Captain Mike Roy offers light tackle and fly fishing trips on the lower Connecticut River and surrounding Long Island Sound for striped bass, bluefish, and other species. This migration into the river depends on water temperature but often begins in April and peaks in June. Meanwhile, holdover striped bass activity is getting better by the day. A great time to fish for Sea Bass on the sound. 2022 [ Re: No Fish Today ] No Fish Today. Thanks for the reports. I was a part owner of a ski chalet on the upper Delaware River that we used as a hunting/fishing camp. Shad are strong and hard fighting fish. The rivers and bay water temps have climbed into the mid 50's. Shad fishing continues to improve throughout the Susquehanna River with lots of hickory shad and some American shad too. Here are a few hot spots. . Ive even seen catfish and walleye rising! 2023 HG&E Shad Derby Dates: May 13, 14, 20, 21 Time: 9 am - 5 pm* Free Fishing Talk: Questions, Answers & Fishing Discussion, Free Fishing Talk: Questions, Answers & Fishing Discussion, Fishing Reports - Only start new topics in these forums if you've gone fishing, CTF Member ONE Lure Most Fish Species Caught Challenge Tourney, Boats, Motors, Electronics, Trailers, Launches & Marinas. Give Captain TJ a call now to save your spot today before the season starts. The river has fish from the mouth to the dam, spreading out some of the angling pressure. It could be because it is not supported, or that JavaScript is intentionally disabled. Atlantic Coast from New Brunswick to central Florida. try { Reports like yours and the weather will help me decide. Fish and Wildlife Service, CT River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office using fishway count data provided by several agencies as well as power companies and is dependent in most cases on the review of video counts, that have an associated time lag for updates. Unlike the sea lamprey in Lake Champlain, sea lampreys in the Connecticut River are native and an important part of the river ecosystem. But, stripers aren't the only migratory fish of the season. Spring brings the whole river to life. Let's face it, there's a lot we can learn and share from one another like what bait or lure is generating the best results. Folks from miles around recognize that the Connecticut River is a stellar carp river. American Shad with a dart. Pike and bass will move into the shallows. Some parts are very pressured and the fish can be finicky, but time and effort will yield good fish. Blue cats and channel cats are still being caught throughout the bay, and . Two were lost before they came to the Wall and a net, and only one landed in a net. Connecticut River trout fishing is really good. Booking a trip with Lopstick is a good way to get to know the upper Connecticut River. Good for kids, and first time and casual anglers. "); It was a big week for big largemouth bass as anglers across the region found success on aggressive, prespawn giants. As a result of that licensing process, fish passage facilities were built at all three dams in Vermont and New Hampshire to support the restoration of our native migratory Atlantic salmon and American shad. Nearly every sportfish species . No trout water. Theyre also lining up a bunch of new tackle including many new rods as they prepare for the coming season. All Rights Reserved. If those times won't work for you, 12:00AM to 12:00AM looks promising , as does 12:00AM to 12:00AM Remember to adjust these times based on barometric pressure, and weather changes. In addition, various trout derbies are taking place where more fish are being privately stocked. Access is from Mountain Road off Route 202. It can be too long before the Shad show up in numbers. She can be reached at ehewitt@vtdigger.org. Pike and panfish are both in play, and trophy fish are possible on jigs and bait. Jigs and soft plastics fished near the bottom can also be effective. "https://ssl." Striper fishing should get better soon as well as resident fish are on the move and fresh fish shouldnt be too far off. Catching them is like the lottery you have to be in it to win it. The most consistent striper fishing still lies to the west but that wont be the case much longer. Trout are plentiful and of nice size, and anglers can now keep their fish in accordance with statewide and site-specific creel regulations. Most popular among his customers are the Salmon River and Coginchaug River (both could use some rain to raise flow levels), but Andrews also been hearing nothing but good reports from Chatfield Hollow Trout Park and Day Pond Trout Park, both being great places to bring the family for a day of trout fishing. In addition to the Holyoke Fishlift, fishways at the Turners Falls and Vernon dams are now open. Smallmouth Bass