CTFishTalk.com: Connecticut River - Keeney Cove 10/16 - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

DirtyDawg10 (aka Derek) wanted to fish Keeney Cove from a boat for once, so jbrown815 (aka Jason) and I met him on Point Road in Glastonbury early this morning. When we arrived, we found that the cove was flooded. Point Road was underwater to the top guardrail cable and the water came all the way up the road to the port-a-potty:

We unloaded the boats and launched at 6:45 am. Derek paddled La Calabaza, Jason paddled El Habañero and I pedaled The Other Woman. It was a little bit chilly, overcast and dark, but there was just a slight south breeze. The water was very murky, with visibility of less than a foot. The water temperature ranged between 57 and 60 degrees. We fished in the area around Point Road for a while. Derek and Jason threw mostly wacky rigged five inch Senkos, and I threw mostly a 3/4 ounce Gold Shiner pattern War Eagle Screamin Eagle spinnerbait. Although we saw the occasional splash of a jumping baitfish, we didn't get any hits and soon decided to head through the culvert to the upper cove. We wandered around the front of the upper cove for a while before I decided to head toward the southeast corner, where the spinnerbait got me the first fish, which was a 12 inch largemouth bass:

Jason had already swapped out his wacky Senko for a Rapala, but I gave him a 3/8 ounce Chartreuse Strike King Redeye Special spinnerbait to throw in the murky water. As we worked our way up the east shore, I threw my spinnerbait into the flooded trees along the shore. After Jason swapped out his Rapala for the spinnerbait, it wasn't long before he boated a short largemouth. I tried to take a photo of it, but Jason accidentally dropped it back into the water before I could. Sorry about that, Jason. Embarassed

On one particularly long cast into the flooded trees, I noticed some small branches sticking out of the water right where my spinnerbait was going to hit the water. I started my retrieve before it did and felt it hang up on the branches. But as I continued my retrieve, the branches started tugging back! Shocked

I'm a little slow, but I realized that I had a decent fish on and boated an 18 inch, three pound, six ounce largemouth:

We continued to fish the flooded forest on the north end of the cove, where the spinnerbait got Jason another short largemouth. Almost immediately after, my spinnerbait got me a short largemouth, too. As we rounded the end of the cove and started down the west shore, I told Jason that I couldn't decide whether to head out into open water or continue through the trees. Jason said that he was going to head out and I said that I would too, but I changed my mind at the last second and headed back into the trees:

On a heroically long cast high up between two trees, I snagged a sucker branch and lost my War Eagle spinnerbait. The water was about 3-1/2 feet deep and I wanted to keep my spinnerbait down near the bottom, so I tied on a one ounce Bluegill pattern Strike King Bottom Dweller spinnerbait. I continued to throw it between the trees and felt it hang up on a log. As I began to swear at the log, I realized that it was moving. I yelled that I had a big largemouth on the line and when I saw it in the water, I began to guesstimate its weight. "It looks like a four pounder! It might be five! I think it's over six!" When I pulled her out of the water, I couldn't believe how fat she was. She was 21 inches long and weighed six pounds, six ounces:

My largemouth bass goal for this open water season was six pounds and I actually got it! Whoo hoo! It's my new Personal Best. Here's a better photo of it that Derek took:

None of us got another bite before we got off of the water at 12:30 pm. Needless to say, I had a great day out on the water!
_________________
Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

I got the ol' SKUNK today Confused

Got a few small hits on the spinnerbait in the trees but couldn't hook up with anything. I had to live vicariously through Phil today.

slim2043 · Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 446 Location: Plainville CT

Nice fish Phil! Congrats on the PB!!!
_________________
Never give up!

watthe555 · Joined: 11 Jun 2011 Posts: 120

wow that is a fat fish!!!!! congrats on the pb.

steven1smith · Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 206 Location: South Windsor

Wow! That is a hell of a fish for the river!
_________________
Catch and release only.
A 4lb bass is not going to grow to 8lbs on your wall.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxCdnQ8WEfQ

BassRican · Joined: 21 Mar 2011 Posts: 116 Location: Meriden

WOW! Congrats Phil on the personal best! You've been on fire lately. I gotta do some fishing with you next year. Its a little too late for now, but spring time white perch will be here before you know it. Congrats again Exclamation

_________________
When in doubt, rip their lips out!

nicklovesPK · Joined: 10 Jan 2011 Posts: 102

what a pig. and even better a river fish. true trophy

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

Nice river bass!
_________________
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o21/PickerelPete/IfeH-r.gif

snap fisher777 · Joined: 18 Sep 2011 Posts: 238

I passed by point road. it was flooded and nice bass by the way. Today I caught a Large mouth bass at Eastbury pond

pikePERSUADER1 · Joined: 07 Dec 2010 Posts: 521

Nice fish Phil, we've been doing good in the river too! Smile

CatDaddy · Joined: 06 Sep 2011 Posts: 62 Location: New Britain

beautiful LMB. fish like that is the reason we invest so much time and money into the great sport!
_________________
CatDaddy

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi Phil,

A hearty well done.
That's one big LMB!
Guess you'll be posting that pic as your new avatar Exclamation

So? Are you going to have a mount made of your PB?
I sure would!

Again, congrats!

SeaDog1

hila2006 · Joined: 22 Jul 2011 Posts: 582 Location: Ellington

Very nice Phil, that's a great looking largie for sure. My pb is 6 and 3/4 pounds, when they get that big around here, it's almost anyone's pb. Many congrats again Phil.

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

No, Stephen, I'll save getting a mount for my 10 pounder. Cool

I'm really glad that Derek had his trusty camera with him, though.
_________________
Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Hey, John, did you happen to get the length of your PB? I was a little bit surprised at how short mine was when I put her on my Hawg Trough. Amazingly, she didn't even qualify for Connecticut's Trophy Fish Award Program under the Catch and Release guideline of 22 inches in length for a largemouth bass.
_________________
Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!