CTFishTalk.com: Ball Pond 05/13 - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

I drove out to check out Ball Pond today. I didn't catch much, but I'm still glad I went. It's almost totally surrounded by private homes, but it's a really nice pond. I'd love to have a house on it.

The boat launch is on the south end of the pond. I got there at about 9:30 AM. I had just gotten out on the water, when a DEP fisheries truck showed up. They backed down the ramp and threw netfuls of brown and rainbow trout out onto the ramp. Over the loud diesel noise of the truck, I heard one of the DEP guys tell a passerby that they were unable to find the spot where they were supposed to unload the fish. Some of the fish didn't survive the procedure.

I spent most of my time taking a tour of the pond, working counter-clockwise around it. The grass carp are everywhere and they're huge. I found out later that they're on their fifth year of carp stocking and some of them are now over 40 pounds. I caught a pretty little brown trout at the north end on a little shad rap.

In addition to the carp and the trout, I saw a few small largemouth bass (15-inches or so and smaller) and a lot of panfish. I saw only one small bass on a bed; I think they're just on the verge of coming into the shallows. The only bass I hooked was out in the middle of the pond, toward the shallow south end. It struck the shad rap, but was able to jump the hook in spectacular fashion. On the south end, you could pull up a newly stocked trout on just about every cast of something small and shiny. There were some local guys on the shore pulling them in and throwing them back out for an hour or so. They had an aluminum boat on a trailer, but were headed out for bigger water; Squantz Pond, I think.

I pulled out at about 1:00 PM. While I was drying off my kayak, I met an older guy who asked how the paddling was today. I told him about the DEP fisheries truck and he got really angry. He said he's on the Ball Pond Advisory Committee. I think his name is George Buck. Anyway, he said he's really pissed because he arranged with the Director of Inland Fisheries to have the trout stocked in a deeper part of the pond. He said between the fish killed by dumping them on the boat ramp and the unlicensed "poachers from the city", half the trout would be gone before you know it. He even complained about predation by flocks of cormorants, which he said will herd the trout into the shallow of the south end and gobble them all up. Funny thing, when I mentioned the DEP guys who told me about the 26-inch largemouth bass they documented while electrofishing the pond a few days ago, he laughed and said, "Well, it was only 23-inches." I guess fish always keep getting bigger after the fact!

Ball Pond reminds me of a small largemouth bass pond in the Poconos in eastern Pennsylvania where my in-laws keep a trailer year-round. It has a lot of lily pads on the shallow south end, and a few more here and there around the pond. The water is clear and there's aquatic plant cover over the entire bottom. If you want to catch some trout, head over there soon. If I had brought a cooler with some ice in it, we'd be having freshly stocked trout for dinner tonight!
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FishinViciousPete · Joined: 28 Apr 2009 Posts: 43 Location: North Haven

Thanks for the post I enjoyed reading it. Jigs and soft plastics work well at Ball. I have had 20-40 fish days on Ball. The opposite end from the launch always produces for me .
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weekend angler · Joined: 09 Sep 2009 Posts: 112 Location: trumbull

Awesome post, I fish from a kayak as well, it's great. As for those idiots not doing there job, they can ruin it for everyone else Shocked

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

@Pete - Thanks for the advice. I figured out that the north end of the pond is the deeper end. George told me that's where the trout can hold over the winter and where he wanted them to be stocked. I'm sure I'll be back to try again.
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slimecoat · Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 1576 Location: Newington, CT.

Are these the non swimming trout that can't find their way to the deeper end of the pond if they want to? Rolling Eyes

They have probably found their way there already. Rolling Eyes

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

When I read your post about the 26 inch bass I thought that there could be a 9 or 10 pounder swimming in Ball, but now my hopes are up being on 23 inches around 7 pounds. Sad

If you like paddling hit up Uncas lake near the casino. I live to far to drive there and paddle but I've always wanted to fish that.

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

BT

Hey, aren't you supposed to be out of school and showing everyone how to fish Batterson now? I'm not ashamed to admit that I could use some schoolin'.

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

Ya I just finished yesterday probaly going to Batterson on Tuesday in the rain to see if I still got it haha. Idk why you fish in New Britian Avon has a ton of good ponds to fish... Laughing

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

BT

Where in Avon?

I fish most often at Nod Brook WMA, which is off of Route 10 on the Avon/Simsbury line. I think the upper pond is in Avon and most of the lower pond is in Simsbury. I've seen one 20+ incher come out of the lower pond, but the biggest I've caught at either pond was only 17 inches.

Countryside Park has a small pond that is stocked with trout exclusively for the 16 and under/65 and over crowd.

I haven't tried Fisher Meadows, yet.

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

Don't waste your time at Fisher meadows all thats in there is carp. I sent you a pm.

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

BT

I checked out Fisher Meadows today. You were right about the carp. I saw schools of them on the shallows of the northeast corner of the pond. One of them is albino and easy to spot. However, the carp in Nod Brook WMA are bigger.

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

Phil, nice report on Ball Pond. Got me thinking about trying that place.
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Minskz35 · Joined: 11 Jun 2010 Posts: 1

Actually, I have caught many largemouth bass at Fisher Meadows on Jigs (Yamamoto Sinkos). The bass have been from 1 lb or less to 4 lbs. It is a great place to fish, but the best places around the lake are ones that you must go through the bushes and brush, but other than that it is great fishing.