Karen at AW Marina told me they were back open this weekend and will be open weekends for the rest of the month while adding in weekdays as the eastern sound season gets going. Saltwater Sinker Guide for Northeast Bottom Fishing. Swing by the shop and see for yourselves. The weather was great. Hope to make it down there Saturday when I expect to find fish. 1; 10; Details; May 09, 2020 Arthur Huttemeyer Sr. 0. nice catch Brett Fila. Connecticut River Fishing (An Anglers Guide), Types of Fishing in the Connecticut River, Best Spots for Fishing the Connecticut River, our complete guide to fly fishing around Connecticut. An anglers guide to fly fishing Maldives. The Connecticut River fishing season never really ends. That bite will only continue to improve as the fish continue spread out. 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. The river downstream from the dam in Holyoke, Massachusetts, is a very rich area. I like mono as a main line nothing heavier than 30lbs and fluorocarbon line is a good choice for leader material. Thanks! A BIG WARMUP Mothers Day was the magic time for roe shad to arrive in our area. var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-677254-1"); Dont miss our complete guide to fly fishing around Connecticut. Mostly in the tailwater stretch in New Hampshire, the Connecticut River holds brown, brook, and rainbow trout. The shad stack up in large numbers in May. It seems that JavaScript is not working in your browser. font size, Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. Continue to test and gather information to ensure these facilities do not continue to cause delay, injury and mortality of these ecologically important species. Asked if hed heard any reports from anglers targeting lake trout recently stocked into Coventry Lake, Crystal Lake in Ellington, Tyler Pond, Squantz Pond, and Bigelow Pond, Colin answered that his buddy caught a 10-pound forkie one day at Coventry Lake and then blanked at the same venue the next day. When I talked to Andrew at Fishin Factory 3 told me the striper bite in the river started to pick up this week. These trips are booking fast so don't wait. Links also do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. No trout water. 1 oz. Knowing how many fish and what species use these fishways helps us make decisions on how to best restore our migratory fishes. Fish that do survive incur injuries as they pass downstream through the turbines. Four regulars were working the bank, and as I set up, was told "you missed a good run a little while ago." +45 Fresh Fishing Reports from Connecticut Spring 2023 Striper Run Shad migrate by the hundreds of thousands from the Atlantic Ocean up the Connecticut River each spring. 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. Atlantic Salmon (about Atlantic Salmon Management Areas) Taking of Atlantic Salmon is prohibited. 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. In addition to the Holyoke Fishlift, fishways at the Turners Falls and Vernon dams are now open. Drive from PA! . Fishing Niantic River, CT on 4/15/2023 will be best from 12:00AM through 12:00AM, and from 12:00AM to 12:00AM. We know this because we count the number of fish passing through these structures. // --> Report Connecticut Fishing Report - April 6, 2023. fishing is as good as it gets ! Fishing Media: Videos, DVDs, Books, Magazines, etc. Autumn is another phenomenal time of year on the river. 6:45 PM As I make my first cast with a 1/16-ounce custom-painted shad dart, Mike yells from upriver, I bet you catch your first shad within four casts.. Theyre also lining up a bunch of new tackle including many new rods as they prepare for the coming se Karen at AW Marina told me they were back open this weekend and will be open weekends for the rest of the month while adding in weekdays as the eastern sound season gets going. Trips will begin mid-May and some of the weekends are already booked for the season. A little while later, another shadaholic C&R a very small roe. Below the Holyoke Dam is where the majority of people go. A 60% mortality rate is unacceptable. 2016 CT.gov | Connecticut's Official State Website, regular It is suitable for trailer Sign in to your account to find other friends and anglers who are using Fishidy. American shad is an economically and ecologically important migratory fish species that once supported a robust fishery in the Hudson River. Anyone with hot spots for me? If August, then expect to have a lot of fun fishing for scup and seabass. Fish were taking more top-water plugs this week but swimmers and gliders continue to be hot baits. Captain Morgans emailed over their report to say, We definitely had a week of Summer come early. I hope to be able to meet you this year. Give Captain Mike a call now to book your spot for the season. Shad populations in the Connecticut River have substantially decreased compared to historic levels due to factors like climate change, overfishing, river alterations, pollution, water. Most recent Connecticut River Basin Fishway Passage Counts. Connecticut River ice fishing can be a fun way to beat the winter doldrums. A few years back my bro and I did good trolling the Farmy from Barts to the mouth of the Ct River. Easy in and out marina, fish accessible almost immediately = more fish in the boat and less time cruising from location to location. Westfield River joins the Connecticut River 75 miles upstream of the Long Island Sound. VTDigger covers criminal justice issues including Vermont legal issues, Vermont courts and the Vermont Department of Corrections. In short, the trout bite has been excellent! American Shad with a dart. 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. Shad of course migrate up the Merrimack River while the Parker River is the pick locally for perch. 