Greater Hartford Area:

Dan E landed a few really nice pike, the largest was a healthy 39.5 inches caught on a “livetarget” herring pattern swimbait, in 8 feet of 60 degree Connecticut River water.

The river was fairly muddy which slowed the striper bite a bit.

Shad fishing is still going well.

The big rain is expected to raise the river to 13 feet, so launching in the river will be a challenge by Wednesday or Thursday, stay tuned. Maybe time to Fluke?

Wethersfield cove:

Crappie and Perch are hitting small shiners very well.

North of Hartford:

Striper reports still strong from the section of river above the Bissel Bridge all the way to enfield.  Slug-gos, and Lloyds lures reported to be the go-to baits.

Salmon River and Farmy TMA’s:

Sam F was fishing the Salmon this week and the angler upstream from him reportedly landed a 20 plus inch tiger trout. No pictures L

MARINE:

FLUKE!!!!! Opens today. CT regs: 5 fish per angler per day over 18. Considering the last few years, these regs are excellent.

CONNECTICUT River:

Mouth and Lower:  Seeing some bunker now!  One customer in a yak trolling tube and worm brought a 45” striper on board. Things have improved at the mouth his week for sure.

Greater Hartford Area:

All Striper fishing is hot this week.  Chunk Baits like fresh and legal Hudson River Herring, Blood and Sandworms, all doing well.  Also Hard baits like surface swimmers suchj as Danny’s and Lloyds. Blaine and T-bone got into a ton of fish this week.  Tom was chunking and fishing lures both.  Perch and Emerson had a great night out in the CTO G-3 tossing slug-go’s and Salt shakers with jig heads, all with good results. Multiple fish in the 30-37 inch range.

“Eric the Avid one” had a few good outings with fish on 9” Houdini shads.

Also lots and lots of Shad to be had right now, 3-4 lbs and many  bucks from the shore at the Bissell bridge, and the railroad bridge in Hartford.

Wethersfield cove:

Stripers are making their way into the cove. Fish the channel with chunks or try swimmers in yellow/red.  Mambo minnows will run shallow and are a good lure to toss out there as well.

North of Hartford:

More Shad and more shad. Stripers too, many at night.  Live eels at night is doing the trick.

Salmon River and Farmy TMA’s:

Water flows are stable and he fishing remains strong.  Kenny B landed 2 twenties (Browns) in the farmy below Collinsville on Yellow coach dog in line spinners.

A few customers still picking large Bows out from under the newly re-covered bridge on the Salmon.

MARINE:

We still have a few weeks of flounder fishing to go.  Reports from the Niantic river are good.  Fluke opens next week on Tuesday the 15th. Porgy fishing is good to great.  Niantic, Rocky Neck and Hammonasset all reporting good porgies.  Reports from the Race are strong for Stipers. It seems as if the Bluefish are not yet too thick, but we know that will change.  Bucktails on 3 way and drifting eels are working now.

CONNECTICUT River:

Mouth and Lower: This week saw the river returning to somewhat normal flows after the rains passed through last week.  Most reports from the mouth are of frustrated anglers NOT seeing and fish, bait, or Birds of prey.  The water temps (still a chilly 50-52) should warm up by the weekend and then we expect it to get hot.

Greater Hartford Area:

Keeper Striper s are plentiful.  Continuing good numbers of Herring and Alewife.  Charter Oak Landing and east river park have been producing fish for the sand and blood worm crowd, even during the daytime.

Wethersfield cove:

Herring and Alewife are in and the stripers are following. Many reports of keeper fish from the cove.  Also a good amount of Crappie from in front of the Yacht Club.  Also, one customer showed us pictures of what appears to be a Hybrid Pickerel Pike from the cove caught near the north shore.  Largemouth bass have been hitting well on Arkansas shiners and 10” power worms.

Black Pond: Was well stocked with fresh trout. Hearing of some good sized Bows coming in by the shore crowd.

North of Hartford:

Catching Stripers has been reported as challenging for everyone fishing in the day and NOT breraking the herring ban…Guys and Gals heading out at night, with plugs and eels are doing much better.  Shad fishing is still quite hot in the CT and the lower Farmy. Lloyd took a large Searun Brown in the CT in the rain on a white Striper plug to everyone’s surprise.

