Connecticut Roll Call 2014

[bmac31]

On 3/9/2017 at 11:25 PM, PECo said:

I fish any open water I can find, year-round. During the coldest months, I fish for striped bass in the lower Housatonic River. Yesterday, a buddy and I caught three dozen with a 30-inch keeper:

I'll be out of town for a while and really hope that I don't miss the yellow perch spawn or the anadromous white perch spawn in the Connecticut River.

 

 Awesome day PECo! Hope you get back in time for the perch spawn.

I'm planning on  getting down to the Housy the next nice day. probably have to go from the shore. I just got a 14ft tin with a 7.5 merc and a bow mount trolling motor, but it won't be ready to launch till opening day. I spent all today organizing my gear trying not to think about the snow. I'm about a 1/3 done. Bait monkey problems, lol.

 

 

Brian

[Bass fishing is best]

Anyone else get out for trout opening day?  Caught a bunch of stocker rainbows and a nice brown, met a nice guy and his son that was unbelievably helpful with a measuring tape and showing me how to bleed them.  First time in 20 years I've not caught and released but 2 of the rainbows looked too tasty.  So if that guy is reading this, thank you again so much.  Can't wait to hit the river again tomorrow.  Bass aren't biting so far but it felt so great having something on the line.

 

[Dramer77]

Hey guys , I'm up in CT for a few days at my sisters.. anywhere local where the bass may be biting? I'm in colchester 

[JustinCT]

22 hours ago, Dramer77 said:

Hey guys , I'm up in CT for a few days at my sisters.. anywhere local where the bass may be biting? I'm in colchester 

There's a few options near you that could produce.  Lake Heyward is a decent spot, no gas motors but has a good smallie population.  Moodus Reservoir is another decent lake, I fished lower Moodus the day after opening day without too much luck but I usually do pretty well there.  Lake Williams in Lebanon has a pretty good shore fishing area if you don't have a boat.  Just a few thoughts.

[EdsBar]

Can you fish Heyward without like a lake permit? 

[JustinCT]

12 minutes ago, EdsBar said:

Can you fish Heyward without like a lake permit? 

Yes, to the best of my knowledge it is not private and does not require a permit.  I've launched and fished it numerous times over the past few years.  Don't know if it's the same for shore fishing but I've had friends who have ice fished there with no problems.  

[BurrStone]

On 3/5/2017 at 2:23 AM, bmac31 said:

 Anyone gotten out this year yet? All open water here in New Haven County.

  I've beat the bank a few times and had a couple tugs but nothing else. Sure felt good to have the rod in my hand. 

 Wonder how iced up East and West Twin up in Salisbury are.

 

-Brian

Well since you posted this I've been out 2x on a private lake in Guilford. The first outing I caught 2 small ones. Last Sunday caught 3 LMBs in the 1-2 lb range on a gold husky jerk. The Osprey were catching more and watched one holding a bass in its talons swoop down over us in an obvious taunt. 

[JustinCT]

I was able to get out on a local lake the Sunday after opening day.  Managed 2 bites but no fish, also ended up with a lower unit problem.  Boat is now in the shop for the second week, not sure when it'll be ready.  Hopefully I'll be out in early May. 

[BurrStone]

Caught a bunch of 1-2 lb LMBs today, but this Crappie caught by my buddy stole the show. Guilford lakes.

[JustinCT]

Good to see a few of us CT guys getting out.  Let's keep this rolling, anyone get out and have any luck recently?  Still waiting on boat lower unit repair, going on a month now or I'd be posting myself.

[EdsBar]

I haven't been out yet in CT in a while, but hoping maybe to hit up Eastern Connecticut tonight/tomorrow weather permitting. I can't wait to get my kayak into Pattagansett. 

[BurrStone]

Caught a 3.62 lb LMB yesterday, along with 12 in the 1-2 lb range on a small pond fishing for 6 hours from my canoeyak. Private pond.

 

Hit Scoville Reservoir last Tuesday in Wolcott and caught a bunch of dinks, 2 rock bass, 2 perch and 2 pickerel. 

 

It was a good week. Everything was on crank baits and spider grub jigs. 

 

The last fish I caught yesterday had an encounter with an Osprey that took a chunk out of her back. 