100 fish days were not unusual. Tidal river activity is up as linesiders are taking worms, swim baits and some topwaters. American eel live their adult lives in our rives and migrate out to sea to spawn. All Rights Reserved. Mouth slightly larger than other herring (end of jaw to middle of eye in juveniles and to back of eye in adults). Required fields are marked *. One of the easiest ways that anyone can support bird habitat conservation is by buying duck stamps. Technical Help, Test Posts, Feedback, Computer talk, etc. Anglers dropping Asian crabs, mostly on jigs are picking away at spring limits of keeper blackfish. Its also sometimes a better way to catch some of the species that hold in deep, fast-flowing water, like walleye. These hard-fighting fish can be caught in a variety of ways, making them a favorite among both fly and conventional anglers. Juveniles spend the summer and fall in the rivers and migrate to the ocean in the late fall. Fishways have opened up hundreds of miles of river to migratory fish in the Connecticut River watershed! The shop is open seven days a week for the season and Andrew encourages anyone who stops in to check out the new rod room that was added to the store over the winter. Saltwater Seaworms for Spring Tautog. Needless to say, schools of menhaden is spurring the bite. Habits. it might be a ride for you but the CT river downsteam of the South Hadley / Holyoke MA route 116 bridge is a great place to shad fish and the bite is on right now. I can see shad rising like trout all over the river. American shad are currently the most numerous migratory fish on the Connecticut River. The decisions that result from this relicensing will affect our river and these fish until we revisit this license in 2060 or so. They are fully stocked with trout lures, artificials baits, minnows, dillies, crawlers and meal worms along with plenty of terminal tackle, line as well as rods and reels. One reported a few fish were caught earlier, around noon-ish, a bronze back, a schoolie, and a shad. Nearly every sportfish species . The goal is to provide safe, effective and timely upstream and downstream fish passage for migratory species, while allowing resident species to move around for spawning and rearing. Welcome back to the channel, LOL! Its hard to whittle down a simple fly selection for such a large river with so many species, but here are some good flies to try. Eelways have been constructed at some tributary dams to improve their migratory success. I was told they were gizzard Shad by one of the local kayak Anglers with a lot more experience than myself in this particular location. Wills & Dellinger-Pate: Menthol and flavors are the lures that hook kids to tobacco. With many, many miles of good water, it can be hard to know just where to go. You can catch a 30 pound striped bass near the mouth. Choose the right bait: Stripers are opportunistic feeders and will eat a variety of baitfish. Spring brings the whole river to life. By the time I left about 6:20 pm, only 3 shad had been hooked. Access is a stone launch ramp provided by the Division Forests and Parks. During spring, striped bass and bluefish swim 4 miles or more upriver to feed. At the Vernon dam, about 43% pass in any given year, but that number should be higher. Live bait such as eels, bunker, and herring are all popular choices. Cars are lined up, fishermen are coming and going, and it feels more like Ive arrived at the Cape Cod Canal than the Connecticut River. You can learn how to get involved at www.ctriver.org/hydropower. In addition, various trout derbies are taking place where more fish are being privately stocked. Other freshwater bites anglers reported on this week included pre-spawn large and smallmouth bass, calicos, and carp. The Fisherman He can be reached at jcraven@vtdigger.org. Could not have had a better time!! Carp, smallmouth bass, walleye, pike, catfish, and striped bass can be caught here. I just can't decide if I want to do Largemouth in a lake, Smallmouth on the river, or a dedicated Shad trip. Folks from miles around recognize that the Connecticut River is a stellar carp river. The Oxbow is a fertile, 204-acre, warm water pond occupying the old riverbed of the Connecticut River. A new species, and a new fishery discovered. This post covers spots, species, fishing gear to use, and best time to fly fish the Maldives. Along the Connecticut River, action with crappies in coves and marina basins has been very good while at Candlewood Lake anglers are contacting a few smallmouth bass. Henry Beard and Roy McKie. Use the right technique: When fishing with live bait, use a fishfinder rig or Carolina rig with a 3 to 5 oz weight. In the Northeast, these fish migrate from their wintering grounds in the south during the spring, moving up the coast to their spawning grounds in the Chesapeake Bay and Hudson River. (2009). The cod bite was good last weekend and they are sailing again this week. thats been on my bucket list for some time now. I got stuck at work yesterday until almost 4:30 pm, so I bailed on going to the Wall, and arrived at the Bissell by 4:45. Some shad have also been reported. A 3-inch juvenile Connecticut River American shad. It was a big week for big largemouth bass as anglers across the region found success on aggressive, prespawn giants. Jigging trophy crappies, bluegill, and perch is popular, and so is using shiners on tip-ups for big pikes. Long Island Sound roe shad to arrive in our rives and migrate to the Holyoke Fishlift, fishways the! Around recognize that the Connecticut River Turners Falls and Vernon dams are now open the most numerous migratory species... 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