Salmon River and Farmy TMA’s: Well the reports just keep pouring in. Both “Samuel L” and “Spencer for hire” hit the Salmon this week, and neither was disappointed.  Many fish and Quality fish aplenty.  Giant (Super) Mealies and in line spinners.  Mike on the Farmy was using curly tail grubs on tiny jig heads in the rip for a load of Browns in the 12-18” range.

MARINE:

Blackfishing reports sound good for some in the New Haven area.  Winter flounder fishery seems to be producing nicely, a good limit out of the Niantic river this week.  Seems as if the cold water temps and the severe wind put the kei-bash on many plans. This week should be different.

This weeks rain has been a blessing.  The CT river crested on Wednesday at just 11 ½ feet and is now clearing up and staying cool!  The Farmington and Salmon rivers are flowing at something resembling normal thanks to the rain also.

CONNECTICUT River:

Mouth : More Bunker reported.  Many anglers hitting the woodlot off great island with mixed success.

Lots of boats snagging between the bridges, and catches of Striped Bass from the docks by shore-bound anglers under the Baldwin Bridge reported also.

Lower: Herring are in!  Stripers seem to be everywhere.  Some great Carp and Channel cats reported caught in the Haddam stretch.

Greater Hartford Area:

Keeper Striper s are plentiful.  Anything you use to lure a bite is in competition with the ample numbers of Herring and Alewife.  Best bet without breaking the law will be Bloodworms on a slider, chunk pacific herring, or some yellow white swimmers early in the morning like Danny’s T-man or LLoyds.  Take time to listen for herring splashing and breeching to locate fish.

Wethersfield cove:

Tommy F Blind Squirrel landed a 30 inch SB in Wethersfield cove earlier this week.  Many reports of schoolies on light bass tackle.  An unusual number of Bowfin catches this week also.

North of Hartford:

Water flows finally picked up, and its payin off.  Shad catching has been extreme before and after the rain.  Now that the lower Farmy has water and is really clear, the shad and striper fishing should be red hot.

Salmon River and Farmy TMA’s: Most anglers reporting the trout are the biggest they’ve ever seen. We have had over 5 rainbows and browns weighed in at the shop this week in the 3 ½ to 7 ½ pound range.  Sam F of Wethersfield caught a limit this week in between the covered bridge and the handicap ramp on the Salmon in the rip drifting Super Mealies.

MARINE:

Blackfish ?

Some small flouder catchin around black point.  Mark Fish-on found Blackfish, stripers, plenty of herring and Bunker already in the western sound.

Green
Crabs in stock now, flounder chum, sand and blood worms, live eels.

CONNECTICUT River:

Mouth : Hearing that the
bait is staging up outside the mouth and this includes Alewife, Blue backs, and
yes, some Bunker in the mix.

Lower: Herring moving
through in smaller numbers. Schoolies Stripers seem to be everywhere.

Greater Hartford
Area:

Keeper
Striper reports still coming in everyday now. Carlos spent the night at the
park in East Hartford and w3as rewarded with 2 keepers, a 29 and a 29 Striped
bass, around 1-2am both fish.

Carp
fishing is excellent, Iain fished just 4 hours in the afternoon and landed
multiple Carp over 25lbs in an area he baited a few days.

Paderewski
is hot with black Crappie.

North of Hartford:

Water
flows are terribly low all around. Bill S and Co. caught a pile of species in
one outing including stripers, pike, FWBass, and a surprise Brown Trout with beautiful
markings.  Also, Matt was KILLIN smallies
in enfield on Albino LC Shakers 3.25 inch on 1/2os lead heads from shore near
the confluence of the Scantic!  Even
landed one 4 ½ pounder. Still  Need some
rain!

Salmon River and
Farmy TMA’s: Catch and Release
stocked trout continue to be caught in the TMA’s.  Time to strip the wooly buggers and Matukas.

Wethersfield cove:

5lb
bass on a simple night crawler around dusk from the boat launch Yesterday caught
by a dude from Alabama.

Shore
guys fishin the channel are seeing stripers, channel cats, and Pike still movin
through

MARINE:

Blackfish
seem picky, green crabs and Asians closer to the inlets. Have heard of some
successful flounder outings around Waterford, sandworms mostly.

