New England Fishing Forecast: Local Fishing Options
In this week’s report we have updates on trout stocking in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut; a proposed bill to eliminate the closed trout season altogether in Connecticut; word on cod in Rhode Island and more. Check it out!
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New England Fishing Forecast: Local Fishing Options In this week’s report we have updates on trout stocking in Massachusetts, Rhode...
Even for non-trouters, word that the trout stocking trucks have been seen warming up is a signal of good things...
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Connecticut Fishing Reports
DAVE ANDERSON-Connecticut Highlights
February 22, 2021 - 09:55:22
March feels like waking up after major surgery or something. I feel so hopeful, and then daylight savings begins and I feel like my pituitary gland is overproducing the love endorphin. I am definitely one of those people that suffers from minor bouts of seasonal depression, but when theres still enough light to fish for a few hours after work, I feel all
I dont know, sunshine and rainbows. March is a time of awakening for so many local fisheries, its a phenomenal time to hunt big largemouth bass. As the herring begin returning to their natal streams striper activity will begin to blossom in the rivers and great fishing can be had at the mouth of many herring runs for those willing to put the time in to find them. DEEP has already started stocking local rivers and ponds, check their website for updates and for the locations of your nearest TMA; these areas are open to trout fishers all year longeven in March when other stocked waters are closed until opening day. Were almost out of the winter woods, man it feels good to type those words!
Norwalk Fishing Reports
February 22, 2021 - 09:55:22
Max over at Fishermans World said, despite the cold and snowy February weather, the Housy still gave up plenty of stripers. The start of March usually signals a slow rise in striper activity in the ...
Max over at Fishermans World said, despite the cold and snowy February weather, the Housy still gave up plenty of stripers. The start of March usually signals a slow rise in striper activity in the Housatonic and, when the herring begin to trickle in, the bite can really turn on. The month begins as a continuation of the February fishing with blade baits, small soft plastics on lead and searching for active schools of fish. The second half, though, usually brings herring and active feeding. Larger baits are popular then with faster retrieves often earning more strikes. Try swimming plugs like SP Minnows or Hydro Minnows. Try larger soft plastics, and again, dont be afraid to fish fast. The TMAs are always a good bet for March trout fishing and the Farmington always leads the way. This year egg sacs thrown on center-pin gear have been all the rage and the catches have been very good.
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Milford Fishing Reports
February 22, 2021 - 09:55:22
The crew over at Bobby Js said they expect the Housy action to get better and better as March advances. Nighttime fishing always seems to produce the bigger fish throughout the winter, and March typ...
The crew over at Bobby Js said they expect the Housy action to get better and better as March advances. Nighttime fishing always seems to produce the bigger fish throughout the winter, and March typically stands out as one of the best months for bigger fish. When the herring show up, start fishing shallower waters with larger baits and you will likely be rewarded. They recommend the largest sizes of the Housy Minnow on a swimbait hook or a jighead with a large, sharp hook.
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Madison Fishing Reports
March 01, 2021 - 13:31:15
Captain Morgan emailed me a report this week to say, Hello March! Winter in slipping by as temperatures edged warmer and snow packs are diminishing. As more TMAs are being stocked with trout, angl...
Captain Morgan emailed me a report this week to say, Hello March! Winter in slipping by as temperatures edged warmer and snow packs are diminishing. As more TMAs are being stocked with trout, anglers have been taking advantage of the catch and release areas throughout the state. A series of rainbows, browns and brookies (including tiger trout) have been recently hooked on both live bait, scented bait, artificials and flies. Iced-up lakes and ponds south of I-95 have slowly gave way to the warmer temps but there are some opportunities still available north of the highway and in the upper parts of the state. No doubt about it, spring is on its way. Once past St. Paddys Day, we should be home free. Atlantic salmon catches in the Shetucket and the Naugy are up as fish in excess of 35 inches are being caught. For those looking to hook into a linesider or two, check out the main tidal rivers where long casting swimmers and soft plastics are the way to go. White perch can also be a possibility in the upper coves while a few of the lakes and ponds might be willing to give up a bass, pickerel, yellow perch, crappie or sunfish. There may even be a pike, as well as a largemouth willing to grab a live shiner. By next report we should be able to give more insight into the striped bass circle hook and bait upcoming regulations. Days are getting longer so lets enjoy what little winter we have left while it lasts. Meanwhile, send along some pics (captainmorganusa@hotmail.com) of catches that put smiles on your faces. Captain Morgans is continuing to re-stock for the new fishing season and whats remaining of the winter one. For those fishers looking for live shiners, the shop has them. We have been open since day one of the COVID-19 pandemic to support the fishing community and will continue to do so 7 days (call ahead) - dont forget your mask. Due to the volume of calls, leave a message and pertinent ones will be returned as soon as possible. Pay us a visit and you will see why we say, We dont make the fisherman, we make the fisherman better. Good fishing, stay safe and see you throughout the 2021 season. Good fishing!