[JustinCT]

Nice fish Burr!  Looks like it's going to warm up this week which will be nice.  

[EdsBar]

I went to Pattagansett on Saturday from about 8-11. I had my kayak in, the skies were grey, water was pretty calm. I couldn't get a bite for the life of me. I threw everything from Senkos to the Whopper Plopper. The only hit I had was a pickerel on a Husky Jerk Bait. My buddy and I are supposed to go out today--we were thinking somewhere like Billings, or should we stick with a small pond where the water might be warmer? 

[shipyard]

My parents live up there, so I go up intermittently to fish. Ice fishing as well! Lots of perch around the Tolland area, and some nice LMB.

[JustinCT]

Finally got out Monday on my buddies 12 foot jon boat as my boat is now on week 7 in the shop.  Hit a smaller pond near his house.  Fished from about 7-11 and each picked up half a dozen or so largemouth with a bunch of pickeral.  Biggest largie was 4lbs 2oz that my buddy caught.  Relatively steady action all morning.  Felt good to finally catch a bass.

[JustinCT]

7 weeks and a new lower unit later, I got my boat back last night.  I can't wait to get out on the water again and hit some spots I haven't fished in a number of years.  More reports to come!

[PECo]

I've been fishing a lot, lately, but also traveling and not fishing a lot, too. I post a lot of reports on a local Connecticut fishing forum. Today, I'm stuck in Newark, New Jersey, but here's my report from Monday:

 

Quote

I'm going to be out of town for a while, so I had to go fishing one more time before I left. I figured that I'd paddle my local pond for just a little while, but things didn't quite work out that way. When I launched my kayak at 10:15 am, the sky was totally overcast and there was a light north breeze. The air temperature was in the low 60s. Despite the glare on the water, I could see that the water was clear down at least a couple of feet. The water temperature was 67 degrees in the south bay when I launched, but hit 68 degrees on the north bay later in the day.

 

Although my intention was to eventually throw a Zoom Horny Toad over the shallow spawning flat in the northwest corner of the pond, as usual, I started by throwing a wacky-rigged Green Pumpkin/Red Flake five-inch Senko. I got a bite on only my second or third cast and boated a small keeper largemouth bass that weighed one pound, 13 ounces:

 

 

During the first hour, I boated six keepers ranging from one pound, six ounces, to one pound, 13 ounces. The fish weren't tight to shore or cover. Like yesterday, when I fished Congamond, they appeared to be roaming around the outside weedline. My guess is that the largemouth bass are still in pre-spawn mode and will probably be on beds soon.

 

At the end of the first hour, I had to cut off a good chunk of my newly spooled fluorocarbon line, due to a snag caused by line twist. One day, I'll have to learn how to cast without helicoptering my lures so much. 

 

I paddled up the east shore to the northeast corner and across the north shore toward the northwest corner. By the time I got there, I had caught a total of nine largemouth bass keepers, but still up to only one pound, 13 ounces. As planned, I switched to a Bullfrog Zoom Horny Toad and soon got a good bite. I paused for a couple of seconds, reeled in the slack and set the hook HARD. I could tell that the fish was over two pounds by how hard it pulled. It swam under the front of my kayak and banged against it. As it headed back behind me, the Horny Toad popped out of its mouth! NOOOO! I couldn't believe it! When I took a close look at the Horny Toad, I saw that the hook was still buried in the plastic. Arghhh!!!!

 

I tossed the Horny Toad for only a few more minutes, before switching back to the Senko and heading for deeper water. As I paddled around the north island, I caught a sunny before setting the hook on a better fish. A MUCH better fish! I finally broke the two pound mark with a four pound, 11 ouncer:

 

 

 

In the end, my short paddle took 5-1/4 hours. I caught 14 largemouth bass, of which 13 were keepers, although only two were over two pounds. In addition to the four pounder, I caught one that was two pounds, seven ounces. My five fish bag would have been about 12 pounds, nine ounces. Now, I wish that I didn't have to go out of town.

 

[JustinCT]

Nice outing PECo!  Strangely enough I was in Newark yesterday for work as well.  I plan to hit Coventry lake tomorrow as I have my boat back and am taking a day off.  I'll follow with a report.