CTFishTalk.com: Batterson Park Pond 06/03 - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

I met up with DV at Batterson around 8:15 AM. He had gotten there a couple of hours earlier, but was taking a break to retrieve his anchor when I arrived. He said he hadn't had any luck before I got there. He had listened to some yahoo in the parking lot who told him to fish the eastern shore of the pond. Yeah, and I have a bridge to sell you.

Before I launched, a guy rowed up to the ramp in an aluminum jonboat with a really nice keeper walleye. His name is Dick, aka The Pike Guy. He actually keeps track of the number of pike he's caught. I think he said he's up to 2,600-something. Dick has a lot of experience fishing Connecticut ponds and shared a lot of advice with us. One of his suggestions got me the only decent largemouth bass I caught today. Thanks, Dick!

It was a little windier than I like, especially when I fish a bigger, more exposed pond like Batterson. DV was lucky enough to have only forgotten his anchor in his car. I left mine at home. After I launched, DV and I headed up the western shore. DV fished a black and blue jig. I fished a chartreuse spinner with a swirlytail grub on the hook, jig 'n pig-style, as Dick had suggested to me.

Anyway, DV caught a largemouth bass over the rocks in a foot of water about 50 yards up the shore from the south end. The first thing he said when I paddled up to check it out was, "This thing is NOT going to survive." It was probably the most beat-up largemouth bass in the pond. It even had a broken gill protruding from one of its gill slits. However, it was 14 inches and over 1 lb, and it kicked away pretty strongly when we released it. Keep an eye out for that one.

We worked our way up the shore, partly because we had no choice. DV's anchor slowed him down, but didn't stop him. I spent more time fighting to control my kayak than fishing. After we rounded the first corner, DV caught another largemouth bass on the jig. It was 15 inches and 1 lb 5 oz.

Meanwhile, I got a good snag of braided line in one of my spinning reels. Fighting the wind and untangling wet, braided line is not fun. I got it untangled (OK, I cut it off) and finally caught a little 8- to 10-inch largemouth bass. I also dumped about a quart of water into my kayak and, of course, had left my new, Austrian Army surplus Gore Tex waterproof pants in my car. There's nothing like sitting in a puddle of cold water for a few hours! My kids call it "Kayak Ass". Or, now that I think about it, maybe they're talking about me.

We finally gave up on fighting the wind and headed out into the middle of the pond to find the submerged island. We paddled to a beat up, partially submerged buoy, but didn't find it. Succumbing to the wind, we started just drifting to the northwest corner of the pond. I pulled out the spinner/grub that Dick had suggested and got a classic largemouth bass hit about 100 yards off the YMCA beach. It was only 16 inches, 1 lb 10 oz, but it fought jumped like a bigger fish.

There was a guy in an orange kayak shadowing us for a while and he paddled over when he saw me land the fish. I met him halfway back to the shore. He said that he had only ever fished the shore and had never caught anything in the middle of the pond. I told him that fishing the shore is all I had ever done, too, and the 16-incher was the first one I had ever caught in the middle. I told him I wanted to catch a two-pounder and headed back to the middle of the pond. Two minutes later, I heard him yell, "I got it!". He had thrown his buzzbait toward the middle of the pond and caught a 17 inch, 2 lb 2 oz largemouth bass. It was a nice fish. He said, "That's it for me", put it on a string and headed back to the launch. I think he ate it for dinner.

DV and I headed in shortly after that. We finally located the submerged island on the way in. It needs a new buoy, preferably one that floats above the water. Come to think of it, Dick mentioned that he might bring an empty plastic jug the next time he heads out there to mark the island.

It turned out that we left the water in the nick of time, as we heard the rumbling of thunder in the distance as we got out of there. Please join me in praying for no wind tomorrow.
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DV · Joined: 05 May 2010 Posts: 229 Location: East Windsor

Damn you are pretty accurate with reports, thats basically exactly how it went down. Except that man Dick likes to talk your ear off, he probably talked to me for an hour about things I didn't even respond to. When I tryed to respond I got a remark like "and that was the 2451 pike I had caught, it went 12.37 pounds.... this guy really likes his numbers.

Anyway some idiot in a business suit driving an Acura tl told me to check out the right side (eastern shoreline), pretty much defeating my showing up earlier to target the eyes. First time fishing a jig with some sort of confidence, and to my surprise that bait just works. I plan to focus the rest of the season on that just one BIG bass, jigs and large swimbaits seem to be the ticket. All in 3 good size bass were caught (for batterson bass atleast) and Dick says he got a 6.?lber out of their sometime ago. If you ask him or even if you don't he will say to use a firetiger 3/4 spinnerbait with colorado blades or shad rap for the eyes and some weird silver shad concoction for the LMB. Today I found out my canoe is more like a sail boat, Phil managed to hold his ground pretty good while I drifted by at 10MPH. Lesson of the day if the weather man reports 5-9mph of wind for the day, expect it to blow in the opposite direction at 20mph.

Kira and me are going back tomorrow from 2-10 and plan to target some walleye after the sunset. Expect another report if we get a good turnout and hopefully some picture worthy fish.

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

I picked up a firetiger Rapala at Walmart this afternoon. I'm dying to catch AND EAT a keeper walleye! I know he likes to talk, but I'd love to see Dick out there again. I need all the help I can get!
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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

DV · Joined: 05 May 2010 Posts: 229 Location: East Windsor

He was pretty forthcoming with his secrets and he definitely does produce some huge fish! I managed to replace that jig I lost with 10 more....

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

Great stuff, guys. Reports like these make it a little easier to crutch past my covered boat every morning counting the days until i can put weight back on my leg and go fishing!!!!!!! At least I can read about others having a good time chasing fish.

heavyweight80 · Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Posts: 227 Location: New Britain,CT

Thing with Batterson is and I'ved within walking distance of it for 20yrs. Even if it's calm out,you'll have gale force winds out there
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Yankees are like snitches...a dying breed

TurtleKiss · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 1200 Location: central CT

Everyone and their dog starts out on the west because it's usually calmer & it just looks bassier. The east side has produced more bass for me.
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Kira

*~ "Not everything about fishing is noble, reasonable and sane..." -Henry Middleton ~*

Fishface · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 308 Location: New Britain

Nice Job Phil and DV. The injured fish you were were talking about, is do to someone using some kind of large test line that belongs in Saltwater. The last time I was up there I was trolling in the Kayak and picked up someones discarded line. There was at least 50+' of it luckily I was able to get it all up with hook and sinker. I also have to agree with Kira I do all of my fishing on the west side. I don't think I have fished the east side since they put the Walleye in there. I am off next Friday, I only have to bring my daughter to school ( she's been asking all year so I figure I do it the last week) If anyone is going out let me know maybe we can meet up.

Tim