with a River2Sea Whopper Plopper, I didn't have a scale unfortunately but caught this on 6lb mono. Ban them. Implement structural and/or operational changes to provide safe, effective and timely downstream passage for American eel, American shad and juvenile sea lamprey. Captain Gerry from Drifter Charters said they are looking forward to another season on The Drifter and it wont be long until the boat is back in the water. Text and images adapted from Jacobs, R. P., O'Donnell, E. B., and Connecticut DEEP. Expand fishway operation to accommodate resident riverine species such as walleye and sucker that make spawning migrations. The Fisherman's Jim Hutchinson with a nice April shad caught while fishing with captains Dan Bias and Chris Gatley. In the Connecticut River, shad have migrated as far north as Bellows Falls, Vermont (272 miles from Long Island Sound), navigating three dams along the way via fishways. We've been booking lots of privat Captain Gerry from Drifter Charters said they are looking forward to another season on The Drifter and it wont be long until the boat is back in the water. It flows from the Canadian border in New Hampshire all the way to Long Island Sound. Please! Bass, pike, stripers, carp, troutit all happens. : "http://www. Dry flies in the spring and summer and nymphs or streamers year round can land a trout of lifetime here. Distribution. All reach trophy sizes there. I just can't decide if I want to do Largemouth in a lake, Smallmouth on the river, or a dedicated Shad trip. DEC has announced the release of the Recovery Plan for Hudson River American Shad. 4.6 (7 reviews) Anyone interested in fishing Connecticut River or waters within the wider area around East Lyme should consult with local resources before heading out to fish. That said, the warmer weather should lead to some better flounder action, however limited it may be. Decades of intense fishing pressure coupled with years of low reproduction and non . Although the Connecticut River run is at a fraction of its historical levels, it has recovered considerably during the past 50 years and is currently one of the largest runs on the East Coast. Anglers from both states will undoubtedly be out in full force for - what many consider to be - the unofficial start to the fishing season. On my first cast I picked up a blue back right next to the Wall, by 5:O'Clock I had C&R a second, and Bill C had one himself. After he nets the fish I catch my first glimpse of what the the dozens of shore fishermen in sight are casting toward. Shore toggers managed to pull some nice white chins along with shorts and near-short ones. He can be reached at mpolhamus@vtdigger.org. Elizabeth Hewitt covers the criminal justice system for VTDigger. American shad has been an important food fish in the Connecticut River since colonial days and has become our State fish in recognition of that fact. Live bait such as eels, bunker, and herring are all popular choices. The shad migrating into the Connecticut River, on average, spawn only once or twice when they should be able to spawn for three years in a row. Connecticut is a phenomenal bass fishery. The fish-smelling slime never seems to leave my hands, even when I wipe them on my waders, but I wear it like a badge of honor, a lasting reminder of my first American shad. Carp, smallmouth bass, walleye, pike, catfish, and striped bass can be caught here. Available for purchase at theDEEP Store. Might just be an old man's bad memory. A wide selection of gear and accessories focused specifically on the fresh and saltwater fishers, clamming and blue crabbers is available. Use the right gear: For conventional anglers, Light to medium spinning or baitcasting gear is typically used to target stripers. PDF Dont be surprised if a giant bass eats one too! In April and May the arrival of herring should start the striper bite. A few years back my bro and I did good trolling the Farmy from Barts to the mouth of the Ct River. Hi Ryan.. The decisions that result from this relicensing will affect our river and these fish until we revisit this license in 2060 or so. pageTracker._trackPageview(); Max. 116 Shore Rd. Most fly fishers already have a wallet with a variety of flies covering hatches, swimming critters and transitioning insects. 866-347-4836. On average, only 5 percent of those migratory shad are able to pass the Turners Falls dam and move successfully up the river to Vernon. Seeing red tail hawks, Eagle, great blue heron, Cormorans, ducks, and last but not least turkey buzzards. Hope to make it down there Saturday when I expect to find fish. Conn. State Record 9.3 pounds, 25.8 inches. Connecticut; Massachusetts; New Jersey Northern; New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont; New York - Long Island;