Blackfish Season Opens April 1 in CT, RI, and MA
Tog season opens April 1 across southern New England, and even though we usually don’t see consistent fishing for a few more weeks, there has been lots of excitement among anglers ahead of the opener. Wild swings in the weather over the last week have made for some tough bites, but we have some tricks for keeping the rod bent through these weeks of transition.
Fresh fish and opportunities become available during the month of April as water temperatures climb and new seasons open. While Long Island Sound itself isnt so much the focus for many anglers, its tributaries and nearshore structure offer good action to anglers looking to break their cabin fever. Striped bass are the focus for many looking to cash in on the springtime action as our resident fish wake up and spread out through tidal rivers and creeks. Migratory fish return as well, both stripers in the western sound and river herring and American shad. The season opens for both blackfish and winter flounder offering nascent bottom fishing opportunities and the chance to bring some fresh saltwater quarry home to the table. Although there is essentially no closed season for trout in the state anymore the official put and take opener for trout season give anglers the chance to take some trout home as well, in 2024 that day is April 13th. Another important item of note is that the regulations for fluke and scup (porgy) have reportedly been finalized (still subject to change), heres an excerpt from Captains Morgans report that explains the recreational details: For those who have not heard, the 2024 summer flounder (fluke) Connecticut and New York regulations have finally been inked. Being that Connecticut favored the option with a smaller minimum size and New York preferred the one with a longer season, a compromise was reached due to the migration pattern in Long Island Sound. ASMFC approved the compromised followed by approval of the regulatory process of Connecticut and then New York which basically boiled down to a formality unless the Governors office objected to their process. As it stands, the summer flounder (fluke) recreational regulations for 2024 are: May 4 - August 1, 3 fish at 19 inches or greater; August 2 - October 15, 3 at 19.5 inches or greater. Scup: May 1 - 12/31, 30 fish at 11 inches or greater. For-Hire season(s) and bag limit(s) will differ, we're still awaiting word on that.
I spoke to Rich at Fishermans World who said that local fishing has been good and will only get better as the month wears on. Striped bass, mostly schoolies to 30-inch class fish have spread out th...
I spoke to Rich at Fishermans World who said that local fishing has been good and will only get better as the month wears on. Striped bass, mostly schoolies to 30-inch class fish have spread out throughout the harbor and in the tidal rivers and creeks. These fish can often be found up on the muddy or sandy flats as these areas tend to warm up more quickly than the deeper pockets. These fish havent been picky and as the herring move out they will be willing to take a variety of baits including mackerel, bunker, sandworms and clams. Soft plastics and swimming plugs on the smaller side are also very effective. As the month goes on, this bite will continue to spread out to the coves and out around the islands and swimming plugs and soft plastics are often the best bet when it does. The early blackfish season should be good if the last couple of years are any kind of indicator. Both blackfish and winter flounder open April first and the majority of the local attention is focused on tog. The shop will have sandworms, clams, jigs, rigs and any other tackle youre looking for to get the season started. Beyond the saltwater action, trout fishing has been good. The state has been diligently stocking and the Mill, Norwalk and Saugatuck Rivers have all been producing quality catches. Traditional baits like Rapalas, Rooster Tails, small spoons, shiners and worms are all taking their share of fish.
Bobby Js said although fishing has been pretty good over the last month weve reached the point of the year where it will only get better and better. Striped bass action tends to occupy the time o...
Bobby Js said although fishing has been pretty good over the last month weve reached the point of the year where it will only get better and better. Striped bass action tends to occupy the time of most anglers this time of year and with good reason. The local bite really tends to pick up as the water warms and fish start to move around. Early in the month the mouths of harbors, estuaries, rivers and creeks boast the most bass activity but as temperatures continue to climb the beach fronts will heat up too. By the end of the month any local beach adjacent to a river or harbor will have fish. Early in the month, sand worms and soft plastics are the best bet but by months end fish are usually more willing to chase down swimming plugs. Jason told me he expected the early blackfish action to be good with the mild winter wed had and the popular spots should be giving up fish within the first couple weeks of the season. The shop will have sandworms, clams and Asian crabs early in the season and should have green crabs for the last couple of weeks. Theyd also been hearing from anglers taking advantage of the thousands of trout the state was stocking. The fishing has been very good in the local rivers on both bait and lures. The shop will have shiners, crawlers, trout worms and plenty of other tackle for those looking to get in on the action.
Captain Morgans emailed over their report to say, The long and short of it is striped bass, blueback herring, alewives and hickory shad are in marine waters and freshwater has plenty of trout, lar...
