Happy Thursday and thanks for checking out the latest fishing report!
The past week has been a chaotic one with wind and then rain and now some (Finally!) increasing temperatures, at least up here in the hilltowns. I have been trying to get my hands on a turkey and this morning was the first morning that I did not have to turn on my heated jacket.
The wind has not made it easy on anglers, or anyone trying to do anything outside for that matter, but that has not stopped the jig heads!
This week Nelson fished the MAKB Western Division stop #2 at the CT River Oxbow, which included the main river. He said that he got some bites on a jig in the early morning and the only one that he actually connected with cut me off. Pike, bowfin, maybe a turtle, I’m not sure what it was but it was very heavy. After covering some water Nelson found some fish in 5 to 7 feet of water that were willing to hit a shallow running crankbait. Unfortunately for me I had 2 crankbaits of the same color get cut off by pike and I didn’t catch another bass after that. If you’re looking to catch some pike in the Oxbow, they were loving perch colored crankbaits. Just make sure you’re using wire leaders or you will lose some baits for sure.
After covering just under 11.25 miles all he could get in the kayak were 3 bass but it wasn’t just Nelson who had a rough day, as he said it was a very tough day for most on the water. The three bass that he managed put him in 8th place out of 21 anglers. He also reported that the water temperatures in the river were in the high 40’s, and up to the mid 50’s in the Oxbow.
Tim hit up local Congamond and reported a slow bite for finishing out the April Jigs and Bigs tournament. He said that shallow is still the key! Tim had four fish all day until 3 pm then decided to try a homemade chatter bait and that is what did the trick with the first cast landing him a 5.34 lb hog and then three more bites in 30 mins.
Tim also hit up a hilltown lake where a beautiful brown absolutely throttled a jerk bait. I already submitted the form for a state pin! (Congrats man!!) He said that the rest of the day the jerk bait was the key for both largies and smallies.
Bobby Roast Beef reports that water temperatures are climbing, slowly but surely. He said that he was out in Easthampton on Sunday and saw temps of 55-56 degrees, but he couldn’t buy a bite there, in very tough conditions. Bobby also got out on the banks a couple days this week where he said that slower presentations have been the key. Slow rolling crankbaits have gotten bites, but it’s the jigs and weightless soft plastics that have been getting hook ups, with lots of nibblers.
With the water temperatures still slow to rise Shawn the Fisherman reminds us to look for fish in the shallow, flooded cover.
I plan on trying to connect with some trout this afternoon and tomorrow in my local stream, where they have stocked not once but twice. On the local FB angler pages I have seen a lot of carp and stripers coming out of the river. Nelson also mentioned that more and more stripers are coming up the river and says that now is a great time to get out there and target them!
Be sure to check out the latest episode of the Jigs & Bigs podcast! Not only is the show full of quality fishing content, it’s also exceedingly entertaining! I have to admit, I was never really that into podcasts before I connected with Bobby & Shawn because I could never really find anything that held my attention. They know what they’re doing, and they are killing it! You can find all episodes on Spotify & Apple Music!
Get out and fish this weekend, but maybe not on Sunday since it’s Mother’s Day. Give all the moms in your life some special attention this weekend, they’ve earned it! A big shoutout to all the mom’s out there, especially the ones who cheer us on in our fishing endeavors!
Enjoy your weekend folks, and tight lines!
Wild Woman 