CTFishTalk.com: Farmington Reservoir - 10/10 - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

Hit the Farmington Reservoir today with Peco (Phil) and Fishface (Tim). We arrived at about 6:30am and were on the water by 6:45am and off the water at about 11:45am. I had visited there during lunch one day last week and was interested in trying it out. Here's a few pics from the other day

The water temps ranged from about 55deg and warmed up to about 57deg before we left and the water was pea soup stained. I was really surprised at the lack of color in the fish we caught as well as how skinny they were. We started off near the launch area on the West shore off reservoir road and worked some of the laydowns. Tim picked up a couple of LMB on a wacky worm right away and I had a couple myself on a square bill silver crankbait (which is what I ended up catching all of my fish on). I got an 11" LMB and 12" in that area. We headed North because that was the way the wind was taking us. I worked the rocky shoreline on the NW shore and didn't end up getting anything until I hit the corner of the shoreline just beyond the pump house. I picked up a 13" LMB just off a bed of weeds. Here's a pic which shows just how light some of these fish were. They almost looked like big shiners or white perch in color.

We fished the NE cove for a bit and then moved back over to the SW corner which was the first spot that received the sun. It was bone chillingly cold so we were looking for any warmth we could get. I picked up 4 more LMB off the wood in the SW corner. The biggest of the day was a skinny 15" (1lb 5oz) LMB

After which I picked up a 12" LMB, 8" and another 12". We fished a bit longer and then decided to leave due to the lack of good looking fish. Here's a pic of the pond from today. The leaves were all colored up and it sure was beautiful which is more than I could say for the fish there.

We decided to head over to Nod Brook WMA where we ended up fishing for about another 45min on the upper pond and then got kicked off by some group who was working out their waterfowl hunting dogs in the ponds. I didn't catch anything there but Phil picked up a couple on a wacky worm. I'll let the other 2 fill you in on what they caught.

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

The day started out very cold. The air temperature was in the 30s and the water in the low 50s. I didn't stop shivering until the sun hit the water around 9:00 am and I pedaled my Hobie a bit. All of the fish that we saw in the reservoir today were largemouth bass, and they were all small, skinny and pale. Some of them were almost more silver than green, like they had been bleached. The crankbait outcaught the wacky worm. I caught my first one on a little white crankbait. It was 11 inches long and had a hump on its back. It looked kind of like a white perch:

I also caught a 13 incher on a wacky worm and a 10 incher on the crankbait. The 13 incher was the "bassiest" looking fish that I saw on the reservoir:

While the fishing wasn't great, the reservoir is a nice little paddle or pedal. We parked in a little pull off area between Reservoir Road and the reservoir. The launch area is totally undeveloped, but the bank drops off sharply, almost like a dock:

The reservoir has tons of laydowns because it's apparently home to a bunch of beavers. Tim pissed one off very early in the day. There were three big beaver lodges on the shore. The reservoir is almost uniformly deep, ranging from six to eight feet with very little structure on the bottom. There are a few shallow coves; one on the north end and two on the south. I think that they'd be good places to fish during the Spring and Summer. Unfortunately, as far as fishing goes, I think that the reservoir is done for the year. It's just too darned cold.
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

We crashed the Southern Berkshire Golden Retriever Club's dog trials at Nod Brook WMA today, but left when they started actually running the dogs. Derek and Tim had never been on the water there before, and I wanted to show them the upper pond. We checked out the south end of the pond, about 1/8 mile away from where any of the dog people were. The water temperature was about 60 degrees. I didn't see any evidence of the 70 foot depths that are rumored to be in the upper pond (the maximum depth I saw was only 16 feet), but we went in only a straight line from the north shore to the south shore and back. I caught two largemouth bass that weren't big (i.e., 11 inches and 13 inches long), but were vibrantly green, fat and healthy.

It's unfortunate that the DEP closes Nod Brook for the exclusive use of dog clubs on so many weekends. As I mentioned, they don't even use the whole resource when they're there. Anyway, here's the dog trial schedule, in case you're thinking of heading there on a weekend:

http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2700&Q=331868#NODBROOK
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DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

It appears from here on out every weekend except Halloween weekend is taken by the dog people until the end of November. When do the fish people get to use it? We only get to go during the week Mad

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi All!

Oot-Oh! You guys had better think again and "STOP your complaining"!

There are only 3 areas in all of Ct. that are safe enough to train and run dogs during the year. -> And they have as much right to enjoy their sport as you do yours.

How many Lakes, Ponds, Rivers, and Streams can you go to??????
I QUIT COUNTING after 10 fingers and 10 Toes Exclamation

Cheeeech! Talk about acting and bellyaching like a bunch of Babies!

That's life -> Take another pill -> Settle down -> And go throw your spinners or whatever some place else till Nod Brook is free again!

I'm a dog person as well as sport fisherman, and I LOVE going to the dog trials to see others and their dogs doing their thing.

Personally I hope, you guys grow up and never complain of anyother outdoor sports ever again that -> Oh! just may interfer with your No.1 past time!

