CTFishTalk.com: Batterson Park Pond 06/04 - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

After dinner, I decided to head out to Batterson to see whether I could catch up with DV and Turtlekiss in their evening hunt for walleye pike. I got there at 8:15 PM, just as DV pulled up in his canoe to the launch ramp on the south end of the pond because, surprise!, he had forgotten something in his car. Turtlekiss was out on the water by the beach on the north end of the pond.

There was a DEP fisheries truck on the ramp. Two guys were unloading 3 inch juvenile walleye from West Virginia into the pond. Unfortunately, it was a long drive on a hot day, so a lot of them didn't survive. Hey, at least they tried!

After I launched my kayak, I headed over to the first corner on the western shore, where a bass boat was anchored. The two fishermen on it were fishing for largemouth bass and walleye. They told me they had pulled a 20 inch, 4 lb largemouth bass out of the pond the other day. They also recommended a Rapala DT-6 or DT-7 to catch walleye.

I was working my way up the shore toward the beach when I decided to not fight the southerly wind and paddled to the middle of the pond to let the wind carry me north. By the time I got near the beach, it was already dark. I was throwing a Rapala-like shallow diving rattling shad and caught my first ever walleye. At least, I think it was a walleye. It was about 10 inches long. I had only my old VGA-quality cellphone camera and a flashlight. You tell me what you think it is:

Turtlekiss anchored Dinghbat (i.e., her dinghy) close to the shore a little south of the beach. I paddled to the middle of the pond upwind, so I could drift with the light wind back toward the beach. DV was, surprise!, futzing with his tackle by the beach.

After fishing with no hits for about an hour, the weather started to turn. DV suggested that we head toward the ramp and fish there, just in case. As we started to head back to the ramp across the pond, the skies opened and the rain began to fall. Hard. DV and Turtlekiss headed to the beach. I paddled full tilt for the ramp. I got there just as the rain began to let up and then stop. The wind died completely and the water turned to glass. DV and Turtlekiss were nowhere in sight.

Since I was already completely soaked, I decided to head back out onto the water, but only close to the ramp. I went around the first corner and began fishing. I caught a couple of rock bass and a sunny. Then I caught my second walleye, which was about 12 inches.

A little while later, I got a more substantial hit on my lure. There was a strong, steady pull to the side. When I reeled in my line, I saw that I had caught my first ever keeper walleye. Thankfully, DV had mentioned earlier that walleye have teeth so I had my Lipper Fish Gripper ready and didn't try to lip it with my thumb. Ouch! It was only 18 inches, but I kept it because it was my first one. Plus, walleye is my favorite fish to eat.

After that, I caught another juvenile walleye and another sunny. A short while later, we packed it in and headed back to the ramp. We were off the water around midnight.

I don't mind saying that I was a little creeped out by sitting in the dark on the water in my kayak. At one point, I drifted over some submerged rocks close to the shore and didn't even know it. I was a little surprised when I shined my flashlight into the water and saw them.

I really enjoyed fishing in the dark, but next time I want to do it from a bigger boat! One with better lighting (i.e., one with more than a flashlight). I already filleted my keeper walleye and will pan-fry it for breakfast.
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

I just had breakfast with my wife and kids. We split the walleye pike fillets, which I salted, peppered, Wondra floured and pan fried in unsalted butter. It was absolutely delicious.

I need to go walleye fishing more often. I guess I'll need a bigger boat. Honey?
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SkeeterJim · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2219 Location: Newington, CT

Nice job on Batterson Phil, as usual awesome report.
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DV · Joined: 05 May 2010 Posts: 229 Location: East Windsor

I got to the launch at 1:30pm and took my time to set up. My plan was to just throw jigs all day, more on that later. Kira showed up at 2 and we worked the west shore for a bit. Got a good size hit on the black and blue jig in about 8FOW 30 yards from the rock ledge halfway down the shoreline. Went about 17" and 2lbs, my biggest bass out of Battersons. Well for the second time in 2days I lost a blue jig due to user error, first time I swept set a laydown and this time I didn't open my bail and casted my jig into the abyss. Kinda struggled on what to throw after that, they really like blue over there. Kira got some hits a bluegill swim bait I gave her and she landed a fish on I believe a white fluke. I was out gallivanting at the launch getting something I forgot...

We caught 1 more fish each in a patch of weeds, I caught mine on a 3" grub going after bluegill Laughing

. Then she got one more good size bass as night fell and I again was off cruising around. It was a really cool colored brownish spotted LMB.

I forgot pics Got pretty foggy at night and my cam is a cheapo

Then the rain and thunder came in a matter of seconds, TK and I booked it for the beach while Peco (still in the middle of the pond) headed to shore. We took shelter in a spider den, this awning was littered with spider webs filled with HUGE hairy creepy arachnids. TK's battery died and we worked slowly back towards phil and his walleye. I didn't fish much on the way back, I got birds nest in my main reel and just flung a shad rap here and there with not hits.

