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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New England Freshwater Fishing Reports
ROD TEEHAN-NE Freshwater Highlights
February 22, 2021 - 09:57:08
Its nearly March, and the spring stocking of trout in Massachusetts should commence within the next few weeks. Among the first waters to receive a slug of hatchery-bred fish are ponds on Cape Cod. My fishing partner, John Chrisant, and I hope to make a trip or two to the Cape in March to get in some early season open-water trout fishing. Well probably fish from shore at Cliff Pond inside Nickerson State Park in Brewster or Sheep Pond in Brewster or Peters Pond in Sandwich. All three are heavily stocked in spring and fall and offer anglers a good chance to hook into not only recently liberated rainbows, brookies, browns, and tigers but also holdovers. Each also harbors trophy trout, especially browns. Our plan is to fish PowerBait on the bottom or shiners under a bobber with one outfit while casting lures with another. If we do make it to the Cape to target March trout, Ill keep you posted in case youre interested in trying the same. Now, if I was a Connecticut resident who preferred fishing in my own state, this is what I would do instead. Id head to Squantz Pond in New Fairfield/Sherman or Winchester Lake in Winchester and angle for lake trout either in open water if available or through the ice. Squantz Pond (a Trout Management Lake open to fishing through March 31) and Winchester Lake (open to year-round angling) were stocked with lake trout averaging 5.3 pounds apiece back in November. Catching one of those big, beautiful togues would be a great way to begin a new year.
Connecticut Fishing Reports
February 22, 2021 - 09:57:08
Andrew at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown was pleased to announce that ice is safe almost everywhere. Pick a spot, he said, and more than likely youll find fishable ice. Among hot sites are...
Andrew at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown was pleased to announce that ice is safe almost everywhere. Pick a spot, he said, and more than likely youll find fishable ice. Among hot sites are (a) Wrights Cove and Wethersfield Cove on the Connecticut River where ice-anglers are pulling up yellow perch, white perch, and crappies, (b) Black Pond where beautiful tiger trout are being iced, and (c) Mansfield Hollow which is yielding some nice northern pike. Looking ahead to March, Andrew expects ice-fishing will remain good for at least the next couple of weeks. Also, pike fishing in the Haddam Meadows stretch of the Connecticut River which is rather slow nowshould improve. Most trout waters close the last day in February, but Trout Management Areas on selected rivers stay open. TMAs are ideal places to hook a trout any time of the year, making them another good bet for March. Andrew heard rumors that some TMAs have been stocked recently.
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February 22, 2021 - 09:57:08
Rich at Fishermans World in Norwalk said fishermen have been enjoying solid ice and steady action on waters north of the Merritt Parkway There is ice on ponds closer to Norwalk, but he wasnt sure ...
Rich at Fishermans World in Norwalk said fishermen have been enjoying solid ice and steady action on waters north of the Merritt Parkway There is ice on ponds closer to Norwalk, but he wasnt sure it was safe. Squantz Pond has been one of the more popular destinations, and for good reason. The 270-acre site in New Fairfield/Sherman is kicking out trout, walleyes, and panfish, many of them big. Rich had not heard of any lake trout catches there. Anyone looking for a great place to fish in March should consider Squantz Pond. A Trout Management Lake, Squantz stays open to fishing through March 31. (Between March 1 and 31 daily creel for trout at Squantz Pond is one fish, 16-inch minimum length.) Trout Management Areas on rivers, such as the Farmington River which churns out trout all year round, are another logical choice for good fishing in March. Before ending his report, Rich added that Fishermans World now has 2021 Aquarion Water Company passes for fishing Saugatuck Reservoir. The store also has lots of new gear for the 2021 fishing season.
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February 22, 2021 - 09:57:08
Red Cattey in Litchfield relayed news from two of his sources. Dave the Bump told him that Bearcat has been doing poorly smelt fishing at Littleville Reservoir in Massachusetts, averaging only four or...
Red Cattey in Litchfield relayed news from two of his sources. Dave the Bump told him that Bearcat has been doing poorly smelt fishing at Littleville Reservoir in Massachusetts, averaging only four or five smelt per outing. In past winters at Littleville Dave and Bearcat would often catch 100 to 150 smelt per session. A local game warden stopped by to tell Red that pike fishing at Bantam Lake has been slow.
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October 26, 2020 - 10:01:27
We werent able to connect with Captain Morgan at Captain Morgans Bait & Tackle in Madison. In past reports Captain Morgan has often recommended fishing for trout in Connecticuts trout parks and ...
We werent able to connect with Captain Morgan at Captain Morgans Bait & Tackle in Madison. In past reports Captain Morgan has often recommended fishing for trout in Connecticuts trout parks and major rivers. See Fall Stocking above for a list of recently stocked rivers and trout parks.
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Rhode Island Fishing Reports
Cape Cod and the Islands Fishing Reports
February 22, 2021 - 09:58:54
Talked with A.J. at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay who let everyone know that his part of the Cape has had safe ice for quite a while. He wasnt sure how long it would last, but in the meanti...