Captain Morgans emailed over their report to say, The long and short of it is striped bass, blueback herring, alewives and hickory shad are in marine waters and freshwater has plenty of trout, largemouth bass and panfish to catch. Except for the Trout Management Lakes (TMLs), trout are limited to catch and release until the second Saturday in April (the 13th). Long Island Sound nearshore water temperatures have been hovering around the mid-40s fluctuating with stretches of weather that have been in the range of the high 50s to low 60s. It has been the cold fronts and cooler night temps that have caused seasonal struggles, but the real damper has been the gusty winds and repeated rainfall. That combination has affected both the seas and inland water flows and levels. Nevertheless, the stocking program is on schedule and then some! Rivers, lakes and ponds are getting their share of around 500,000 bows, browns, brooks and tigers anticipated to be splashed through May. Thats a serious creel load! They have been on live and scented baits, high on inline spinners, swimmers, nymph and streamer flies. Largemouths are liking live worms, soft plastics, spinnerbaits, cranks, jerkbaits and jigs. It has been worms and small jigs for all panfish. Once again spring rains altered plans as flood advisories and gale warnings were posted. River levels rose above flood stage and flows increased with expectations for those conditions to briefly subside before the next rain event unfolds in a few days. The big news for those who have not heard are the 2024 summer flounder (fluke) Connecticut and New York regulations. Being that Connecticut favored the option with a smaller minimum size and New York preferred the one with a longer season, a compromise was reached due to the migration pattern in Long Island Sound. ASMFC approved the compromised followed by approval of the regulatory process of Connecticut and then New York which basically boiled down to a formality unless the Governors office objected to their process. As it stands, the summer flounder (fluke) recreational regulations for 2024 are: May 4 - August 1, 3 fish at 19 inches or greater; August 2 - October 15, 3 at 19.5 inches or greater. Scup: May 1 - 12/31, 30 fish at 11 inches or greater. For-Hire season(s) and bag limit(s) differ. We continue to hear from some fishers having difficulty acquiring licenses on line. Give us a call or swing by the shop and if time allows, well do our best to help you out. No update yet as we are still waiting for the final word on the 2024 regulations for summer flounder and scup. Time is running short to have reels serviced in order to get them back in time for your season opener. Incidentally, we are still interested in any shark interactions that you encountered last summer - and so is NOAA. Fly Fishing Clinic: We are in the midst of arranging fly fishing lessons as well as trips getting out on a river or stream. We have well established and very experienced guides that would be accommodating. Gift Certificates are available. These are outstanding opportunities for the experienced or intermediate inland and marine fly fisher interested in trout, salmon and sea-run browns to striped bass, bonefish, permit, tarpon, etc., techniques learned and skills honed will improve your fishing. Captain Morgans remains well stocked for majority of your fishing needs. Servicing your gear may require more turnaround time mostly due to demand and availability of parts. Currently, live and scented freshwater baits are available including an assortment of lures and flies for all waters. If you are looking for popular productive fishing spots in the Sound and want to set up your electronics for the seasons fishing, swing by the shop and check out one of our marked and recently updated charts for sale. Captain Morgans (an Authorized PENN Premium and Daiwa Tournament Dealer) is fully stocked (gift certificates available) and remains open 7 days, to support the fishing community. Due to the volume of calls received, leave a message and pertinent ones will be returned as soon as possible. Pay us a visit at 21 Boston Post Road, Madison and you will see why we say, We dont make the fisherman, we make the fisherman better.
Captain TJ Karbowksi at Rock and Roll Charters said he and his crew were gearing up for the season ahead and were very excited to start fishing on May 18. TJ has been booking charters steadily over th...
Captain TJ Karbowksi at Rock and Roll Charters said he and his crew were gearing up for the season ahead and were very excited to start fishing on May 18. TJ has been booking charters steadily over the last month or so, and that means some of those prime dates have already been filled. If you have a special date or tide in mind, it would be wise to book your spot sooner rather than later. Give Capt. TJ a call and hell get you on the schedule of his family friendly boat, and dont forget that the crew of the Rock and Roll specialize in getting kids hooked on fishing!
Matt from Black Hall Outfitters emailed over their report to say, Warm temperatures have kicked off some solid fishing in recent weeks. In saltwater, anglers are having luck with holdover striped ba...
Matt from Black Hall Outfitters emailed over their report to say, Warm temperatures have kicked off some solid fishing in recent weeks. In saltwater, anglers are having luck with holdover striped bass using small soft plastics on light jigheads in the 3/8 to 1/2 ounce range. Tidal creeks are usually the best bet to find those active fish, and often they will be schooled up this time of year, so searching the entirety of a body of water is important if possible. Gravity Tackle paddle tails, Lunker City Fin S Fish, Albie Snax, and NLBN paddletails are all solid options for holdover stripers. Freshwater has been quite active, with schools of crappie easy to spot in early morning light feeding on the surface. They've been aggressive too, taking a variety of presentations. The jig and crankbait bite for pre-spawn largies has been solid as well, with some bigger fish being caught. Slow rolling a small paddletail is a great way to engage any fish in the area. Trout fishing has also been good when water levels are stable. Stocking is active so if you want an easy day of bending the rod, look up the CT DEEP stocking reports. Inline spinners, caddis flies, and trout worms have been solid.
Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters said he and his crew were fired up to get their season started during the first week of April. He was fresh off a successful weekend at the CT Fishing and Outdoo...
Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters said he and his crew were fired up to get their season started during the first week of April. He was fresh off a successful weekend at the CT Fishing and Outdoor Show at Mohegan Sun where he gave seminars and saw many friends and customers. They will start the season off with early season stripers, give a call to get in on this early action.
Andrew at Fishin Factory 3 said that fishing during the month of April is usually pretty reliable so long as the river is fairly clean and not blown out. The mouth of the river is generally the fir...
Andrew at Fishin Factory 3 said that fishing during the month of April is usually pretty reliable so long as the river is fairly clean and not blown out. The mouth of the river is generally the first area to see striped bass and they can usually be found around the DEEP dock from mid to late month. Sandworms are by far the bait of choice for the majority of anglers targeting the seasons first stripers but blood worms and even nightcrawlers can do the trick. The river should also fish well for pike, panfish and smallmouth if history is to be any guide. Stocked trout follow stripers as the second most popular target for many anglers this time of year and the state has loaded up just about all the rivers and streams where they normally put them. Andrew said the shop is stocked up with all the traditional trout tackle including rods, reels, lures and bait. The Salmon and Coginchaug are especially popular with most of the local crowd though some of the smaller rivers and streams boast action thats just as good, often with lighter crowds. Blackfish and winter flounder opens April first and they will have all the tackle rigs and bait you need to try some early spring bottom fishing. Andrew said they are back open seven days a week for the rest of the season and theyll have all the tackle you need to get out now and to prepare for the coming saltwater season.
Heather at The Blackhawk office reports, We had a great weekend at the CT Fishing and Hunting show at Mohegan Sun! It was so great to talk to everyone, meet some new friends, and give away hundreds...
Heather at The Blackhawk office reports, We had a great weekend at the CT Fishing and Hunting show at Mohegan Sun! It was so great to talk to everyone, meet some new friends, and give away hundreds of trips for kids who could "fight like a fish"! We can't wait to fish with you this summer! The boat will be back in Niantic soon, and we can't wait to get out there and start fishing! After talking with everyone this weekend, we know you all feel the same way! We continue to book charters for 2024, so if you've got a specific date in mind, be sure to contact us to get your date on the calendar. We look forward to seeing everyone soon!
Ed at Hillyers Bait and Tackle said that his customers are breaking out of their cabin fever as more local options come alive with the season. He expects the local schoolies to spread out and to be...
Ed at Hillyers Bait and Tackle said that his customers are breaking out of their cabin fever as more local options come alive with the season. He expects the local schoolies to spread out and to be joined by fresh recruits making for much more consistent action. Soft plastics on jigheads are usually the go-to for striped bass this time of year and the shop is loaded up with plenty of choices in that department. That said, small swimming plugs like SP minnows and Yo-Zuri Mag-darters have their time and place and they are well stocked with those too. The Connecticut River usually sees some schoolie action heat up as well this month and sandworms are often a popular early season offering there. The shop is stocked and ready for the opening of the winter flounder and blackfish seasons and will have plenty of rigs, clams and squid. Ed is optimistic that the early blackfish season should be good this year what with the warmer than average weather we experienced over the last couple of months. The shop is now open seven days a week and deliveries of gear including rods reels and tackle are continue to show up each week. Its a great time to start gearing up for the saltwater season and the shop offers rod repair and is ready to help you get your reels re-spooled and squared away for the upcoming season.
J&B told me the opportunities for local action were starting to open up. The school striped bass bite is usually the most popular thing going close to home. The winter flounder and blackfish seasons o...
J&B told me the opportunities for local action were starting to open up. The school striped bass bite is usually the most popular thing going close to home. The winter flounder and blackfish seasons opened on the first of the month and usually the blackfish action close to shop is pretty reliable. They hadnt heard much from the cod grounds but cod fishing should keep going strong as long as the weather holds.
Karen and Jeff were not available to take our call on Sunday, but if past history can be expected to repeat itself, the crew of AW Marina will be available for bait and other needs starting around Apr...
Karen and Jeff were not available to take our call on Sunday, but if past history can be expected to repeat itself, the crew of AW Marina will be available for bait and other needs starting around April 1 (call ahead) and will be fully open and firing on all cylinders ahead of opening day of trout season (April 13). Karen, Jeff and the rest of the AW crew are some of the most welcoming people youll find anywhere, stop by the shop and see for yourself.