CTFishTalk.com: CT River 5/9 - Haddam - first real trip on the CT River - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

Phish · Joined: 22 Aug 2008 Posts: 454 Location: West Hartford

Had some time to kill after discussing my ongoing trailer issues at Reynolds (turns out the problems in the tow vehicle's electrical). Anyway, I put in around 3PM at the Salmon launch. Went north a short way and found some good looking water. Main lake temp is 59 degrees. I found a good stretch in the 63-65 range. Hooked up with my first ever pike on my 5th cast. Fun fish...wish I had my camera to document a "first." It was probably about 26 inches or so. Nailed a 3/4 oz Hildebrant bronzeback spinnerbait. Chartreuse and white with a trailer of the same. Whacked it close enough to the boat for me to see the whole thing, which was great. Picked up 2 largies. One just under 3 and the other just over three. Both of those came on the same spinner bait without the trailer. I was just bumping it off of laydowns and brush in 0-7 FOW. Around 5PM a ton of action was happening along the shoreline. Fish busting everywhere right up against the shore. Never saw what was chasing what and couldn't get any takers with a jerkbait, worm, swimbait, spinnerbait, or the kitchen sink. Just wondering if you river regulars may have an idea what was going on. I have no idea what size they were, but certainly a LOT of them. Figured plopping a small swimabit into the frensy and jerking it around would have at least landed me one but I just got slapped a couple times.

Off the water by 5:30 'cause I needed to head home for dinner with the wife. In all, a great trip. Just WAY too short. I'm really beginning to love the river. I was by myself the entire time. Didn't even see another boat where I was the whole time I was fishing.

LargeFry · Joined: 09 May 2007 Posts: 39 Location: CT River

Congrats on your first pike... just be carefull they can be addiciting! Razz

As far as what was chasing the bait, I'd guess stripers maybe, but thats the best part about fishing the river so many different species of fish. I learned after accidentally finding a full on blitz one day to keep something "big" in the tackle box, I threw the kitchen sink and then some, but it was all my lmb bassing gear. One nine inch houdini and I probally would have been the happiest man on earth.

Johnny Skeeter · Joined: 06 May 2007 Posts: 700 Location: Vernon Ct

First guess would be stripas..second guess would be spawning carp (depending upon your actual locale).
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Phish · Joined: 22 Aug 2008 Posts: 454 Location: West Hartford

I've been in the middle of schooling stripers in the sound...and that's what I was hoping it was, but I'd be surprised if it was today just because I would guess a striper would have hit my jerkbait (shad) or swimbait (shad). However, I'm totally new to the river and just don't know. I couldn't get a good look at them. Thought I saw one follow my spinnerbait, but it was just a quick look. Whatever they were, it was still pretty sweet to just watch the bank come alive. I'd like to hear more about the carp...that'd certainly make me feel better that they weren't hitting any of my baits Laughing

Thanks!

SkeeterJim · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2219 Location: Newington, CT

Way to go Phish, congrats on your 1st pike.
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BoSox46GSR · Joined: 29 Mar 2009 Posts: 388 Location: Chester

Carp are actually pretty funny. Its hard to imagine a fish of that stature actually jumping out of the water. It's almost like they jump, and belly flop and just make a lot of noise. Most times that I've seen them it's not constant though. It's usually one here and there. I've seen them in Pratt cove quite a bit. Was the water really boiling where you were? Or was it just fish surfacing a little bit? I've seen in the river, seems like every day at 5:00 in certain places I see fish surfacing and cannot get anything. Looks like schools of shad to me.
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Justin · Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Posts: 106 Location: Farmington, CT

Best guess with your description and not seeing it would be a grand ole carp orgy. Those things aren't interested in the regular baits we would throw to catch bass (stripers, largies or smallies alike). It's that time of year that a lot of different species are getting into doing the horizontal polka...but carp will just thrash around in really shallow water and distract you from fishing...not to mention get your hopes up.

Esox CT · Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 4:17 pm Post subject:

Yea, those carp can really fool ya. You'd think eventually you'da foul hooked one. Their skin is soooooo thick though.

Those things are so not graceful when they jump clear out of the water. Bellyflops...

Phish · Joined: 22 Aug 2008 Posts: 454 Location: West Hartford

Thanks, guys. I'm pretty convinced from those responses that it was a bunch of carp getting busy. You're right...it WAS distracting me and getting my hopes up. I probably would have caught a couple more bass if I hadn't been so curious.

Bass Addict · Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 10:28 am Post subject:

last spring I went out on the river about 4:30 AM to try my luck on some stripers. About 5AM, I saw these monster fish jumping everywhere. They where probably between 10-20lbs. I thought the where stripers because of the size but the color looked odd. I threw every lure known to man for about an hour. They where jumping everywhere and I was tying new baits constantly to try to get bit. I was perplexed as stripers usually are not that picky. After about an hour and a half, another boat pulled up and asked me if I had any luck. I pointed out the fish that i was trying to catch and he was like, yah, those are carp. I felt like such a dope.

It was crazy though, they where jumping every where and the wate was probably 20 - 30' deep.
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Sorry honey, looks like we will be late again due to motor problems.

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