Connecticut Fishing Report – April 23, 2020

Freshwater action is great across Rhode Island and Connecticut, while some fresh striped bass have joined the holdovers. Meanwhile, the tautog and flounder action is showing some signs of life for the salty anglers looking to get after it this weekend.

Connecticut Fishing Report

Gene, at Black Hall Outfitters told me that fresh schoolies have moved in and are now in the mix. Topwater action right before dark has started to improve, with soft plastics on jigheads being the ticket after dark. Fishing around the herring runs remains the key to success when targeting larger bass. The tautog bite has improved quite a bit, mainly west of the CT River. The breakwalls from New Haven to Old Saybrook remain a safe bet. On the freshwater side, anglers roaming old weed beds searching for the active fish with reaction baits have found some good bass. Good solid shoreline action is everywhere on those areas exposed to southern sunshine and higher water temps

Josh, at Three Belles Outfitters in Niantic in Niantic, says the schoolie striper train keeps on rolling, despite some crazy weather and cooler temperatures this week. Holdover striper fishing remained steady if you could find the clear water. It seems more fish have found their way into the sound and rivers this week too. A couple different sources say this is one of the best herring runs we have had in years. The next couple weeks should be phenomenal. Shore anglers are still picking away at the shad on the river north of Middletown. Largemouth bass action remains steady on a mix of jigs, spinnerbaits, and jerkbaits, and lipless cranks. Smallmouth fishing on Candlewood has been lights out, with multiple 5+ pound fish making their way into livewells this week. Pike seem to have come out of their post spawn funk in the CT. River and are hitting large swimbaits in backwaters.

Andrew, at Fishin Factory III in Middletown, is still selling sandworms at a fever pace, despite the CT River coming up quite a bit and looking a bit dirty. Anglers consistently dunking worms are reporting good catches of school striped bass locally, and some better fish are hitting large soft plastics along the herring runs. The shad action finally took a big step in the right direction this week, with fish coming from Middletown to Windsory. Blackfish action is slowly but steadily improving, specifically on the shallow structure west of the river. White perch action remains strong in the lower river coves, while trout anglers are still reporting good catches all over the state. Andrew will remain open, but is still limiting it to 3 customers at the shop at once, and is still offering free hand sanitizer right outside the door!

Mike Roy, of Reel Cast Charters, was happy to report that he got his new boat (23 Pathfinder) complete and ready to roll for the season. This thing is an absolute fishing machine with plenty of space, storage and all the features you’d expect from the Reel Cast Charters operation. He is starting to book spring bass trips and told me that there is a decent bite starting to materialize in the Saybrook area. He will be offering disposable gloves to his clients, constantly disinfect the boat and can likely cater to smaller trips if need be. This won’t last forever, be sure to book a trip as soon as possible so you can get in on the great action this summer/fall when all this is past us!

Over at Fisherman’s World, Max reports that the shop has remained busy and the fishing has been strong on that side of the state. Striper action has been steady on the beaches, bays, harbors and up in the rivers. It mainly consists of school-class fish, but there are some much larger specimens hanging out around the herring runs after dark. Blackfishing is improving everyday in the western sound, with the New Haven walls remaining the epicenter of the action. The first reports of local flounder limits have trickled in this week; while in freshwater news, the Saugatuck Reservoir continues to put up some big trout!

Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Connecticut.

Rhode Island Fishing Report

Captain Rob Taylor, of Newport Sportfishing Charters, told me that some fresh fish have arrived in South County, with some steady catches along the west wall and in front of the salt ponds. The largemouth bite remains strong across the state; the fish are feeding at both day and night, with faster presentations starting to work better. The carp bite has picked up quite a bit, and they are starting to feed in shallower water, which is making things fun. There are a few tautog being caught in the upper bay, but we still need a few more warm days before that really takes off.

Dave, at Ocean State Tackle in Providence, told me that the early trout season has started off strong. Trout are taking Powerbait, meal worms and dillies, plus the usual assortment of early season flies. The white perch bite is also starting to pick up with fish coming on worms and jigs. A few more tautog were caught this week, although we would really benefit from a few warm days right now. The tautog are in relatively shallow water and are hitting both rigs and jigs topped with green crabs. Striped bass are still being caught with some consistency near the herring runs and in the well-known holdover spots. The Seekonk and Providence Rivers have holdovers to 26-inches, while the Narrow River and the CT Rivers are holding some larger specimens. Some migratory fish have shown up as well, but they remain on the smaller side.

Mike, at Watch Hill Outfitters in Westerly, reported that the shop will remain open on limited hours every day, and he will continue to limit the number of customers in the store to 3 at a time. The hours are not set in stone, so calling ahead is always a good plan. The shop is well stocked for both freshwater and saltwater fishermen with night crawlers, meal worms, trout worms, sand worms, salted clams, and squid. Green crabs should also be available this week, and the tog fishing should continue to accelerate when the temperatures finally rise. Trout action continues to garner quite a bit of attention throughout the state, while striped bass fishing remains the other big game in town. The bass are getting more active in the Pawcatuck River and can be found from Route 1 to Little Narragansett Bay. Shad and herring have arrived in good numbers, and there have been sightings of large schools of herring off the beaches.

Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Rhode Island.

Connecticut Fishing Forecast

The outdoors could be a great release for those looking to avoid crowds but still get out of the house. Trout action is outstanding, with good flows and great stocking numbers across both states. Largemouth bass continue to chew, and the pike are starting to wake up from their spawning slumber. Holdover striped bass are on the feed as more and more herring pump into the rivers and with the arrival of some fresh bass, there are plenty of striped bass options across our range! The shad fishing has also taken a major step forward in CT, with strong reports coming from up and down the river. Tautog and flounder fishing is by no means hot but continues to steadily improve. The warm Saturday forecast should help the fishing for both species.