Talked with A.J. at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay who let everyone know that his part of the Cape has had safe ice for quite a while. He wasnt sure how long it would last, but in the meantime lots of Cape Cod anglers have been taking advantage and getting in some fine wintertime angling for trout, bass, pickerel, and yellow perch, among the latter a few specimens that qualified for bronze pins in both the youth and adult divisions of the states freshwater sportfishing awards program. The biggest bass A.J. heard abouta largemouthweighed in the 4- to 5-pound range, and the biggest pickerel measured 26 inches. The hefty chain was caught in a pond near Wareham by Derek, a Red Top co-worker who has provided us with reports on numerous past occasions. Asked about fishing prospects for March, A.J. answered that it was hard to predict what may happen. Hes betting that ice will melt by mid-March which would permit trout stocking to begin. Once those hatchery trucks start to roll, it will be time to go trout fishing on the Cape.
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February 22, 2021 - 09:58:54
Eric at Goose Hummock Shop in Orleans told us there is some ice here and there, mostly on small unnamed ponds. He emphasized, however, that the crew at Goose Hummock Shop does not recommend venturing ...
Eric at Goose Hummock Shop in Orleans told us there is some ice here and there, mostly on small unnamed ponds. He emphasized, however, that the crew at Goose Hummock Shop does not recommend venturing onto ice on Cape Cod ponds. Its just too shaky. Larger bodies of water such as the ones inside Nickerson State Park (Flax Pond, Cliff Pond, and Little Cliff Pond) do not have ice. Those venues are still hosting open-water anglers, who have been doing very nicely with rainbow trout and yellow perch. Erik himself fished Big Cliff Pond and had a ball catching bows on shiners. Many Cape ponds are also producing some impressive pickerel up to 23 inches. Good fishing in Cape Cod ponds should continue through the month of March. Spring trout stocking might commence too. Anyone coming to the Cape to fish freshwater in March should plan for open water.
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South Shore Massachusetts to Maine Fishing Reports
February 22, 2021 - 09:58:54
Word from Roger Aziz, Jr., in Methuen is that fishing in oxbows along the Merrimack River above and below the dam in Lawrence continues unabated. Action began in the fall and has been exciting ever si...
Word from Roger Aziz, Jr., in Methuen is that fishing in oxbows along the Merrimack River above and below the dam in Lawrence continues unabated. Action began in the fall and has been exciting ever since. Catches comprise pikenothing spectacularand lots of nice crappies, yellow perch, and white perch, the latter peaking around 1.5 pounds. Other waters in the Merrimack River Valley are yielding fish too, but nothing of exciting size. Forest Lake in Methuen has been the best bet for trout. On the subject of best bets, Rog said the oxbows along the Merrimack River look good for the month of March. Dead mackerel on the bottom has been the hottest bait for northern pike.
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February 22, 2021 - 09:57:08
From Skip at Saunders Boat Livery, Inc. in Southwick we learned that North Pond and Middle Pond at Congamond Lakes featured safe ice, but he wasnt sure of South Pond which is usually the last of the...
From Skip at Saunders Boat Livery, Inc. in Southwick we learned that North Pond and Middle Pond at Congamond Lakes featured safe ice, but he wasnt sure of South Pond which is usually the last of the three ponds to freeze over. He was also leery of the ice out in the middle of Middle Pond. Very often thats not safe either. Tons of people have been ice-fishing Congamond and doing well with bass, trout, and nice-size yellow perch. Not an ice-angler himself, Skips hoping the ponds will shed their crystal blankets in March which would allow him to get an early start on open-water bass fishing. March can be a very good month for bass, both in open water and under the ice as largemouths and smallmouths, including big ones, begin moving into shallow water to feed and fatten for the upcoming spawn. To contact early spring bass in open water at Congamond, Skip recommends working the shoreline out to the first drop with a jerkbait, small crankbait, or small grub. If no fish are found in close, try drop-shotting drop edges out in twelve to fifteen feet or so. Plenty of holdover trout are available too.
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February 22, 2021 - 09:57:08
Rick and Jerry in Milford teamed to provide us with a long report. In general ice-fishing has been great, the best, according to Jerry, in the past five years or so. Seems as if every popular place is...
Rick and Jerry in Milford teamed to provide us with a long report. In general ice-fishing has been great, the best, according to Jerry, in the past five years or so. Seems as if every popular place is producing. Included in catches have been quite a few large chain pickerel up to 4.5 pounds. Jerry said he hasnt heard about so many good-size chains since the late 1980s. Among the most productive sites are Heard Pond (also called Heards Pond) near Framingham Center (northern pike to 17 pounds, largemouths, and pickerel); Big Alum Pond (smallmouth and largemouth bass, brown and rainbow trout);Lake Winthrop (largemouth bass including Ricks 5.5-pounder and Schoolie Pete Walkers 5-pound, 11-ouncer); Farm Pond (pickerel and bass including Adam Nicholsons 5-pound largemouth and Eddie Dunbars 4-pound largie); Wallum Lake (smallmouth bass and trout); Louisa Lake (largemouths including Schoolie Petes 3-pounder); and Milford Pond (largemouth bass and perch). Rick and Jerry advised readers looking for bite sites in the month of March to stick with the above venues. These lakes and ponds are giving up fish now and should continue doing so for the rest of the winter and into the spring.
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