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Clinton Fishing Reports
March 01, 2021 - 13:31:15
Fresh-run stripers are almost here, and TJ Karbowski of Rock and Roll Charters checked-in this week to say that he is eagerly awaiting their arrival! Fishing begins on May 22 for Rock and Roll Charter...
Fresh-run stripers are almost here, and TJ Karbowski of Rock and Roll Charters checked-in this week to say that he is eagerly awaiting their arrival! Fishing begins on May 22 for Rock and Roll Charters and the target will be the aforementioned striped bass as well as those tasty and plentiful black sea bass. You might even run into some early bluefish, scup and even a weakfish or two on these trips, so call him today and book a trip!
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Westbrook Fishing Reports
March 01, 2021 - 13:31:15
Spring is in the air at Black Hall Outfitters where the report this week is that, The weather is warming up and fishing is getting better! Anglers fishing freshwater are still finding safe ice all a...
Spring is in the air at Black Hall Outfitters where the report this week is that, The weather is warming up and fishing is getting better! Anglers fishing freshwater are still finding safe ice all around CT, with the best lakes being those stocked with trout recently. The DEEP stocked many TMAs and TMLs around the state with trout, including large (16 inch) and broodstock trout. Evan Kamoen reports some killer days with over 100 trout being caught himself on both a spinning rod and fly rod. Best lures seem to be Trout Magnets and Tsunami Cocktail spinners. Best flies are 14 pheasant tails and 16 mercury midges. In the tidal rivers, some are finding areas with no ice and catching quality fish at night on 5-inch Zinger swimbaits with a 3/8-ounce jighead. Reminder that the Westbrook shop remains closed until further notice. However we can ship, take online orders and do local pick up.
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Old Saybrook Fishing Reports
March 01, 2021 - 13:31:15
I saw Joe and Q over the weekend at Rivers End as I stopped by to drop off my Van Staal for its annual service. (NOTE: Get your reel in ASAP if you want it ready for the start of spring fishing as the...
I saw Joe and Q over the weekend at Rivers End as I stopped by to drop off my Van Staal for its annual service. (NOTE: Get your reel in ASAP if you want it ready for the start of spring fishing as they have received a ton of reels this year!) Fishing-wise, they have heard of some great panfishing on the coves of the Connecticut River prior to the recent rains, but access may now be rather difficult due to runoff. Walleye action has been likewise good. Trout interest was once again on the upswing thanks to recent stocking of TMAs and TMLs around the state (check out the Connecticut Fish & Wildlife Facebook page or online trout sticking map for details.) Holdover striper action has been up and down with the recent weather, but often times a shot of rain can kick start the bite.
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February 01, 2021 - 15:27:56
Capt. Mike of Reel Cast Charters is still down in Florida chasing snook, redfish, sea trout, hog fish, a variety of grouper and of course, several species of shark. Keep an eye on the
Capt. Mike of Reel Cast Charters is still down in Florida chasing snook, redfish, sea trout, hog fish, a variety of grouper and of course, several species of shark. Keep an eye on the Reel Cast Charters YouTube page as he rolls out some how-to videos this winter on your favorite local species (he already has videos on stripers and tog with more coming), and hit him up today to book a trip for the 2021 fishing season.
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Middletown Fishing Reports
February 22, 2021 - 09:55:22
Andrew at Fishin Factory 3 said the pike bite has been slow on the CT River coves this year, not many big ones reportedbut its still a viable fishery and the ice seems like its going to hold i...
