CTFishTalk.com: Bantam Saturday 12/22/07 - Connecticut Ice Fishing Reports ( CT Ice Fishing Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

Icetime · Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 13

Went to bantam with Ray_Donzi on Saturday. Fished the north cove, there was about 3 inches of black ice and about 2 inches of slush ice on top. We have been fishing Bantam for many years during the ice season and over the past few years it has steadily gotten worse with yesterday being the worse of all, picked up 1 perch jigging. Maybe the state is not managing this lake properly any longer who knows. Lets pray for cold weather to come back.

Redneck Fisherman · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 49

The reason the pike bite has declined is because the dep puts weed killer to get rid of the hydrilla weeds. They started this about five years ago. After the first year or two I noticed that the pike arn't sticking to the shallows during the summer anymore and they don't go deep like they used to in the winter instead to catch them in the winter you have to use large dead bait in the shallows because of the weed kill the bait fish don't school up as much in the winter out deep so the pike are looking in the shallows for food like they would in the summer. I live close to the lake and every day people are out on the south bay hugging the shore line and I have herd they have been doing pretty good.

Icetime · Joined: 10 Dec 2007 Posts: 13

Thanks for the info Redneck, it does make a lot of sense. We went out last Spring on a row boat right after ice off and noticed a lot of dead fish on the bottom in shallow water. I really wish they would leave the lake alone, the fishing has gone down hill over the past few years. We will be hitting some different Pike spots once the ice gets good.

Bluegill Terminator · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 538 Location: Plainville

I went there last weekend and did not have a flag. I fished from 5 am till 2 pm.