CTFishTalk.com: Connecticut River - Keeney Cove 09/24 - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

For Day 2 of Dawg's birthday vacation from work, we fished Keeney Cove from 6:30 am to 11:45 am. I said "we" even though Derek stayed on the water after I had to leave. This was the second day that I've loaded up my Hobie and left a fishing buddy on the water. What's wrong with me? My kid and his stupid doctor appointment, that's what's wrong with me. Confused

Anyway, it was warmer than yesterday and stayed overcast the entire time we were on the water. At times it felt like it would rain, but it never did. We launched from Point Road, right in the cove. We went in on the river side. Although we could see water flowing downriver through the culvert under the road, the slight south wind either kept us stationary or blew us toward the road. When we launched, I threw a large War Eagle Firecracker (i.e., white with red and blue flake) spinnerbait and my Yo-Zuri 2-1/2 inch white lipless crankbait in hopes of getting a northern pike. The baitfish were jumping all over the place and fish were rising all around us, although we later saw that many of the bigger ones were probably carp. I got no action for half an hour. So I said to Derek, "You know what? I'm gonna throw a wacky Senko. I should know by now that it shouldn't just be my last resort; it should be my first resort." After several casts with my favorite 5 inch pumpkin/red flake Senko, I caught my first fish of the day, a 13 inch largemouth bass:

After that, the bite was on. And I mean ON. I caught several more small largemouth bass on the wacky Senko. Cool

Meanwhile, Derek caught a 4 inch minnow on a 3 inch crankbait. Shocked

After I caught a few more largemouth bass, I felt a slow tug on my line and pulled up what I thought would be a small, limp panfish. When I got it up next to the boat, I saw that I had a decent northern pike on. Whoo hoo! My 30 pound braided line was sticking out of its mouth, so I knew that I had to Kevin VanDam-slam it into my boat as quickly as possible. As soon as I got it over the side, it snapped the line and dropped at my feet. I scrambled to keep it from flopping out of the boat and get my Lipper Fish Gripper clamped onto its mouth. It was 23 inches long and weighed 2 pounds, 10 ounces. Hopefully, Derek got some decent photos of it. But, whoo hoo, I'm no longer a northern pike virgin!

By this time, Derek caved-in and rigged up his own wacky Senko. But I kept killing them. After I got a couple more near the culvert, we decided to head down to the Connecticut to see whether we could get Derek some fish out there. However, as we worked our way out of the cove, he began to catch some largemouth bass, and each one seemed to be larger than the previous one. Here's a photo of his first one, which was 13 inches long:

When we reached the last bend before the straight shot to the river, my Hobie hung up on a laydown that stretched across the remaining waterway. It really wasn't until this time that I realized we wouldn't be able to get back into the cove for at least a few hours if we left it. It took me quite a while to get my boat off the laydown. It turned out that I had a stick jammed up my scupper hole. Rolling Eyes

Ouch! I hate it when that happens! Since I had to leave fairly soon, we headed back into the cove instead of continuing to the river. I landed 11 largemouth bass before I got off the water and one from the road as I waited for Derek to come in so I could buy him a wood-fired steak for lunch at J. Gilbert's. But Derek had paddled through the culvert to the next section of the cove and didn't want to come in. The largemouth bass that I caught from the road was probably the lunker, at 15 to 16 inches and about 2 pounds. But I didn't have my tape measure or scale with me and it had swallowed the hook. Luckily, a Joe Paterno-ish cigar chomping gentleman who was fishing from the shore rescued me and the fish by melting through my 30 pound braid with his lighter. Here's everything that I caught:

13 inch LMB
11 inch LMB
11 inch LMB
14 inch, 1 lb 7 oz LMB
11 inch LMB
13 inch LMB
15 inch, 1 lb 13 oz LMB
23 inch, 2 lb 10 oz NP
11 inch LMB
13 inch LMB
10 Inch LMB
12 inch LMB
15 or 16 inch, about 2 lbs LMB (from the road)

I had another great day on the water. Hopefully, Derek caught a bunch more after I left. I caught my personal best largemouth bass on Day 1 and my first northern pike on Day 2 of his birthday celebration. Hey, Dawg, every day should be your birthday! Very Happy

