Fish are still biting

For those guys brave enough, there are still fish to be caught. I guess a little further north, the ice is safe and people are ice fishing. Down here on the RI/MA border the water is open. A few coves have a small glaze of ice, but nothing safe. When I went fishing the day after Christmas the cove I caught my brown the day before was under a half inch of ice. The next day it was ice free. The next week looks as though daytime highs will be in the mid-thirties while night time lows will be in the twenties. These could be the last days of open water fishing (freshwater) down here. Whether the ice gets thick enough to fish on is anyone’s guess.

The fish are still fish to be caught. Stripers are in the usual holdover spots. By all accounts (including mine) the fishing has been consistent and some nights have been spectacular. These fish are mostly schoolies. Fishing for them is simple. All you need is a light saltwater pole and some 4 inch zoom flukes, and 3/8 to ½ ounce jigheads. Move around until you find them.

18 inch trout caught yesterday

Trout fishing has also been excellent. Fishermen down the Cape have been catching lots of trout while chasing the newly stocked salmon. I was going to try for the salmon on these two days off at Little Pond in Plymouth. Since I have been catching big browns in northern RI, I couldn’t justify the trip. Yesterday I went trout fishing about 20 minutes from home. I cheated and bought half dozen shiners. I ended up catching six trout. Four were on shiners, two on a small silver Rapala. Tough to justify a two hour round trip to Plymouth when catching trout up to 18 inches right near home.

My guess is that if you have a lake full of pickerel they would be willing adversaries also. Fish are out there. There are guys out fishing for them. If there weren’t, On the Water and the Fisherman would not waste their time with fishing reports. Don’t let a little cold or wind stop you. Dress appropriately and keep your hands and feet warm… the tv will still be there when you get home.