Overview
April brings with it a lot of excitement, and I bet that will be true even more so this year after the snowy and cold winter we’ve had here in the northeast. Between November being frigid and then several major snow events, the cabin fever is starting to set in and everyone could use a good dose of fishing. April can thankfully provide some of the first real months to catch some solid fish in our local waters without feeling like you’re standing on the shore hoping.
Ice out is underway already and our snow has mostly melted here on the shoreline. The water is still extremely cold though, so I would imagine I’d want to look into April in terms of finding one of those nice stretches of a few days of abnormally warm weather to get things rocking in both fresh and saltwater.
Freshwater Bass and Trout
The bass bite will slowly kick in as it usually does in April, and there will be some red-lipped bigguns available to get on jigs and jerkbaits and other slow-moving presentations. I’d certainly begin with tentative expectations this year with the cold we had, but things can change fast in April.
The trout bite should be quite solid in April, with water levels likely to remain solid while the snow melt from up north trickles down and hopefully keeps our bigger rivers flowing well. Avoiding any major rain events up north would be nice, as that could quickly muddy our waters down here. As always, in-line spinners, rooster tails, and small diving plugs are the name of the game. I like blacks and yellows, but any color works. A light rod that can launch one of those things is key, as is light line. I like 6lb mono but you can use 8lb as well. A 7’ medium light rod and a 2500 size reel is a good combo for chucking light spinners out into the lakes or reaching across smaller streams and rivers.
If you’re on a boat or kayak, I like finding shallow coves with new vegetation and trolling spinners near them in 5-12’ of water. Often the trout will be condensed in pockets in those areas, so once you find them you can often repeat your trolling line and they’ll hit consistently. Don’t be afraid to lean into your electronics as well. Often, little scratchy marks that don’t mean much during the warmer months will actually indicate some life during colder months when there’s less moving around in the water in general.
Saltwater
Holdover stripers often become active in April enough so that you can get some to bite on the right days. I stick with small 5” soft plastic flukes or paddle tails on really light jigheads and hit the tidal creeks and rivers. Long casts and lots of moving around will help you locate the stripers, but often the deeper holes are good places to start. Low and slow is the name of the game if you’re reeling a paddle tail. Keep your rod tip up as well so you get it down to the bottom without digging into the mucky veggies that are likely there. If you’re going for a fluke presentation, which is often my favorite, then try a snap-snap-pause cadence. Letting the bait slowly sink down can mimic slow-moving baitfish that are either wounded or just plain cold.
In terms of location, holdovers tend to congregate in similar, well-known spots each year, but there is also a lot of variability. I’ve found piles of them in one spot some years and nothing there the following year despite all of the same signs being present. So if you don’t succeed…keep movin!
Tog in April can be a ton of fun as well, and Connecticut’s season opens April 1st. If you’re in the central or easter sound, your best bet is to go west earlier in the month. A few degrees difference in the water temperature makes a ton of difference in the bite. Some years, the central sound bite won’t kick off until almost the end of the month, which can be very frustrating. I usually head west and then hit the same spots I normally hit at the same depths I’d fish in fall. As always, remember that tog are pretty much the only fish down there and they’re still chilly, so it will likely take a bit to get them going. But I’ve had some incredible spring tog days once they’re fired up and you’ve got them in the right spots.
In terms of bait, I know some guys try clams and sandworms in the spring. For me, I just stick with green crabs as usual. I’ve never had trouble getting them to chew on those, but I do know and trust that some guys like other bait for the spring.
So, April has plenty to offer you out there! The ice will be gone, the water will be warming, and the fish will be stirring! Whether you’re going for freshwater or salt, the opportunities are there. As always with these early months, you’ve got to expect some slow days more than fast ones. But, if you time it right and find yourself in the right spots, you can absolutely have a banner day in April. Good luck!