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Spring Fever is Everywhere

Optimism is slowly turning into reality as the calendar catches up with the weather. It is official! Spring, sometimes called the vernal equinox, knocked on our door on March 20 at 5:58 p.m., when he sun crossed the celestial equator from south to north. At this point, the length of day and night are about equal. From then on, the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun, affording us longer and sunnier days.

On Thursday, March 21, March’s Full Worm Moon, a supermoon, will rise. This is the time when the ground softens and worm castings make their appearance, bringing with them scores of full-breasted robins. This year, unlike last, these busybodies could be seen scurrying around much earlier, as if people were on a mission to scoop them up before they all disappeared.

This is one sign of spring that gains an angler’s attention. When birds are pecking the ground for food, fish are searching the water or lying in wait, as well. They know that in a few weeks, the banks of sweet water rivers will convert from being nearly deserted to overcrowded. In a flash, the catch and release rivers that offered plenty of elbow room for casting will now have an angler searching for an opening. Those anglers waiting until then will probably have no idea of the streak of good fishing that came before.

This has been a preseason of fishing that broke from the norm as weather conditions and stocking were on the same page. In fact, there are enough stories of trout measuring from elbow to fingertips, along with salmon weighing double-digits, to fill a chapter. Certainly, you can expect the usual blips that March brings. However, in this neck of the woods, blips are all that they really have been.

Not to be undone, the bringing in of spring has Long Island Sound also bursting with signs. Thousands of gulls have been feeding on worm-like sea critters as the Sound fills with phytoplankton, copepods, and the like. Harbor seals are feeding on finfish when they aren’t basking in the sun and even some jellies are showing up—unlike last year, when they were hardly noticed.

As the food chain develops, so do the catchable predators like striped bass who eventually have greater opportunities to feed on larger sea life. As always, criss-crossing the inland marine demarcation line are the actively hunting and feeding fish birds like ospreys. Bald eagles are also included in that group, although they can be seen dispatching and feeding on other birds of flight and small mammals, too. After all, they are equipped to handle that task and will effectively hunt in pairs while in the air.

On the Water

Inshore water temperatures of Long Island Sound rose two degrees last week and are reaching 40 degrees. As daylight continues to stretch and air temps are seemingly on the rise, you can expect the mercury to slowly inch up. Corresponding activity is also increasing as more signs are evident that river herring and shad are making their way into the tidal rivers. It’s only a matter of time before the run happens.

There is no question that we have had a pretty mild winter. Spring is here and, in several instances, the spring bite has already started. More birds are feeding on baitfish and more of these baitfish are being consumed by schoolie striped bass that are feeling the spring waters. There are also white perch running the rivers and seeking their favorite habitat to do what they do best this time of year. We also have fishers checking out the action more often now that the weather is breaking favorably.

If scoping out the beaches, the odds of hooking into a striper on a Clouser, Deceiver, or Half and Half are better than 50/50. Even a swim shad or small jig should do it. We are not far from the opening of winter flounder season, which could be interesting, even though the limit is two fish. Blackfish (tautog) may even get off to an earlier start compared to last year, when fish were tight lipped almost until the end of April (the exception being the New Haven breakwalls). Even though the inshore water temps were around the same, conditions are favorable to warm up more quickly this time around.

Trout Management Area action continued, but at a lesser pace than in the past few weeks. However, air temps have risen, while flows and levels somewhat moderated, perking up the activity a bit. Streamers and nymphs continued to produce, while small intermediate floaters and inline spinners scored fish when using conventional gear. Knocking down the barbs will help with catch and release. However, eagles and ospreys working the waters have a different agenda. Largemouth bass, perch, and crappie are also biting in several of the non-stocked smaller ponds, as well as some of the larger ones that are in the process of turning over.

Note: Email us pics of your catches to share with our USA and international fishing friends who keep up with the latest fishing news and frequent social media.

For all things fishy including flies, swing by the shop (203-245-8665) open seven days located at 21 Boston Post Road, Madison. Until next time from your Connecticut shoreline’s full-service fishing outfitter, where we don’t make the fisherman, we make the fisherman better...

Tight Lines,

Captain Morgan

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