CTFishTalk.com: 7-20 CTR via canoe - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

Where - Windsor locks to enfield
When - 10am -1pm
Water temp - 80's
Water clarity - 10 ft
Water current - Swift and skinny
Water depths - 3-8ft
What - 1/2oz jigs with chigger craw trailers
Setup - 7ft clarus m/h / symetre spooled with 20lb pp. 10ft of 20lb seaguar flouro leader material tied to pp with alberto knot / tied to jig with double uniknot.

Okay to say I had an awesome few hours out would be a complete understatement. I might have just had my best short outing ever, I landed about 10 smallies with 5 over 3lbs. Decided to fix the canoe from the transducer incident last time out and limp my half broken car to the closest put in on the CTR (1/4 mile). I Paddled into the current breaks formed by bridge pilings and large rocks and casted upstream into dark water. I could hold my position rather well when fishing but when hooked up I would drift maybe 100 yards and anchor in the skinny water for pictures. First fish was a 2lb 15 oz, that hit like a short until near the boat when it freaking took off like a rocket ship. That got me shaking with adrenaline and I pulled a few more 1.5s out of that spot and headed upriver about 1 mile. The current and headwind sucked but I need the workout, fished some faster deep water and hooked up with my 2nd real bronze back of the day going 3lb 1 oz. Few more keepers and a 3lb 5oz came. Add in a couple 2 12s and 3 2s and my bag would have went a bit over 16lb for 5. It got to the point that instead of mumbling "good fish" to myself I just laughed in excitement. I pulled a pretty decent limit in 3 hours out and maybe 1 hour of fishing time.

I used to not have any faith in the CTR and until this year never fished jigs. Well I now fish jigs almost exclusively and am devolving a love for the river. River smallies whoops the pants of largies, and I don't have to drive more than a mile to hook up with good fish. My summer goal of a largie over 5 has now moved to a bronzeback or 2 over 4.5, which I should get in my next few outings at the rate my size is increasing. The paddle blade in the pics is 20" by 8" for size reference, all fish were hooked in the upper lip and revived super well. AND no lost fish, maybe a lost bite or two but every fish stayed on even after some aerial gymnastics. Each fish was between 21 and 19.

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

Nice!! Great report DV. That was a productive few hrs you had.

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

Those are +quaility Smallies, Do you do any weekend trips, I would like to put the Kayak in sometime with you. Let me know.

Tim

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

I love the bluish rays on their faces. Really nice.

Hey, what color jigs were they hitting?
_________________
Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

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

Some of them were really blue under the bottom jaw, It was cool. Fishface: I can go out on the weekend as it doesn't get crowded at all here. But be weary that places I held the boat today were in about 8-10ft of swift water. Im talking 10+ mph, I almost dumped my high sided canoe trying to hold sideways in a bad spot.
Its not the riffles or waves I care about, thats the deep water with undercut rocks and strainers. There is a ton of put ins for kayaks though, so if we can find a way to do it drift it would be great. More up north it is shallower same quality of fish.

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

I was throwing a dark green jigs, but I am pretty sure they would hit any natural color jig. Last week I was kiling em on black brown till I lost that, then black red, and so on. On a side note, I waded a stretch with my bro who threw the same jig as me and got skunked, I caught 2 over 2 and 2 keepers. Only difference was braid vs mono, bottom contact was huge, mono makes it hard to feel. This is coming from a guy who hates braid.

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

Great stuff, man.

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

Those are some nice river fish buddy!! And the canoe makes it more special!
_________________
I love rippin on the river!
"How much can ya bench?"

slimecoat · Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 1576 Location: Newington, CT.

Great post DV, sounds like a really fun outing.
_________________
Life's Short - Fish Hard - Take a Kid Fishing

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

Nice job Derek.
_________________
Eat, Sleep, Fish......I Love my SKEETER ZX225!!!
If I didn't have to work for a living....I'd be fishing.
If I'm not in my Skeeter then I'm in my Hobie!

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

Hey, SkeeterJim, I bet a Pro Angler could handle those currents. . . .
_________________
Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

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

Yes it would. Along with the occasional wakes. Very Happy

_________________
Eat, Sleep, Fish......I Love my SKEETER ZX225!!!
If I didn't have to work for a living....I'd be fishing.
If I'm not in my Skeeter then I'm in my Hobie!