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Bass Sniper · Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 255 Location: west haven

Congrats on the Pike! I envy your fishing schedule...
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"Taco flavored Doritos
And my orange life vest
caught a hundred pound sturgeon
On twenty-pound test "

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

Thanks, BS. Now that I'm a pike catching machine, I'm gonna school you on Sunday! Very Happy

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Bass Sniper · Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 255 Location: west haven

ill bring my notepad and pencil so i can take notes....
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"Taco flavored Doritos
And my orange life vest
caught a hundred pound sturgeon
On twenty-pound test "

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

So Phil decided to put on a wacky senko clinic at Keeney Cove today (sorry you guys missed it)...I was his only student and he sure did school me. It was fun to watch though...lol.

As Phil already mentioned...I started off the day with a lunker again...I caught a 4" alewife minnow on a 3" yo-zuri minnow crankbait. I didn't take a picture unfortunately. I did however switch to a 4" stickbait that looked a hell of a lot like the alewife I caught and it didn't produce anything. After watching the senko clinic a bit longer I decided to tie one on myself and did start catching some fish. The first one I picked up on the wacky was a 13" LMB

A bit further down I picked up a 12" LMB on the same wacky. Still further down I picked up the biggest one I caught for the day which was a 14.5" 1lb 9oz LMB on the wacky.

At the lower part of the cove Phil and I saw from far away what appeared to be a white swan on the water. As we approached it looked more like a heron and turns out I think we saw a Great Egret. Looks just like a great blue heron only white with a yellow beak.

As we headed further toward the CT River the current started to pick up and I let the wacky worm drift along the weeds and I got another 12" LMB on the boat. 4 keepers in a matter of about an hour or 2 and yet Phil was still making me look bad with his catches. Every time I turned around Phil was saying "Hey Derek" and he'd have another one on. While Phil was stuck with a stick lodged in his boat's %$#!! hole I decided to take advantage of the situation and threw my minnow crankbait and picked up a 8" LMB (of course it was right where Phil told me to throw it). We headed back up the cove and I decided to head under the bridge to the middle section of the cove. I mostly just paddled around there but I did throw the worm a few times and managed to pick up 1 more 8" LMB. I should have gone with Phil to get the steaks but instead I decided to paddle up to the upper cove and take a look around. I threw the crankbait and the worm a few times but didn't manage to catch anything. I left the crankbait on and trolled back down the upper cove...middle cove and crossed under the small bridge to the lower cove and then the water started rushing in from the CT River at about 1:00pm. I threw the worm for another half hour with only a few nibbles but no takers. Phil had ripped too many lips in that part of town and no one else was coming out to play so I left at about 1:30pm.

I can't complain though...it was a great couple of days on the water and when your lippin' finger looks like this after two long hard days of fishing you know it was a good time.

Here's some pics of Phil's pike and one of his LMBs...

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

Awesome report. Looks like you guys had a great time.

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

Nice job guys. Missed another great day on the water. I will make up for it Tomorrow.

Tim

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

I wish I could join you guys but I have to wait until Sunday to go out again Mad

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

Keeney Cove...one of the few places I won't go without an escort/witness. Please let me know when you're going back.
I'm the last kid on the block to catch a pike. Hopevilley, I'll catch one tomorrow (If you can use "Joe Paterno-ish" as an adjective, I can use "Hopevilley" as an adverb.) Very Happy

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Kira

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

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

But as I learned today, we have to check the tide table before heading in there. You don't want to be left high and dry in Keeney Cove! Very Happy

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

By the way, Phil, congrats on the PB Largie and the new avatar photo. Nice pike as well. As soon as I'm done editing and get through this week, we need to go chase down some transitioning fish and see if we can't up that PB. Fall's a great time to do it.

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

Everything seems to be biting right now, although not always for me. Very Happy

Just let me know when you're ready to get back out on the water.
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Lunker Cove · Joined: 02 Apr 2010 Posts: 166

dam nice job with the pike phil she is a beaut! da, everybody is getting them some pike love

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

Awesome Report Peco,

Last SkeeterJim and I where there we almost got carried off the the skeeters.

They were big!
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