Hopefully kira will get the pics up, I only have a few. Oh and I befriend a bull frog at the launch, It wouldn't leave the side of my yak. I left the launch at 1:30am and went 20 miles the wrong way on 84. This whole night fishing thing messes with my brain.

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

This is the only place that could be so windy yet still hot as hell at the same time. My battery died around 8 so I got to experience rowing for the first time since last September (it sucked.) I spent quite a bit of time casting from shore near the beach just because the wind was an inconvenience.

Caught w/white superfluke:

2nd one was smaller; #3 was had a beautiful leopard pattern. Both were caught on a soft plastic garlic frog with fast (buzzbait-speed) retrieve. Tried to get a weight reading but my spring scale is a POS that tells me this fish weighs 0 lbs:

Derek's 2 catches:

We got stuck in a downpour but it ended up being quite refreshing once it stopped. We were actually hoping for rain earlier when it was "sweltering." After that, no bugs at all and the wind actually died down for the first time in the history of Batterson Park Pond. I'm not kidding. If you decide to seek shelter from an electrical storm at the camp behind the beach, keep in mind that there is only one "safe" entrance.

My opinion of Batterson has improved slightly. All of our fish looked healthy, and Phil's walleye was especially badass. I'm still not thrilled by the wind vortex or the lack of pads. I enjoyed not having to approach the foggy launch area alone after midnight. I would have liked to fish longer using nightcrawlers. I have a feeling they would have been popular. Will have to try and find similar conditions and start later since they weren't hitting anything until later in the day anyway.
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

I'm sorry I missed the largemouth bass fishing earlier in the day.

You know, the doppler radar map shows that the storm will be past Batterson tonight by about 9:00 PM. . . .
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TurtleKiss · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 1200 Location: central CT

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

I'm gonna go re-spool my reel. I think my walleye fever is getting worse. It's turning into walleye madness!
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DV · Joined: 05 May 2010 Posts: 229 Location: East Windsor

Haha that's temping Peco but my arms are sore and a weather report for Battersons holds no ground in my book. Battersons needs it's own weather station.

Good luck if you do go, there has got to be some plumper walleye in there.

metalfish · Joined: 10 Nov 2008 Posts: 330

Congrats. Very Cool Pics!!
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AustinB · Joined: 10 Jan 2009 Posts: 120 Location: Simsbury

It sounds like there could be some bigger walleye in there. If any of you have a trolling motor or can makeshift troll a line with your kayak i suggest you use a walleye bait rig. here's a link to one if you don't already know what it is http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat601320&id=0023881118390a&navCount=1&podId=0023881&parentId=cat601320&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IA&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true . if you put one long nightcrawler on there so it is hooked by both hooks, it will work well, but, from my experiences, stick a leech on each hook and free spool it out about 20 yards behind the boat and troll at a medium-low speed and you should definately catch good sized ones. also, when i lived in minnesota i fished lake mille lacs which i beleive is the walleye capitol of the world ( correct me if i'm wrong) and if you find yourself a good spot at night drop down just a straight jig head with a leech on it and you should get some big ones.
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

AustinB

Hey, that's nice. How'd you know that I absolutely hate, hate, hate treble hooks? The deepest area of Batterson is about 18 to 22 feet. Do you think vertical jigging would work in there? Here's a map of the pond with some bathymetric (i.e., depth) information:

http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/invasive_aquatic_plant_program/pdfmaps/batterson_park_pond.pdf

BTW, I think the DEP has stocked several varieties of walleye pike in the pond over the years. I've seen several fish that looked strangely different from each other.
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AustinB · Joined: 10 Jan 2009 Posts: 120 Location: Simsbury

Yes, vertical fishing will work just fine. some of the most productive spots on mille lacs are some mud flats about 18 feet deep. if your going to try the 18 foot area on batterson, walk out about 16 and a 1/2 feet of line and put on a bobber stopper ( can be bought at cabela's http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0000025110765a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=bobber+stop&Ntk=Products&sort=all&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1 ) and then a sliding bobber, then tie on your jig head. Or, you could save yourself the work and just jig it. Now, as for where i would suggest fishing for walleye based on the topo map, i would try the 18 foot flats with the jigs, troll the bait rigs along the very steep contours near T6 on the map, and try both methods around that hole or submerged island towards the middle. As for the different looking walleye's . you could be seeing 2 different fish. A walley and a Sauger. they look ver similar , but to identify a walleye look at the bottom of its tail for a white tip. here's a pictue of them http://gf.state.wy.us/fishexam/Images/walleye_sauger_comparison.jpg .
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metalfish · Joined: 10 Nov 2008 Posts: 330

AustinB is right worm harness trolled. Catchs white perch to.
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Thanks for clearing up the mystery for me, metalfish!

What I thought was my first ever walleye pike was probably a white perch. I had no idea what it was and assumed it must have been a juvenile walleye. I didn't know about white perch, let alone that there are some in Batterson. In fact, the three fish I caught on Friday that I thought were juvenile walleye were probably all white perch.

I love this board!
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