CTFishTalk.com: Connecticut River - Keeney Cove 10/14 - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

After freezing solid and catching only three tiny largemouth bass at Silver Lake this morning, I headed over to the boat launch ramp on Point Road in Keeney Cove. DirtyDawg10 (aka Derek) had mentioned that he might be able to squeeze in a little fishing during his lunch break from work today. Unfortunately, like Kira, Derek never showed. Sad

The place was packed with cars and lunchtime shore fishermen. A couple of guys told me that they were onto a school of yellow perch with nightcrawlers. It was nice and warm, probably in the middle 50s, with very little wind. The water temperature was about 59 degrees. I think that I caught the slack high tide. Water was flowing out of the culvert that runs under Point Road from the middle cove, but the water level was higher than I had seen it at any other time earlier this year.

I launched my Hobie into the lower cove at 11:15 am. I let the current take me toward the Connecticut River and pitched a little white crankbait, a big black spinnerbait and a wacky five inch green pumpkin/red flake Senko along the way. I didn't get any hits and saw only one small school of baitfish swimming over some submerged grasses as I drifted by them. When I got to the Connecticut, the water was like glass and there was very little current. I trolled the spinnerbait across the river to the western bank and began working my way downriver. I pitched the spinnerbait, the crankbait and the wacky Senko at the bank, but didn't get any hits. I trolled the crankbait back over the river to the wooden pilings on the eastern bank. Again, I didn't get any hits. So I pedaled back into Keeney Cove. At this point, I figured that if I weren't going to catch anything, I might as well explore the middle and upper coves. I retrieved the wheels for my Hobie from the car, crossed over Point Road and relaunched into the middle cove.

It's surprisingly deep in the middle cove by the culvert, where I saw 20 foot depths. I worked around the cove for a while, but didn't get any hits. So I finally decided to check out the upper cove. When I got through the culvert to the upper cove, I couldn't believe how big it is. It's several times the area of the lower and middle coves combined. I pitched the wacky Senko at the shore just inside the cove and finally landed a tiny eight inch largemouth bass. I thought, "Phew! Now I can leave without the skunk on my boat." By this time, it was 2:00 pm. I had to get off the water by 2:15 pm, so I decided to take only a quick pedal further into the upper cove before heading back in. I soon discovered that the average depth around the south end of the cove is two and a half feet. Now, it might get deeper further in, but pedaling a Hobie through weed-choked two and a half foot deep water is tough going. I decided to leave any further exploration of the upper cove for another day and headed back through the culvert to the middle cove. After I passed through the culvert, I pitched the wacky Senko behind me at the rocks that line the channel into the culvert. I felt the hook snag on a rock. You know the feeling. I thought, "Nice going, Phil!" But then the hook pulled free. And then I felt some weight on the line, like I was reeling in a good-sized clump of weeds. And then the weeds pulled back. . . hard! Surprised

Whoo hoo! I landed a 16 inch, two pound, three ounce largemouth bass:

On the final cast of the day, I caught the lunker! Very Happy

I headed straight off of the water, went home and got my kids to the orthodontist's office right on time. That last fish will make the next two days of crappy fishing weather a lot more bearable.
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DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

Glad to hear you caught something. I have to check my post but I thought I said Friday at Keeney not Thursday Wink

Either way tomorrow isn't looking too hot for fishing weather. I found that the upper part of the cove was pretty shallow too when I was there...and it was super muddy cloudy water.

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

The water was clear in the upper cove, but my boat stirred up clouds of crap from the bottom. I think I spotted a carp swimming past me when I landed the eight incher, but I lost it in the cloud that I made.
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

And, yeah, maybe you did say Friday! Shocked

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

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

Good job getting rid of the skunk Phil and nice report.
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Thanks, SkeeterJim. When you finally head into the upper cove, I think you'd be better off paddling than pedaling, because of the weeds. I plan to take my little sink when I get the chance to explore it.
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DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

I wasn't planning to go to Keeney today at lunch because of the rain but when I looked out the window at 11:55am and there was no rain I decided to take a ride over. I decided to fish from shore because the wind was swirling and whipping around and I figured I'd just be fighting the wind for an hour. I was the first one there fishing but after I arrived there were probably 5 or 6 more fishermen that showed up and fished from shore. I fished for about an hour and took turns throwing a spinnerbait and a wacky senko. No one was catching anything and then I took my last cast before heading back to work and landed this nice 16" 2lb 2oz LMB on a wacky senko.

Since I was the only one that caught a fish while I was there I ended up having a small audience that wanted to check out the fish...which was pretty cool. I got a few congrats and an older gentleman even pulled up in his car to tell me I caught a nice fish...he asked me what size it was...and then he said that I was a true sportsman for putting the fish back. It wasn't a huge fish but it was nice to be catching when no one else was. I picked it up off the weeds about 6 or 8 feet off the edge of the culvert under Point Rd. The water level was very high with only a couple of inches of space between the top of the water and the top of the culvert. I assume all of the grasses and weeds that were there the last time I went were fully submerged because there was no exposed grassline...the water went right up under the trees.

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

WTG Derek!! Nothing like having a crowd watch you reel in your catch. Betcha you felt like you were on Bassmasters! 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!

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

lmao!! Yeah it did...well except that I didn't have an $80K bass boat under me Very Happy

live bait · Joined: 12 Apr 2010 Posts: 28

nice fish!! maybe i will have to go back for a second time im think the fish should be eating everything they can right about now!!

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

That might be the twin of the one I caught yesterday!
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DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

I was thinking the same thing. He even let me catch him on the last cast like yours did. Maybe he lost an ounce swimming from Rt. 3 to Point Rd.