers can expect to find schoolies and slot-sized bass in the harbor, along shallow flats. Sand and bloodworms as well as small soft plastics are typical the best bet for these early season fish. As we get later in the month fish will be found along beaches and around the islands as they spread out through the region. Early season tog fishing should heat up with warmer water temperatures although slow starts to the spring season are typically the norm. Local trout fishing in the Norwalk, Mianus, Saugatuck and Mill rivers will be good as the state continued to stock them throughout the month.

Bobby J’s said late March and early April are when local bites really start to get moving as fish begin to transition out of winter mode. They will start to see noticeable changes to local bites as holdover fish start to move and as the month goes on, migratory fish are added to the mix. Daytime fishing improves, especially in shallower, warmer water, say in 10 to 15 feet. How you catch local linesides starts to change too. It’s not just soft plastics fished slowly on jigheads. SP Minnows, Darters and gliders will take fish early in the month and before long they’ll be willing to take metal lips fished on top. If you’re looking for bigger fish, focusing your efforts at night is the way to go and targeting areas where river herring are likely to be found is a good bet. As the month progresses fish will begin to move down outside of tidal rivers and estuaries and onto the beach fronts adjacent to them. Other anglers will be looking to target tog right out of the gate and as the water temperatures in the sound warm up, they will be successful. Crabs fished on light jigs in the shallows around warming rockpiles are the best bet is you’re looking to tangle with a spring tautog. Other anglers will be focused on trout fishing as the state loads up local trout streams. The shop will be open six days a week, closed Mondays, starting the last week of March.

Captain Morgan’s emailed over their report to say, “We have been feeling it all week! Fishers cannot wait to hit the salt – some are even rushing it a bit. Anglers coming up from the south seem to forget about the water temperature difference and are ready to go. Remembering the summer and what they were catching, several were looking to jump right back into the swing of things and continue their adventure. Suggesting that freshwater might be the way to go since youngsters are involved, many still opt for the briny even though instant gratification suggest otherwise. Nevertheless, rigging up a small artificial and looking for that early run of schoolie bass out of the rivers is irresistible and a great motivator. The weekend brought less wind (except Sunday AM) and a mix of sun and clouds. These conditions filled the shop with anglers looking to get anything from licenses to fresh and saltwater gear as well as an assortment of bait. Inshore Long Island Sound water temperatures flirted with 42 degrees, and by this coming week, we could be looking at some early shoreline schoolie action. Fly fishers, don’t blink!  Add the opening of spring tog and winter flounder season, it could be interesting. The shop has a good assortment of custom tog jigs in various sizes and colors. Meanwhile, the state did get another good dose of needed rain jacking up river levels and flows as air temperatures continue to slip and then take a hike. Trout catches and other species are up as inland waters draw more anglers. Bass, pickerel, panfish, etc. are all exhibiting varying degrees of activity. Natural and scented baits are being consumed while artificial spinners, swimmers, cranks, spinnerbaits, flies, etc. are being used effectively as conditions warrant. Before hitting the salmon rivers, check out the flows especially, after a rain and dam openings/closures. Intersected in sea runs? End of March and beginning of April can be a decent time since temperatures are on the rise and they’ve more active preparing for the spring migration. From here on in, expect fishing to intensify. Pay us a visit at 21 Boston Post Road, Madison and you will see why we say, “We don’t make the fisherman, we make the fisherman better.”

Captain TJ Karbowksi at Rock and Roll Charters said boat repairs were underway so they’d be in tip top shape to kick off the season. He said he was ready for another great year aboard the Rock and Roll and was looking forward to hosting some greats crews of new anglers and regulars alike. They plan to start fishing May 17th some prime dates for the year are already filling fast. Give him a call now to book your spot.