Andrew at Fishin Factory 3 said the pike bite has been slow on the CT River coves this year, not many big ones reportedbut its still a viable fishery and the ice seems like its going to hold into, at least, early March. Ice fishing has been super popular this year and lots of local ponds that never freeze up have been safe. So theres been lots of hole-drilling and many ice caught fish from waters seldom fished in Februarywell see how long the ice sticks around in March, but as long as its safe the fishing should be decent. The best ice fishery though has been the panfishing on the CT River covesWrights, Chapman, Wethersfield
etc. These places have been giving up great catches of perch, crappie and a few stripers to the jiggers. For the trout hunters, DEEP has already started stocking and the TMAs promise to have some great fishing this month. Its all downhill from here.
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Niantic Fishing Reports
March 01, 2021 - 13:31:15
Heather from the Black Hawk office reports that, Our contracted job at the Millstone Power Plant is over, so if we hear that the cod fishing is good and we get a weather window, we may try to put to...
Heather from the Black Hawk office reports that, Our contracted job at the Millstone Power Plant is over, so if we hear that the cod fishing is good and we get a weather window, we may try to put together a few trips. Otherwise we'll be starting our annual winter maintenance and then plan on starting the season in the spring for the porgies and squid. As always, check our website and Facebook page for updates. In the meantime, we have been continuing with our Black Hawk seminar series, and last week Capt. Greg and CJ were joined by Toby from The Fisherman Magazine at J&B Tackle talking about blackfishing. We look forward to more of these seminars as the winter continues, be sure to check them out! If you have a specific topic you'd like to know about, let us know so we can talk about it!
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February 01, 2021 - 15:27:56
I heard from Kyle at J&B Tackle this week as he had to, unfortunately, postpone the second used tackle sale of the season to February 20 due to the weather. With COVID restrictions, they plan to c...
I heard from Kyle at J&B Tackle this week as he had to, unfortunately, postpone the second used tackle sale of the season to February 20 due to the weather. With COVID restrictions, they plan to continue this popular event but it is held outside so the weather needs to be just right. He did say that this year's Castafaris annual Offshore Fishing Seminar Series has gone virtual this year. The store is open 6 days a week, closed Wednesdays, and social distancing requirements (masks, etc.) must be followed.
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November 16, 2020 - 09:17:04
Captain Mike on the Tartan II said he wrapped up the season on Veterans Day and left the fish biting. He said it was a great season with more trips booked than ever before. He also wanted to make su...
Captain Mike on the Tartan II said he wrapped up the season on Veterans Day and left the fish biting. He said it was a great season with more trips booked than ever before. He also wanted to make sure he thanked all of his customers, from the first-timers to his core regulars. Hes already filling in the calendar for next season, so give a call to reserve your spot. Happy Holidays from Capt. Mike and see you all in 2021.
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Waterford Fishing Reports
November 23, 2020 - 09:59:50
John over at Hillyers Tackle said the reports for blackfish tell of good fishing in depths less than 30 feet and lots of keepersbut not many big ones. Dont forget that the season closes Saturday...
John over at Hillyers Tackle said the reports for blackfish tell of good fishing in depths less than 30 feet and lots of keepersbut not many big ones. Dont forget that the season closes Saturday. There are probably some schoolies up in the river right now, but no one seems to be fishing for them. Cod reports have been good from the ledges south of Block. Bad Lou made the long steam to Florida in his 40-foot boat. The shop will close for the season on Wednesday, November 25.
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October 20, 2020 - 07:42:10
Captain Bob of the Sunbeam Fleet reports that he has finished up the porgy and half-day bluefish trips for the season. There were decent results on porgy and are still loads of big blues to end the se...
Captain Bob of the Sunbeam Fleet reports that he has finished up the porgy and half-day bluefish trips for the season. There were decent results on porgy and are still loads of big blues to end the season. They have moved onto blackfish every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7am. The season has started off excellent with lots of blackfish around as well as a few sea bass. Trips are filling up fast so do not hesitate to book.
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New London Fishing Reports
February 22, 2021 - 09:55:22
Karen and crew over at AW Marina are closed for the winter, but March often presents the best opportunities to land some holdover stripers in the lower reaches of the Shetucket River. The current is s...
Karen and crew over at AW Marina are closed for the winter, but March often presents the best opportunities to land some holdover stripers in the lower reaches of the Shetucket River. The current is strong up there but youll be surprised by the numbers of stripers that can pile into the currents when the herring start to work their way up toward the dam. Swimmers, darters andif we have a warm Marcheven large topwater plugs can pull some nice fish from these areas. Every year is different and its far from a guarantee, but its worth a try.
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