We are certainly catching fish but this past week was not the "breakout" week I was expecting. Fish were caught between 12 and 28". On Saturday a friend hooked onto a "monster" bass using a slug-o. The fish pulled hard enough to move his 16' boat before getting off by straightening the "heavy duty" slug-o hook.

On Thursday several members of the Yale Fishing Club joined me for the afternoon. We caught plenty of fish on the fly rod as well as spinning gear but only a few were 25 to 28".

For the next several days the tides will be perfect for both a morning and evening outing. Low tide will be between 6 and 10 making for a good outgoing tide as the sun comes up and again as it goes down. Stay tuned for my next report. I expect it to be a good one!

The spring bass season is underway. We had two excellent trips this past weekend. Saturday being an outstanding day and Sunday a good one, the difference being the tide. The sluggish outgoing tide restrained the bass activity on Sunday. Even so, we boated in excess of a couple dozen fish ranging in size from 12 to 28". The spinning rod is the way to go if you want consistent action on bigger fish. On Saturday, we were getting a swirl on almost every cast. This was true for about 1-1/2 hours of the outgoing tide. The overcast skies and light wind made a positive contribution. This is ideal weather for this time of year - actually this is the most favorable weather for fishing at any time.

Though Saturday was an outstanding day, engine problems tried to disrupt the outing. thanks to Jack F's very positive attitude during this disruption (catching lots of fish I am sure helped his disposition) we were able to "muck" our way through this mishap without much interruption. I am grateful to three fishing buddies for helping me out - Rick for the tow, Tom for taking Jack on board while Kurt "trailered" me a back up boat!

I am pleased to report tht the engine problem was a minor fuel issue and turned out to be an "instant" fix.

They're in!! But not in full swing, meaning that there are limited pods of schoolies scattered through a small part of the lower river. The way to catch the most fish is to anchor over a pod. Until the pod moves you will catch quite a few of the same size fish. I prefer drifting a larger area, thereby increasing my chances to catch a few larger fish. Most schoolies are 12 to 18" with an occasional fish to 24". Casting subsurface flies and lures produce most of the action, though one angler, who lives and dies casting a gurgler, has already caught a few fish on the surface. However, the best surface activity is still a week or two away. We had lots of warm sunny weather this past week. The river fishes best on still, overcast, low tide mornings. An amber, polarized lens is what you want on these days. Go to bigeyeeyewear.com for a great selection of polarized sunglasses. Anglers have started calling to book trips. Give me a call and join me on the river for a fun day of light tackle or fly fishing for striped bass.

The schoolies have arrived in the lower Connecticut River. Their numbers are such that you can hook and land enough to make the outing worth while. Most remain small - 12 to 16", but there is the occasional fish in the mid 20's.

Prior to the rain of the last few days, the river water was exceptionally clear, likely explained by the gradual snow melt in the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire and the cold water temperatures. At one point I visually estimated the depth to be 2 to 4 feet. After sticking my rod in the water I was very surprised to learn it was 7 to 8 feet deep.

The number of fish will be on a steady increase over the next couple of weeks. A few days from now, after 2 or 3 clear warm days the water clarity will recover from the recent rains and the fishing will be in full swing.

The ocean swells rolling over Block Island Sound were big enough to keep the Point Judith to Block Island Ferry bobbing and rolling as it powered it's way. The chilly NW winds created white caps and made for a chilly ride. Fishing was still a few weeks away in this area. Back at my home waters along the Connecticut River the fishing prospects are brighter. Within a day or two of April 25th the fishing at the mouth of the River below the railroad bridge starts to turn on. The resident schoolies drop down river from the coves along the river to greet the arriving migratory fish. For the first couple of weeks the lots of small schoolies (12 - 18") with an occasional large fish mixed in. It's at this time if you are having a lucky day, 2 anglers can hook 50 to 100 fish in a matter of hours. As the water temp reaches 50 degrees the smaller fish disperse and larger fish take over. Two friends were out today. One was in Hamburg Cover where he caught a small bass and a 15" pickerel. Ten other boats were in the cove - none having much action. My other buddy tried below the railroad bridge and found 1 or 2 small pods of small fish but the action was insufficient to make him want to go tomorrow. Based on recent events I expect the "turn on" date to be a day or two before 4/25. Stay tuned.

The air is still. The Eastern sky is showing the first sign of light. There is a chill in the air and there is skim ice around the hull of the Cross Island ferry. April 1st is next week. The schoolie bass are occasionally showing signs of life - and we have ice! What's wrong with this picture? Don't fret. Fishing is going to happen soon.

As I look out the ferry window at the many hot bass spots East and West of the Thames River I get a good feeling. The water no longer has that cold and alarming look. It now looks friendlier and alluring. The tide is coming in. The water's motion over Harkness and Bartlett reefs is moving perfectly, waiting for the bass to return. It's only a matter of a few weeks and those bass will be pulling and you will be pumping. The bass will win some. Some you will win. What new and exciting memories of lost and landed fish are you going to experience. History tells us we are going to experience all the emotions - from highs to lows. That's why our sport is called fishing, not catching. No matter the outcome, the experience will be enjoyable. Get away from the hectic day to day routine and enjoy a day on the water with Capt. Dixon.

One of my favorite areas to fish is the surrounding area of Plum Island. As the ferry approaches Orient Pt. off the bow, in the distance Plum Island is to port of the vessel. The sluiceway is to the islands East, the Gut to the West. I couldn't guess how many bass, blues and false albacore I have caught in this area - let's just leave it at lots! I can recall many, many fond memories.

I have a great day ahead. I get to drive down (West) the North Fork of Long Island, then onto (East) the South Fork to Montauk, then back across Shelter Island before catching the evening ferry from Orient Pt. back to New London. Much of the time will be spent looking at the water or talking fishing as I visit the many tackle shops and marinas that sell our Big Eye polarized sunglasses. You can see our great line of sunglasses by logging onto www.centerlineoptics.com. Link to Big Eye and you can then look at the many great sunglasses that others are looking through when they are catching fish. With Big Eyes you'll see the Big Fish!

When you go to Martha's Vineyard you must fish the surrounding waters for bass, blues ,bonita and false albacore. Larry's tackle shop in Edgartown across from Grand Union should be your first stop. Steve owns the shop. He has fished the surrounding waters for years and knows them like the back of his hand. Whether you fly fish, spin cast, or troll he has your supplies. To book a guide - he does that too. If you are really lucky you'll be able to hire Steve.

I was with Steve on Friday setting up his store with our Big Eye polarized sunglass program. Steve was hard at work getting the store ready for the arrival of the first bass around mid April.

Woods Hole, the departure point for the ferry to Martha's Vineyard, is a fascinating area of shoals, islands and narrow passages in which the currant ebbs and flows with tremendous force. It is also a great area for striped bass in season. On Friday the rips were not full of bass, they were full of eider ducks staging before they head "North" for the breeding season. For the first fifteen minutes out of port the ferry was putting up raft after raft of eiders. For an old duck hunter like me it was a sight to behold.

Back at my home waters of the Connecticut River things remain quiet. We may set record low temperatures (mid teens) tonight so there is not much fishing going on. Don't worry, the calendar is in our favor. Within a month the schoolies will be on the river and the fishing will have begun and it won't stop for six months or so. Contact me and join in on the fun.