CTFishTalk.com: Pike in mansfield - Connecticut Lake Fishing ( CT Lake Fishing ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

Lunker Cove · Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 166

This year i would love to get me a big pike, but for reason cant find them bastads anywhere. I usually dont fish the river, even though i plan on hitting weathersfield cove. I fish mansfield pretty regularly, but i never seem to catch pike out of their. Where are some good spots for pike in mansfield?

Flipper · Joined: 21 May 2010 Posts: 347 Location: Enfield

I wish I knew! I have spent some time on that lake as well looking for pike with no luck. A well known pike guide told me that it is hard, slow fishing for pike at Mansfield. He suggested fishing the winding channel between the islands (other side of road from launch). There are some real logs in there, though. Let me know if you figure them out. Good luck!
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Lunker Cove · Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 166

oh yea? im gonna have to give that a shot, thanks alot bud and i shall update you if i get any sharks!

Lunker Cove · Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 166

kinda confused with the winding channel, is that all the way towards the dam?

Flipper · Joined: 21 May 2010 Posts: 347 Location: Enfield

I think he was talking about on the way to the dam. It's hard to find sometimes, but you can find it on a depthfinder. Most of the water is fairly shallow, but there is a narrow band of deeper water (only a couple feet deeper) that runs from the underpass to the dam.
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Here's a link that says they've been stocking northern pike in Mansfield Hollow Lake since 1992:

http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/recreati/mhl/mhlnat3.htm

You should get some bathymetric data for the lake and hit any deep, cold holes you can find. I'd think that a swimming soft plastic like a weighted white/pearl superfluke would work in a deep hole. Not that I've experienced that personally, although I saw it on TV! Laughing

I'm out to the west of Hartford, so I like the excerpt from 04/10/2000 about Bantam Lake:

Collection of pike prior to spawning is now underway at Bantam Lake in Litchfield-Morris where another fine run is expected. Bantam Lake was recently identified by In-Fisherman magazine as one of the best places in North America to fish for northern pike over 20 pounds. As the large torpedo shaped pike return to their favorite Bantam Lake marshes to spawn, DEP Fisheries managers will continue to monitor their progress.
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Flipper · Joined: 21 May 2010 Posts: 347 Location: Enfield

I have read all the info that PECo has, and it all makes sense. They are a cold water species so you think that they would be deep this time of year. All I can say is that every pike I've ever caught has been in 5' of water or less. This includes the middle of the summer during the middle of the day with 90+ degree temps!

A local of a pike lake I fish thinks that the high bright sun "turns them on" because they are sight feeders. I don't know what any of this means, but that has been my experience during the past 2 years that I have fished hard for pike.
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DV · Joined: 05 May 2010 Posts: 229 Location: East Windsor

I have only been to Mansfield once, and I fished the shoreline with large husky jerks with nothing but a few bass to show for it. My only pike ever was 30" and came from the CTR on a x-rap in about 3' of water in the middle of summer while fishing for bass. Alot of people I have talked to say Mansfield fishes tough for pike except through the ice.

Lunker Cove · Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 166

yea im going to give the deep areas a go the next time i hit up mansfield, thanks alot guys for the posts, i appreciate it

Lunker Cove · Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 166

pike got sighted grooves underneath their eyes which helps them pin point their pray faster. Also, i read in a fishing magiziine that they conducted a expeirment with pike and basically what it was about was when pike eat small bait fish the bait fish releases a chemical that alarms other fish and makes other bait fish alarmed and they flee. Well when the pike deficated the chemical popped up in their poop and the baitfish sensed it and left the area wherever the pike was, so to counter this the pike would leave his normal ambush spot, take a dump and then go back to its hunting spot and would proceed to have success ambushing/eating their prey fish.

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

Well, now you know from where the old saying, "Don't shit where you eat" comes.
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Flipper · Joined: 21 May 2010 Posts: 347 Location: Enfield

PECo - That's the funniest thing I've heard all week!!!! Very Happy

Thanks man.

So that explains why I'm not catching them. I'm fishing where they are supposed to be ........... and the pike is off taking a shit!!!! Rolling Eyes

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Lunker Cove · Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 166

lol got to find where there johns are