SeaDog1

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

SeaDog1

The difference is that when I enjoy my pasttime, I don't exclude everyone else from the park. Have you even ever been to Nod Brook WMA? If not, then you really have no idea about what you're talking. It's a big place, with plenty of room for everyone to enjoy at the same time. As I mentioned, we were on the upper pond at least 1/8 of a mile away from where the dog people were running their trials. I understand the need to give them exclusive access to at least part of the park, but when a trial is limited in scope, as this one was, there is no good reason to close the entire park to everyone else. Now, if the trial were huge and they were using the entire park, then I wouldn't have any problem with it. But they were using only the lower pond and the southeast corner of the upper pond today.

Phil
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SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi Phil!

Yes! I've been to Nod Brook many many times and long before you moved into the state.

The reason that DEP closes the dog trial areas during certain times of the year is because other activities interfer and distract the dogs and handlers from what they are there for + they do use guns during the trials to aclimate the dogs to gun shots + its a safety thing!

And YES! I DO KNOW WHAT I"M TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have participated in many dog trials just for fun and also because I hunt birds!

Don't go saying things if you haven't done the homework FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Evil or Very Mad

I suggest you attend one of the dog trials, meet and talk with the people and their dogs, and then you'll appreciate how passionate they are about their sport as you are of yours Exclamation

Best regards,
SeaDog1

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

Seadog

With all due respect you are the one who needs a chill pill. I have dogs and have no problem with dogs or people that have them. What I do have a problem with is dog people who come from out of state who don't pay taxes to CT using a CT resource that I do pay taxes to maintain and shutting down that resource for their sole use. Yes I can go somewhere else but I should also be able to go there and fish, on weekends since my tax dollars pay to have it there. Why am I made to practice my sport during the week there? Why can't they practice their sport during the week? Why can't they practice their sport in their own state?

You do your fair share of bellyaching and acting like a baby on this site. I am just as entitled to my opinions as you are. You don't have to like my opinions but I don't have to care whether you like my thoughts or not either. Get over it because you won't change my opinion on this one no matter how hard you try.

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

They use blanks! And they exclude everyone else, including me, from the park when they're there. Crying or Very sad

I've actually had the pleasure of speaking with Dick Ronalter on the phone. Dick is the "civilian liaison" with the DEP, who coordinates the dog trials. I sent an email to the DEP a couple of years ago when a dog club kicked me off of the lower pond during the week, when a dog trial was not scheduled, and the wildlife biologist in charge of Nod Brook put Dick in touch with me. Dick was very apologetic about the behavior of the dog people. He was pissed that they would appropriate the park outside of the established protocol.

As you might guess, my opinion of your "passionate" dog people isn't very favorable. True sportsmen and sportswomen they are not. I found them to be rude, selfish, self-righteous and self-centered. I've never tried to exclude anyone from any public park. It would be nice if they were as respectful of others as I.
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SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi DD!

Hmmmmmm!? Out of staters using Ct. resources and not paying Taxes.

Lets see! We pay for licenses which go to hatcheries that stock our waters then have out of staters fish our waters for the Trout we paid DEP to stock our Ct. waters.

Then our licenses also pay for the DEP to stock birds in Ct. hunting areas which out of staters also are allowed to hunt.

Then we have Bass fishing tournaments on our Ct. waters which many out of staters like to participate in.

Dog trials are also held and participated by many out of staters.

DD, I love you and Phil -> But both of you are way off base on this and both of your arguments hold No Water!!!

Look -> I'm not trying to get either of you rilled or angry at me -> But think for a minute -> There are times of the year that certain Ct. areas are closed off so certain specific outdoor activities can be held without distraction.

What if I were to go out on a ball field to practice hitting golf balls while a bunch of kids where playing scoccer on the same field.
That's it! -> Simple!
Give the other sportsmen a break -> The dog people use Nod Brook for 1 1/2 maybe 2 months every year and you've got it for the other 10.

They have 3 -> Repeat 3 places, as was set up by Ct. DEP to engage in their sport. We fishermen have dozens of places to go and indulge in our sport.

Yes! I complain about the speedsters on our waters -> So "I move" and go where they can't speed or fish in areas that they can get into (ie; Winchester Lake with all its stumps comes to mind!)

To me it makes no sense, when you guys have so many alternate places to go and fish, and your making such a fuss over Nod Brook and other sportsmen enjoying their particular sport.

Oh! Phil -> Sorry you had such an unpleasant incident!
I've never encountered what you wrote and I for one would never condone such rude or disrespectful attitude.
Lets hope that's a one time situation!

Best regards,
SeaDog1

Cots6 · Joined: 18 Sep 2010 Posts: 42 Location: Simsbury, CT

Is upper pond still extremely weedy?

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

SeaDog1

I know that one club doesn't represent all of them. Like I said, I think that Dick Ronalter represents the other side of the coin. But I also think that the restrictions on access could be more reasonable than they are now. Why close the whole park when a club is using only part of it? It seems like overkill to me. And it wasted of a beautiful afternoon for fishing there today. I guess I'll just have to make up for it tomorrow.

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

Cots6

It looked to me like the weeds have died back quite a bit. But we saw only a small part of the pond. It was clear enough that I would have thrown a spinnerbait if we had more time.

Phil
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SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi Phil!

I'll bet you 10 to 1 that that club you spoke of must have been full of New Yawkers! Laughing

Everyone knows how rude and self-centered they can be! Laughing

SeaDog1

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

SeaDog1

My wife and her side of the family are all New Yorkers! Shocked

You must have met them! Surprised

Phil
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