Flounder
reports spotty, but 2 customers caught 5 keepers in a 4 hour trip outside the
Mouth of the CT.

Reports of Bunker in
the Thames.

Just took in a load of MARYLAND RIVER HERRING. These are
the real deal, but are legal to fish with.  3 fish per PACK, 6$.

Also
in stock are ALL the usual fresh and frozen baits including some extra large
JUMBO Arkansas shiners, mealies, pinheads, etc.

CONNECTICUT River:

Mouth:” Jazec” caught 5
stripers between 22 and 26 inches in four hours, and one 9lb channel cat
between the bridges.  He was fishing
sandworms on slider rigs.  A few spotty
reports of herring starting to migrate, check out Hamburg cove.

Lower: No fresh reports

Greater Hartford
Area:  Catfish still seeing lunkers hitting chunk
baits in the coves, “Elcapitanmas” landed an 11lber and a coupla 9lbers Tuesday
during the day.  Smallies up to 4 lbs on
ALABAMA rigs near Hartford.Pike on Live bait in the coves near the channels,
stripers and bait beginiong to show.

Someone
filleted 3 decent sized shad at the charter oak launch on Wednesday.

Crappie
fishing with Pinhead shiners and crappie jigs is excellent as the the spring
arrives and days grow longer.

North of Hartford: Mulitple reports
from multiple customers who all caught American Shad in willow leaves in the
Farmington river from Barts down to the confluence of the CVT, and in the CT on
both sides of the LONG/Loomis Chaffee Island.

Salmon River and
Farmy TMA’s: Catch and Release
stocked trout continue to be caught in the TMA’s,  Center Pinning egg sacks or flies was proving
deadly on the W Branch of the Farmy this week.
Many early hatches due to the extreme weather pattern.

Wethersfield cove: Still Pike and more
Pike.

Crappie
fishing is excellent, yellow perch bite continues, and we already mentioned the
huge catfish.  Schoolie stipers up to 26
inches in the mix but not prevailent.

Remember April 1 the
Winter Flounder season opens, 2 fish per angler per day of 12” minimum.

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SANDWORMS AND BLOODWORMS ARE NOW IN STOCK!

HUGE Superworms
(mealies)

Also
in stock are ALL the usual fresh and frozen baits including some extra large
JUMBO Arkansas shiners, mealies, pinheads, etc.

CONNECTICUT River:

Mouth: No Herring, very
spotty mentions of a “few Bunker” but nothing really going on

Lower: Pike fishing is still
going really well near Haddam Meadows and Chapman’s.  Live and dead baits seem to be the ticket
although some reports of spinnerbait and spoon catches.

Greater Hartford
Area:  Yellow Perch and White Perch continue to be
good. Catfish beginning to see a few lunkers hitting chunk baits.  Smallies up to 4 lbs on ALABAMA rigs near Hartford.

Crappie
fishing with Pinhead shiners and crappie jigs is excellent as the the spring
arrives and days grow longer.

North of Hartford: Smallie fishing in
the upper sections reported as very good using keitech fat impact on jigheads.

Salmon River and
Farmy TMA’s: Still very good opportunities
to C&R stocked trout, 2 pounders in brown and rainbow colors. No reason to
wait until April 21st to get out there…

TMA zone of the “Willy”: Michael B.  Reports from last weekend ; he landed 4 trout
in 1-1/2hrs and missed as many. Everyone was nymphing, good amount of rainbow
trout,14″-15′ taken as well as a few brown and one tiger trout. Trouts were
biting but finicky.

Moodus reservoir: Perch reports the bite was very very slow with only one
fish for 6 hours

Wethersfield cove: Still Pike and more
Pike.

Andrew
from Holyoke landed a healthy Pike  on a
Reaction Strike Revo Shad one afternoon this week.  Dead baits fished on the point nearest the
channel have produced multiple big fish over the past week. Also some cruiser
channel cats in the mix after dark.

Remember April 1 the Winter
Flounder season opens, 2 fish per angler per day of 12” minimum.

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Changing Gears this week! The Ice Equipment gets packed
away Saturday to make room for the new Spring gear coming in over the next few
weeks.

SANDWORMS ARE NOW IN STOCK! We just received the first flats of the year.  Guys have been asking for a month now.The
weekend looks good for getting out there and wetting a line. Read below about
KEEPER STRIPERS IN WETHERSFIELD COVE THIS WEEK.

