As I write this, I just returned from a fishing tackle dealer show in New Jersey. While I was unable to partake in the fun, the fishing was insanely good for striped bass. Everyone I spoke with expected the bite to last well into January as they had a mix of sand eels and bunker of all sizes. Back home, January fishing can be spotty with some years producing much, much better action than others in southern New England. I won’t get into the why or the how of it, but fishing options, especially in the salt, are not what they used to be but there are still a few ways to scratch the itch and wet a line.
The likelihood is probably pretty high that your boat has already been winterized for the season. Still, if you’re looking to hit the high seas this month several headboats sail throughout the winter (when Mother Nature allows, that is.) In Connecticut, you can hit up Capt. Greg and the crew of the Black Hawk out of Niantic. Some winters Greg moves the boat to Stonington or other ports closer to the Block Island fishing grounds, so be sure to verify where they’re sailing from when you book a trip for the winter king, the mighty cod. In Rhode Island several headboats are sailing from Point Judith, specifically the Frances Fleet and the Seven B’s V. Both run excellent boats and are extremely knowledgeable about what’s biting and where all winter long. Smaller 6-packs still sailing in the winter months are few and far between here in Southern New England these days. If you’re looking to go this route, feel free to shoot me an email at toby.lapinski@gmail.com and I’ll see what I can come up for you.
So, what’s on tap for the winter headboats? Well, cod fishing has been good the past few years in December with the action continuing into the New Year but tapering off towards the end of the month. With this in mind, the time is now to get out and fish! Cod fishing is not rocket science, but there are tricks to be used. If you’ve never gone then rental gear and a good listening ear to what the mates tell you to do is as good of a starting point as any. Expect to find the lion’s share of the success on hi-low rigs baited with clams. While jigging can produce at times, you’re far better served 99% of the time by just sticking to a salty ball of ocean snot held in place with a heavy slug of lead. This isn’t sexy fishing, but it gets the job done. It took me a while to learn, but when putting in the effort to get out on the water in the winter sometimes the best plan is to worry more about catching than how you got there. By this I mean put the effort into what’s going to produce at a given moment and to heck with what producedIn addition to cod, you can expect to catch ling, bergals (also referred to as ocean perch, cunner or choggies), pollock, haddock and a few other common and sometimes uncommon local species. That’s one of the great things about this fishing, you never know what that next drop might produce! All make great table fare, even those lowly choggies which, if you have never kept them before, taste so similar to blackfish that aside from fillet size would be nearly impossible to distinguish in any classic recipe.
The other regular winter fishery here in southern New England comes in the form of our good friend, the striped bass. While the bigger rivers including the Providence, Thames, Connecticut, and Housatonic receive all the press, I’d be willing to bet that any tidal water body that doesn’t freeze solid hosts some stripers all year long. The bigger rivers are more fishable by boat with hot bites rarely staying secret for long. Most of the fish are sub-legal, so choose your gear accordingly with lighter spinning rods and reels spooled with 10-pound braid being just about right. Top the braid with a monofilament leader (fluorocarbon works but isn’t necessary) and attach a soft plastic jig to the terminal end. Weights will be decided by conditions and water depth, with ¼- on up to 2-ounce jigs being common.
Over-wintering striped bass seek out deep water when it’s cold, and move shallow when it’s warmer, so guide your fishing by this. Storms can also turn fishing on big time with both rain and snow events leading to exceptional fishing in years past. There is something truly appealing about bailing striped bass in the dead of winter while snowflakes fall all around me! Sure, the conditions can be downright miserable at times, but as long as you dress appropriately and maybe pack a thermos of coffee, you’d be surprised at how well that good bite will help you cope with even the longest of New England winters.
I’ll close out this month with fishing-related but non-fishing-specific activities for January in the form of fishing and boat shows. I did a quick check of my records and here’s what we have on tap to kick off 2024.
The Progressive New England Boat Show will be at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center January 10-14. For more information visit www.newenglandboatshow.com. The Narragansett Surfcasters 10th Annual Surf Day will be held at the Narragansett Community Center, 53 Mumford Rd, Narragansett, RI on January 13. There will be loads of new and used fishing tackle for sale. Vendor tables are available, please contact Bruce Bain at brucebain123@hotmail.com. Adult admission is a $5 donation to the club’s Take a Kid Fishing Day (children get in free), the show runs 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On January 18-21 the CMTA Hartford Boat Show will be held at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT. For more information, please visit https://hartfordboatshow.com/. The annual Connecticut Surfcasters Demo Day will be held on January 21 this year at the Clinton Town Hall from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the cost is a $5 donation. The New York Boat Show is being held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, New York on January 24-28. For more information, please visit www.nyboatshow.com. Last up for now, the New England Fishing & Outdoor Expo, formerly known as “the Boxboro show, will be held at a new venue, the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, MA, on February 2-4. Visit www.nefishingexpo.com for more information.