Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:23 pm Post subject: Connecticut River - Keeney Cove 07/18
TurtleKiss (aka Kira) and I needed to get our butts out on the water, so we met on Point Road at Keeney Cove this morning. We launched into the lower cove at 7:15 am. Kira motored around in Dinghbat and I pedaled The Other Woman. The air temperature was already in the mid 80s when we launched. There were scattered clouds that provided a tiny bit of relief from the blazing sun from time to time and a slight breeze out of the north. The water was already warm, too, at 81 degrees. We could see that we were approaching low tide, as water was flowing through the culvert under Point Road from the middle cove to the lower cove at a pretty good rate. The weeds that normally line both sides of the channel in the lower cove were nowhere to be found. Did the DEEP dump herbicide in there this year? The water level was as low as I've ever seen it, and the outgoing tide left even the water hyacinths high and dry on the shoreline:
Kira threw a black Strike King Midnight Special spinnerbait, and I threw a Crappie patterned Persuader Imaged Blade Spinnerbait and a wacky rigged green pumpkin/red flake five inch Senko. We didn't get any hits. After working our way halfway down the lower cove, we decided to head into the middle cove, instead. After we went ashore at Point Road, we watched a small Bass Tracker attempt to get into the middle cove by motoring through the culvert:
We fished the middle cove before heading to the upper cove through the culvert under Route 3. Kira stayed near the culvert, while I headed halfway up into the upper cove. I threw a Bullfrog patterned Zoom Horny Toad over the shallow weeds on the west side of the wide, flat cove. The water was only two to three and a half feet deep everywhere I went. I didn't get any hits on the Horny Toad, the spinnerbait or the wacky Senko. I also threw a green pumpkin/red flake Zoom Baby Brush Hog, which got some panfish nibbles until it was bitten in half. I headed back to the culvert, where Kira got a hit with a white spinnerbait, so I tied on a small white Strike King Redeye Special Spinnerbait. I got only a skirt tug with it. I headed back through the culvert to the middle cove and headed down the west shore, where the wacky Senko got picked up by a small keeper largemouth bass. Unfortunately, it spit the hook when I tried to lip it. Fat finger, small mouth. By this time, the air temperature was in the mid 90s and Kira was getting pretty dehydrated. She wanted to head off of the water and headed toward the ramp. I couldn't bring myself to leave without boating a fish, so I headed back up the west shore of the middle cove. In less than two feet of 86-1/2 degree water, I threw the wacky Senko at what I thought were splashing baitfish and it was picked up by a largemouth bass:
Whoo hoo! It was only a 14 incher, but I was glad to get it. I headed back to the ramp, and Kira and I got off of the water at 11:45 am. I think that our next trip out will be in the cool of the night. It was HOT out there! _________________ Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!
Joined: 07 Jun 2011 Posts: 655 Location: Central, CT
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:25 pm Post subject:
The river is unbelievable low. Last week I tried getting to some areas that normally I could get to and it was terrible. I hope the water levels get back up. We need a week of solid rain to cool things off and bring the levels up! _________________ Steve
Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:08 am Post subject:
It was that low a couple of years ago, Kyle. DirtyDawg10 (aka Derek) paddled through the Point Road culvert in his inflatable kayak (aka The Manatee). I declined to try it. Kira tried to motor through in between the two attempts by the Bass Tracker. Dinghbat's 30 pound thrust trolling motor was no match for the current.
The guys in the Bass Tracker were fishing a bass tournament out of Riverside Park. I was wondering how they were going to get back out of the cove. When Kira and I left at 11:45 pm, it was definitely approaching slack low tide (the water was barely flowing into the lower cove from the middle cove), and they were still fishing in the upper cove near the Route 3 culvert. I wish that I had been there to see them leave. _________________ Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!
Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 9:40 pm Post subject:
Yeah...it's been a few years since I could get under the road in a yak. The last couple of years you had a better chance of paddling over the road than under it. This year is really low...even lower then when I went under in the manatee.
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The water level was as low as I've ever seen it, and the outgoing tide left even the water hyacinths high and dry on the shoreline:
Fat finger, small mouth. 
By this time, the air temperature was in the mid 90s and Kira was getting pretty dehydrated. She wanted to head off of the water and headed toward the ramp. I couldn't bring myself to leave without boating a fish, so I headed back up the west shore of the middle cove. In less than two feet of 86-1/2 degree water, I threw the wacky Senko at what I thought were splashing baitfish and it was picked up by a largemouth bass:
It was only a 14 incher, but I was glad to get it. I headed back to the ramp, and Kira and I got off of the water at 11:45 am. I think that our next trip out will be in the cool of the night. It was 
Kira tried to motor through in between the two attempts by the Bass Tracker. Dinghbat's 30 pound thrust trolling motor was no match for the current.