Also
in stock are ALL the usual fresh and frozen baits including some extra large
JUMBO Arkansas shiners, mealies, pinheads, etc.

CONNECTICUT River:

Mouth: No reports

Lower: Pike fishing is
going really well near Haddam Meadows and Chapman’s.  Dead White suckers just off the bottom, and
live Large shiners, and even a few Spinner bait hits reported.

Greater Hartford
Area:  Yellow Perch, Hot. White Perch, abundant in
back coves. Catfish beginning to see a few lunkers hitting chunk baits:
WarHampster, Rich Tim and Mike all wet lines on the CT for an afternoon of good
action from multiple species this week including Cats, Perch, and Pike.

Plenty
of reports of Huge Carp sunning themselves in shallow water hitting CORN near
Hartford.  Also, an abundance of schoolie
stripers with a few keepers in the mix.

North of Hartford: Mouth of Farmington
seeing Pike action and schoolie stripers in the mix

Salmon River and
Farmy TMA’s: Great reports of
abundant fatties that were stocked out, 2 pounders in brown and rainbow colors.
Check the 2012 regs online to make sure you fish within the regs when you go.

Moodus reservoir: Perch reports the bite was very very slow with only one
fish for 6 hours

Wethersfield cove: Pike and more Pike.
Dead baits fished on the point nearest the channel have produced multiple big
fish over the past week. Marty Feery and his brother BOTH caught 29” Striped
bass early this week in the cove!!

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We finally have fishable ice in many places around the
state. We expect to be fishing on the ice at Wethersfield cove by Saturday or Sunday
1-22.

These
Ice reports are from this week, from our own experiences and those of some
customers reporting back to us as they hit the ice. 

Glastonbury on the
river coves: 3 inches 

Highland lake: 4
inches at the boat launch, fishable

Bigelow hollow: 5-7 inches

Leesie,
Trevor and Gary had a lot of Pickerel action Tuesday.

 Mashapaug at the Launch/inlet: fishing 4”

 Park Pond 4-6 inches

 Dog pond 5-7 inches

 Winchester 6-7 inches

 Bantam: Fishing

“Josh” and “Bill” landed back to back pike in the 32-36” range on XL White suckers

 Mt Tom: Fishing

 West Hill: FIshing

 We are fully stocked
for all of your icefishing needs including Pinheads, Rosey Reds, Waxies,
Spikes, JUMBO ARKANSAS SHINERS and WHITE SUCKERS from 5” all the way up to 13”.
Yeah, we got PIKE CANDY….

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Happy New Year! Hopefully Mother Nature cooperates and we
have Ice to fish, and which to report on!!

Open Water :

CONNECTICUT RIVER    A good time to fish around the warm water discharges found up and down the river as the water temps cool… 

NORTHERN PIKE :  Pike reports have been tremendous and very encouraging. We really didn’t expect such a large number of such large fish reported caught.  Wethersfield cove, the Glastonbury ferry launch, and the mouth of the Mattabesett river have all produced fish over 40
inches. jacek (JACK) kuczynski landed multiple fish over 40 in Middletown and has the stitches to prove it.

Black CRAPPIE reports continue to be strong

Stripers! Yes, striped bass are in good supply in the CT River. We have gotten reports from Marty Feery that there have even been some 28”ers in the warmer-water spots in Hartford.  Schoolies can be found in larger numbers. 

NORWICH/Thames:

The stripers are piling into the Thames for their annual winter rest and many anglers are able to reach them from the docks near the Police Station in Norwich.  Fish being caught all the way up to the dam from shore, mostly on 5-6” pearl colored soft plastic baits on ½ ounce or less  jig heads.

 ICE!!! Looks like this weekend will have ice to fish in state

Yesterday provided some fishable ice in the Norfolk/Winchester area.  Smaller spots like Winchester had 3-5 inches in different spots. Someone drilled a dozen holes out on the far western bay.  Park pond was totally locked up with just 2 inches in the most recently frozen spots, the ice was 3-4 where it had been frozen previously.

Some of the Marinas on the CT river are reporting 3-5 also.

Marine:

Anyone
heading out seems to be talking Pollock and Cod. Much of the Cod reports indicate smaller fish are plentiful. 

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