Matt from Black Hall Outfitters emailed over their report to say,” The coastal ice is gone and it's officially cold water, open water season. Holdover stripers have been good in some of the normal places, but also tough in some of the normal places too. This could be tied to our subpar fall run last year despite bait being prevalent. For holdover stripers, small (3- to 5-inch) fluke or paddletail style baits in natural colors often do well. Fish them either weightless up shallow or on a very light jighead, between 3/8 and a ½-ounce and fish slowly. Freshwater is gearing up as well. Crappie are biting on micro jigs and hair jigs. Swimbaits and jerkbaits are enticing more willing largemouth bass, and pickerel seem to be just about everywhere.

Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters said they’d been hard at work getting the boats ready to fish for the season and they were going to start running trips on April 8th. Early season charters can expect light tackle fishing, mostly with small soft plastics on jigheads. A 5-3/4-inch Fin-S fished on 1/4- to 1/2-ounce heads, is par for the course this time of year. Prime dates for the season ahead are already booking fast so give Captain Mike and his team a call to reserve you spot now.

Andrew at Fishin’ Factory 3 said if history is any guide then April should be a great month for his customers. They usually expect to start hearing of schoolies from the river right around the first of the month. By the third week or so, reports of migratory fish in the river and its tributaries will start to trickle in. In the meantime, if you’re looking for a larger lineside Andrew recommended battling the crowds and heading down to the Housatonic with soft plastics and jigheads. He said that the NLBN plastics had been especially popular with a few regulars. The spring blackfish opener marks the first of the month and the shop will have crabs and sandworms for anglers looking to get in on some early action. Trout fishing is generally very good in the beginning of the month as the state loads up local ponds, lakes, rivers and streams with freshly-stocked trout. Although you can’t keep them in most places until the official opener on the 12th, you can catch and release plenty of hungry fish in the meantime. The Salmon and Coginchaug Rivers are popular with customers as are Black and Cedar Lakes. Typical trout lures like Roostertails, Rapalas, Phoebes, and Mepps are winners in the lakes and ponds as are live shiners. The same lures fished in rivers and streams work well as do trout magnets, Power Bait and worms under a float. Andrew said the couple good recent rain storms likely spread the fish out so don’t be afraid to take a walk. The River, depending on its level and the coves are historically good in the early spring as fish move around and some get ready to spawn. Pike fishing isn’t quite what it used to be but they can still be found in the usual hot spots. Shiners fished under a float and Rapala Husky Jerks are two of the most popular ways to catch them. Fishing the coves for panfish can be really productive this time of year and a few customers are already dialed in on them. The shop will be open seven days a week starting in April but if you need something before then they are there on the weekends or try giving the shop a call as there’s usually someone around to help you out.

Heather at The Blackhawk office reports, “We are getting more and more excited for the season!  We can't wait to get out there!  We are currently booking private charters, so be sure to email the office soon if you'd like to get your top choice for a date!  We should be heading home from Derecktor's soon; check out our live videos to see the progress. Our kids’ coloring contest had some great entries; voting is now closed and we're picking our winners, so stay tuned!  We definitely have some talented kids out there! A new contest for the grownups (or at least the people above age 12....) will be shared soon… probably next week! Stay tuned! We can't wait to see everyone soon!”

Ed at Hillyer’s Bait and Tackle said things were starting to pick up around the shop as they’d been working load up for the season to come. He plans to open up daily beginning March 31st and is looking forward to another great year. They will be ready for the spring tog opener with plenty of crabs on hand as well as sand and blood worms. Ed said he expects local action will get going in earnest as the next couple of weeks go by. Backwater schoolie action is already happening, though it is currently kind of hit or miss depending on the day. Looking for fish on shallow mudflats and using light jigheads and soft plastics is generally the best bet for a local lineside this time of year.

Captain Mike at Tartan II was working on the boat when I called, preparing for the season to come. He said if this year is anything like last year his crews can look forward to some fantastic fishing. They’ll start fishing again in May so give him a call to book your prime dates now as many of the popular weekends fill up fast.

Karen at AW Marina said they were looking forward to the season ahead and to seeing all their friends and great customers soon. They’re ordering new gear and stocking up for the season with an eye on opening toward the end of April.