CTFishTalk.com: Lake Winchester 9/14 - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

avidangler · Joined: 08 Jan 2013 Posts: 469 Location: Forestville

Arrived at "Windy-chester" at 5:50 AM and it was still dark.I could hear the waves crashing on the launch ramp.The wind was blowing pretty good.

It finally started to get light out so i hit the water,dropped my motor in and headed to the cove on the left/front section to try some topwater and get out of the wind.

On my way over i trolled an X-Rap Slashbait 10 in gold shiner color.As i entered the cove i picked up this small bass

.I continued into the cove where it was calm and started throwing a Jr spook in gold shiner color around the lilly pads.I had a few swirl/misses as i moved around the cove.I took a few more casts when all of a sudden there was a big splash to my right at the edge of a small patch of pads.I made a cast there and had a big swirl.I continued to work my spook and a big pike grabbed it.I got it to the side of my yak when it dove down and spit my spook. I looked at my spook and it had bent a hook almost straight and cracked the back of my spook ,causing it to now fill with water and sink. The pike looked to be in the upper 20's / low 30's and fat.I swapped my spook for another Jr gold shiner and continued working the cove without any more action. I decided to face the wind and rough water and make my way farther back.I threw the slashbait back out and crossed the lake and started trolling back on the right side of the lake.As i approached the cove in back where i had caught my pond shiners last time i saw another boat back there with 2 anglers that were flipping jigs around.They must have shown up while i was in the first cove.I started casting around to try and catch some pond shiners but,had no luck in the cove this time. I made my way over to the cove in the far left back trolling the slashbait and picked up another small pike that spit my lure about 10 feet from me. I was able to collect only 3 large shiners in an hour of trying.I then noticed that the wind died down a bit so,i headed out to the stump field.

I tied off to a stump and casted out a shiner on a bobber.About 5 minutes went by when all of a sudden my shiner started splashing on the surface.There was a big splash and my bobber went down.I waited a minute,set the hook but there was no fish.Only a mangled shiner with deep gashes in it. I tossed it back out without anything else happening.I switched it for a new one,casted a different direction and my bobber went down right away.I slowly reeled my line in and was able to see a small bass just mouthing the tail end before it spit it. I recasted the minnow but had no takers.About an hour went by,my minnow died so i moved to another spot.On my way i found a white strike king double willowblade spinner bait snagged on a stump and was able to retrieve it for my collection. I switched my location a few times without any success.When my second minnow finally died i decided to work the shoreline lilly pads with my spook to see if i could at least catch some bass.I saved the last minnow for the cove in back and/or the one in front where i had lost the first pike. I started casting my spook towards the pads and picked up a bass right away.

Two casts later...another!

I made my way around the back cove.Drifting the last shiner while casting the spook around the edges.Other than 2 more swipes at the topwater...nothing came from the back cove. I reeled in,tossed my shiner in the bait bucket and made my way back to the front cove.This time i trolled a scatter rap minnow in gold alburnus.About half way back i picked up a yellow perch.

When i got to the cove i tossed out the shiner while i casted my topwater around the shore and pads.I floated around the pads when my bobber went under.I set the hook,felt a large pull,then nothing.I reeled in and my minnow was gone.I don't know what it was that took my shiner but,it had some good weight from the big wack. I continued with the topwater and had one more follow with 3 swipes from a small pickerel.It was now about 4:30 PM and i decided to call it a day.I tossed out the scatter rap and trolled back to the ramp.I had 1 hit on the way but,that was it. For a windy and overcast day.It was the most action I've had from pike since last fall there.Definitely an exciting day,even if i didn't boat any pike.
_________________
...Randy...

Leeway and elbow room.There's plenty of water to fish!

avidanglingadventures.blogspot.com

"If we concentrated on the really important stuff in life,there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

Great report!

Topwater action must have been fun

avidangler · Joined: 08 Jan 2013 Posts: 469 Location: Forestville