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brandon72801
Joined: 28 Jul 2010
Posts: 65
Location: Bethel, CT
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 Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 7:32 pm Post subject: CT River Help! |
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I know this question has been asked before, but I need some more reassurance. A buddy and I plan to fish the river this Tuesday for the first time. We fish mainly C-Wood and lakes in that part of the state, but I seem to have some mental block (fear) about getting out on the river. I have an 18ft bass boat and plan to hit the river around noon. We fish mainly for bass, but would love a shot at some pike.
I'm looking for info (clarification) that would ease my mind such as:
Best launch and parking.
Areas to head to (coves?)
Tidal concerns.
Navigation concerns.
Any other caveats to be aware of?
Thanks in advance! |
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Eagle
Joined: 06 Apr 2013
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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Coming from bethel you might as well put in at wethersfield cove; I don't think there are docks anywhere right now, so the cove is the easiest.
Water is high, not flood stage but high. I went by crow point cove Friday and it looked like it was accessible and people say there are big fish there, but I don't know if I would suggest you try on your first trip
You can also get up past the Farmington, and all the way to Bart's boat launch on the Farmington right now. Be real careful north of the 140 bridge, it gets shallow and rocky quick. |
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PECo
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 5203
Location: Avon, CT
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| Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Eagle wrote: | | Coming from bethel you might as well put in at wethersfield cove; I don't think there are docks anywhere right now, so the cove is the easiest. |
You need a permit to launch in Wethersfield Cove. You'd be better off launching at Haddam Meadows or Salmon River, which are always free, or at one of the Riverfront Recapture launches, which will be free until Memorial Day weekend. The river downriver from Hartford is deeper and easier to navigate than the river upriver. I like launching from Haddam Meadows and heading downriver to the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Plant Canal, Salmon River Cove and Chapman Pond. A lot of fishermen head upriver from there in search of northern pike. The river is prone to having shallow sandbars just upriver from the mouths of canals and coves. It's best to enter them from the downriver side, especially at low tide. Here's a link to the NOAA tide tables for Connecticut:
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=57
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Eagle
Joined: 06 Apr 2013
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 7:01 am Post subject: |
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A permit is not needed; single day launch passes are available.
And not that I would advise NOT getting one, but they don't really check before the docks go in, as far as I know. |
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brandon72801
Joined: 28 Jul 2010
Posts: 65
Location: Bethel, CT
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| Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 9:08 am Post subject: |
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| Eagle wrote: | A permit is not needed; single day launch passes are available.
And not that I would advise NOT getting one, but they don't really check before the docks go in, as far as I know. |
Where can you purchase a single day launch pass? |
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Redneckangler
Joined: 05 May 2012
Posts: 851
Location: Meriden, CT
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| Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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Wethersfield sells the day passes to those who arrive after the pass guy in the am. I don't think he starts showing up 'til closer to Memorial Day.
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Weekly reports from around CT, the LIS and beyond. |
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Aroz
Joined: 12 Jul 2012
Posts: 70
Location: Wethersfield
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| Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 6:19 am Post subject: |
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| brandon72801 wrote: | | Eagle wrote: | A permit is not needed; single day launch passes are available.
And not that I would advise NOT getting one, but they don't really check before the docks go in, as far as I know. |
Where can you purchase a single day launch pass? |
You wont need a pass yet - they dont start charging until memorial day. The only bad thing (depending on the size of your boat) is the docks arent in the water to launch yet |
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Just4fun
Joined: 08 May 2007
Posts: 1389
Location: Saybrook
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| Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 10:11 pm Post subject: |
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If its your first time launching at Wethersfield cove, it can be tricky,...it's best to take your time and watch someone else (who knows the place,...) go first!! Pay attention to exactly where they back in and how far they need to go before they get enough depth to launch a boat!! Sometimes when the water is up in the parking lot,..your front tires will need to be all the way into the water!!!
Rocky hill is close to there and has a very nice ramp,...and is probably not charging until Memorial weekend either!!
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Rivernut
Joined: 22 May 2010
Posts: 42
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 4:10 pm Post subject: Haddam discharge canal |
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This is all you need to hit the motherload for bass and pike
http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac77/Rivernut_photos/null-7.jpg
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Last edited by Rivernut on Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:42 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Redneckangler
Joined: 05 May 2012
Posts: 851
Location: Meriden, CT
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 4:28 pm Post subject: Re: Haddam discharge canal |
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| Rivernut wrote: | This is all you need to hit the motherload for bass and pike:
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Come on, you just gave up the double super-secret, speak of it you die location! 
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Weekly reports from around CT, the LIS and beyond. |
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jimbojonez
Joined: 04 Feb 2012
Posts: 295
Location: Berlin/Kensington
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| Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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i agree with the haddam meadows or salmon cove launches. there are more pike (per cubic foot) in the stretch of the CT river from haddam to hartford than anywhere in southern new england.
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Rivernut
Joined: 22 May 2010
Posts: 42
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| Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 5:18 am Post subject: |
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That Nuke plant canal is a community hole and has been since at least the 1980's when we fished Bassin' America tournaments there. We used to only be able to fish in it a couple hundred feet. now you can fit a whole tournament in there. The real "secret" spot is the unused marina basin that's not on the chart and only accessible when the tide's up - or in my boat at almost any tide 
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