CTFishTalk.com: Mattabassett River - Connecticut Bass Fishing Reports ( CT Bass Fishing Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

Hit the CT River Saturday out of Cromwell from 9 until 2pm in my Hobie. Floated down with the current along the channel along Rt. 9 toward the Mattabasset River. Water clarity was slightly stained, did not know the water temp as I did not have my depthfinder on there at the moment. Saw awful lot of baitfish so fished the banks with a white spinnerbait varying the retrieve speed to cover 1-4 feet of of water. Got a couple cookie cutters (1-1.5Lbs) along the highway. Finally went under the highway and made it into the Mattabasset, tons of brush and laydowns. Decided to switch to a black/blue jig and started flipping at everything there. Got a couple of 2lbers. off the laydowns. Finally off of one deep cut bank off a fallen tree I get huge tug on my line and I set the mother of all hook sets!! This fish pulled me up the river for about 50 yards and then decided to turn around and pull me down river for 50 yards right back about to the point where I set the hook. I was thinking maybe a "good" bass finally until I got the fish to the surface and it was a CATFISH!! A damn CATFISH!! Oh well, unhooked her and let her slip beneath the water to get bigger. So much for adrenaline. Continued up the river toward Berlin when I felt a slight resistance and I set the hook on another fish? Not!! I hooked a branch, but this thing scared the crap out of me because the branch being all white from having no bark left and having the shape of "fingers" on the end looked like I was reeling in somebody's arm!! Shocked

Talk about drawing mud in my tighty whiteys. Man if that was real you would have seen me litterally run on water just getting my a$$ outta there. Well, enough excitement in one day so I made my way back to the launch. Tally for the day 6 bass, 1 CATFISH and a dead arm! Very Happy

Jim
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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!

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

Nice report. I wish I could have seen your face when you pulled that "arm" in. Laughing

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

I haven't caught catfish in a long time and, even then, they were just little yellow bullheads. A catfish that's big enough to tow your Hobie sounds like a lot of fun to me! Very Happy

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

RobO · Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 285 Location: South Windsor

Great report.
I bet you turned as white as your tighty whiteys Shocked

when that "arm" surfaced.
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I'd rather be fishing, than sitting here in front of this computer,,,

SkeeterRon · Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Posts: 1173 Location: Newington, CT

Nice report Partner.

You know I always wonder if I'm pulling up a stiff from the depths of the CT river.
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Sleep...Eat...Fish!!!!! Then do it all over again.

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

Well we all know that bodies do occasionally surface in the river but man this branch looked so much like an arm I had to do a double take to make sure it wasn't before I touched it. Wish I had a camera with me but evry time I bring one I jinx myself into having a bad day. Phil, yes this catfish had to have weighed close to 10-12 lbs. by guesstimate. And yes the undies were changed when I got home!! Wink

Jim
_________________
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!

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

Jim where did you launch from? Somewhere of River Rd, oh yeah great report

Tim

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

Phil, the flat areas way in the back of the Mattabasset is like pike condo for the resident pikes in that river. The trip before the last I lost a pike at yak-side that probably measured in the high 40 inch range. Snapped my line before I could get my spinnerbait out. During the spring spawn if you go far enough back where it is tough for boats to navigate you will see these monster pikes mating in shallow water until you get a little too close and they scatter.

Jim
_________________
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!

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

Yes Tim off of River Road at the Cromwell Outboard Association boat launch. This launch is private and kept lock but if you are launching a kayak then you can just go around the cables and launch off the beach. If you're not a member it will be impossible to launch a boat. And this area has very ample parking spaces.

Jim
_________________
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!

asianfisher · Joined: 12 Jan 2009 Posts: 920

Great area havent been there since spring also. usally yak it from berlin down to ct river when the water is high enough... water has alot of trout up that high than turn to smallies pike ect... fun lil ride...

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

Yes asianfisher this is a very nice and scenic river and it's a lot like a box of chocolate......you'll never know what you're going to get. This river was the first river I cut my tooth on and learned the first rule of don'ts about boating when I first got my bassboat. I don't normally do this but it was an extreme emergency and I had no where to beach the boat.That is to never relieve yourself from the front of the boat while the boat is drifting downcurrent in shallow water! Well I think you can figure out what happened next. Rolling Eyes

Jim
_________________
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!

asianfisher · Joined: 12 Jan 2009 Posts: 920

lmao...