CTFishTalk.com: Bantam River 06/27 - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

My father-in-law and I fished Bantam River today from about 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM. We paddled down to the beaver dam near the lake with one stop at the loop and fished upstream. It was sunnier than I like, but the southerly breeze felt pretty good.

The fishing was slow for most of the day. My father-in-law caught his first ever chain pickerel. And his second. And his third. And his fourth. Well, you get the picture. All of them were in the 18 to 21 inch range. Speaking of pictures, here's a photo of his first one:

OK, so it fell off the line right before I snapped the photo. But that was a good thing, because my Lipper Fish Gripper had disappeared into the back of my kayak and we didn't have another good way to hold pickerel without hurting ourselves. He got lucky and was able to shake off all of the pickerel that he landed at his kayak.

My father-in-law also caught two largemouth bass. We were unable to measure the length of any fish, because my tape measure is on my Lipper Fish Gripper. But I've gotten pretty good at estimating fish lengths and I did have my Berkley digital fish scale. His first bass was just a little 12 incher. The second one was a fat 16 incher. I wish I had been able to weigh that one before he dropped it back into the water.

In addition to nine rock bass, I caught nine largemouth bass. Here are the measurements of all of the largemouth bass that I caught:

13 inches
15 inches, 1 lb 5 oz
16 inches, 1 lb 9 oz
11 inches
13 inches
16 inches, 1 lb 10 oz
18 inches, 2 lbs 9 oz
11 inches
12 inches

Here's a photo of the 18-incher:

It was a strange dirty yellow color and had a weird profile on its tail. You can just make out a little vestigial-looking fin protruding at the root of its tail in the photo. There was one on the top and one on the bottom. Like I said, it was a little weird. But it pulled hard and I felt pretty good about landing it.

I stuck with wacky-rigged five inch watermelon/red flake Dingers for most of the day, because I was fishing in close proximity to my father-in-law most of the time. I also hooked but didn't land, thankfully, an 18 inch chain pickerel. Strangely, my father-in-law didn't land a single rock bass. I got 'em all. And until I hooked the last little largemouth bass, I was afraid that I would catch more rock bass than largemouth bass.

I got a short and probably very boring digital camera video of a beaver sleeping in some tall grass on the riverbank. You can't see much other than a lump of fur, but I could see that it was breathing. If anyone wants me to try and post it, give me a shout. We also saw a deer standing next to one of the beaver lodges along the river. It stared us down as we passed and walked away before I could pull out my camera to take a photo.

All in all, it was a good day on the water. I think I'll portage the beaver dam and hit Bantam Lake sometime during the week, when I can't hear the roar of big engines on the lake.
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Stratos17 · Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 372 Location: Bristol, Ct.

Peco,
You sure do get on the water alot!! Good forYou! I fish Bantam several times a year. Last time I was there I caught one of those yellowish LM. It went close to 3lbs. Got it on a spinnerbait near Deer Island. Pretty weird looking. Nice reports!!

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

I go fishing every chance I get. Life is too short to not do things you enjoy.

Hey, do you think my wife would cave in if I used that to pitch getting a bass boat? I'm going to try "Your dad wouldn't have to schlep his kayak up here anymore" again while he's still here.
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DV · Joined: 05 May 2010 Posts: 229 Location: East Windsor

Nice report Peco

Stratos17 · Joined: 31 Aug 2008 Posts: 372 Location: Bristol, Ct.

I would plant the seed for the boat. If you enjoy fishing from the kayak you gonna love it from the deck of a bass boat

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

Nice job Phil. You can always tell the wife that unless she lets you get a bass boat then the hitch you had already had installed on your vehicle will have been a waste of money. Wink

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Eat, Sleep, Fish......I Love my SKEETER ZX225!!!
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If I'm not in my Skeeter then I'm in my Hobie!

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

Nice job Phil. Good report as always.

Tim

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

SkeeterJim

I mounted the hitch receiver a week and a half ago, and she hasn't noticed it, yet!

Phil
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DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

lol...start towing around a 17' bass boat & trailer and see if she notices Very Happy

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

Dawg!

You're gonna get me into big, big trouble! Very Happy

Phil
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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

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