I heard there is some schoolies to keepers hitting between wethersfield and hartford, i was just wondering what they were biting on and where people were launching thei vessels. Also, do ya'll think my 12 foot john boat with an electric trolling motor would be able to handle the tide and current? 
Don't think anyone will be on the river for a while unless they want to be skewered by the trees and other debris racing down stream. I'm sure access into the cove is flooded as well. As for the john boat and electric, my 55lb. trolling motor on a 14"/20hp aluminum doesn't make much headway when the tide is outgoing even in moderate flows. I usually fish from Wethersfield to the lower river, but I wouldn't go out on the river without an outboard. Then again, I saw some guys in the Race last year in a pontoon boat. When the levels drop, the cove will be an option, as is the Mattabasset(sp?) which has a car top launch in Cromwell. Good place for pike, bass, carp.
The CT river can certainly be a risky spot to launch a boat this time of year. If you're looking for river stripers I suggest the Thames or Housatonic rivers. They seem to hold a large population year-round. Or maybe it's the same number of fish but in smaller areas? I don't know what town you hail from, but the trip to either river is often worth it. A friend of mine reported he pulled close to 200 bass from the Thames in 4 hours. 1/4 of them were keepers. That was yesterday; however, there was a huge spike in water flow then and no seals. Both these seem to have a huge impact on the day.
I'll start targeting the CT river stripers late next month and into May/June.
I'll start targeting the CT river stripers late next month and into May/June.
A protacanthopterix mentioned, the Housy and Thames are more friendly to small craft and will have more concentrated schools this time of year. Water will go down faster as well. You can fish them with soft plastics on jigs or sandworms. Sometimes the schools are so concentrated they look like the a solid wall beneath you and you can feel your jig bouncing of fish. Was hoping to fish this weekend, the question is where. Once the water goes down, the CTR holds stripers. They are just harder to find as the schools are more dispersed until the herring start running. Guys fishing from shore are probably starting to throw out sandworms. Another spot or two off the Ct River would be Salmon Cove for bass/pike/calicos and also there is a cartop put in on the Lieutenant River. Stripers run up in there chasing bait. You could run a john boat to the mouth of the LT where it meets the CT at the DEP pier. A current can get flowing on the outgoing tide. I've heard (though not fished) that the lower Quinnipiac gets some goods schools moving up in the spring. Maybe someone can confirm this???? There is carry-in access at a few points. The closest ramp is on Lighthouse Point, and I might give it a try this spring. Good luck. I know everyone is itchin' to get out. 
Thanks guys, I didn't end up launching my boat untill early may. It worked great with my 22 lb trolling motor and 4 hp outboard. We didn't catch any striped bass though. I'm still new to boating for stripers. I also went to the thames several times during march and april, not having a single bite using various topwaters, soft plastics, answell as bunker, sandworms, and bloodworms. Was I in the wrong spot or something?