Ice GONE, Fish HITTING

Carp are now hitting in many of the
ponds and lakes around the state. I
landed this hog this morning along
with several others.

Whenever anyone asks me when the carp start hitting in RI ponds and lakes in the early spring, my answer is "as soon as the ice leaves." In every pond I know in RI, the ice has left and in the few places I have tried in the last couple of days, the fish are hitting.
I've been fishing hair rigged sweetcorn, and I have landed my first carp from RI waters in 2016 (though I have landed good numbers this winter from MA waters). I have been focusing on shallow ponds, the best place to catch carp in the early going. Shallow ponds will heat up faster, especially on sunny days, and that warmth is just what is needed to get the carp hitting. I like to prebait my fishing spots if I can since that ups my chances of catching in the early going.
Note that in RI waters where trout are stocked (Blackstone River for instance), fishing with corn is prohibited.  Those trout stocked waters will also be off limits for any type of fishing or bait once March 1st arrives. All non stocked waters will remain open for carp fishing or any other type of fishing.
Expect a bit of a setback this weekend as the temperatures will really drop tonight and  skim ice could form in most spots. However, if you look at the weather forecast for next week, it looks like warm weather will return by Monday. And, I suspect the fishing will be good. Let the spring games begin!