CTFishTalk.com: Winchester Lake 11/14 - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

Daryl and I decided to take MOBD out for a spin on Winchester Lake today. We took our time and didn't get on the water until around 10:00 am, and were off the water around 4:00 pm, just before sundown. We were the only boat there when we arrived. We had bluebird skies and only a slight northeast wind that swung to the southeast during the course of the day. The air temperature was 40 degrees when we arrived, peaked near 60 degrees and fell to 50 degrees after the sun began to set. The water temperature ranged from 39 to 43 degrees. It was a beautiful day to be out on the water:

We planned to check out the deeper channel that runs up the east side of the lake. Shortly after we launched, MOBD's fish finder marked fish on the bottom at 17 feet and a school of fish suspended from six to 10 feet in 14 feet of water. We did a slow loop up to the north end of the lake and back. I trolled a one ounce River2Sea Bottom Walker Stock Trout swimbait and Daryl trolled a crankbait. We didn't get any hits, although the finder marked an occasional fish. We tried throwing jig'n pigs toward the deeper water of the channel in the south end, but still got nothing.

Shortly after 12:00 pm, we saw a boat putting into the water at the ramp and realized that it was SeaDog1 (aka Stephen) and MacDonough (aka Dumbhead) with Chasse Mare. Stephen decided to try vertical jigging for crappie in the south cove:

And shortly after 12:30 pm, Turtlekiss (aka Kira) finally showed up. She went light on the tackle and had only a half a dozen setups with her. Being the gentleman that I am, I gave up my seat on MOBD to Kira:

I decided to hit the water in El Habañero. While I was retrieving her from the roof of my car in the parking lot, I ran into Metalfish (aka Ian), who had been fishing from the shore on the dam. I gotta say, Ian, that I'm looking forward to seeing your next video masterpiece. Ice fishing, you say? I can't wait. Very Happy

After I launched in El Habañero, I paddled around the second cove on the west side of the south end of the lake:

I threw a wacky four inch green pumpkin/red flake Senko and the River2Sea swimbait, but got nothing. Are you starting to notice a pattern to the fishing here? Confused

Just before 2:00 pm, I was paddling out of the cove and noticed a beaver swimming in the water next to me along the shore. Then I realized that the beaver had antlers:

A swimming deer. Go figure. Shocked

Yeah, I thought that was pretty cool. But wait, there's more. Just after 2:00 pm, guess who showed up:

Hey, Phish (aka Jed)! And, hey, Cody (aka Cody):

The fleet of CTFishTalkers drifted to the north and west with the wind for the next couple of hours. Jed even took his Ranger Reata, which has a deep-V hull, through the stump field on the western side of the lake. Believe me when I say that we threw everything in our tackle boxes into the water, but none of us got so much as a nibble. However, I did try to rip the lips off of a couple of stumps! Embarassed

The only fish that anyone on the lake saw was spotted by Mike, who's a lurker on the site. Hey, Mike! He snag hooked a largemouth bass in the shallows on the north end of the lake with a perch Rapala crankbait, but the fish was able to pull free.

This might have been the last nice weekend that we'll get for fishing on the water, well, the liquid water at least, this year. We all got skunked, but it was great seeing so many CTFishTalkers out there today. And you on the shore, too, Ian. We have to get at least one more period of Indian Summer weather this year, don't we?
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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi Phil!

Great report and pictures Exclamation

Was a Beautiful Day to be on the water (even if we all got skunked) and great to meet so many members on one lake!

One error though -> MacDonough is (aka; Goof-Ball!)! Very Happy

We'll have to get the flotilla together again some day Exclamation

Best regards,
SeaDog1

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

Winchester hasn't been good to me. It will get another chance to redeem itself during ice fishing, but I just don't think it's worth the drive. Figured Phil had the senkos covered so here's what didn't work for me: jig, spinnerbait, T-rigged black worm, rattletrap, creature bait, another spinnerbait. It didn't matter. I brought this to the boat though:

Good to see you all out there! Thank you for the invite Phil, and Daryl - it was a pleasure catching nothing from your boat. Didn't have to retie a single time.

_________________
Kira

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

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

Sounds like you still had a good time despite not catching anything. It was another gorgeous day. Who would have thought I'd be raking leaves in a t-shirt yesterday. I wish I could have joined you all out there.

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Hi DD!

Yeap! Was a nice day!
Wish you could have been there.

Kira's 3 foot log fish -> Well!? -> It came in like a log Exclamation

SeaDog1

SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

Winchester Lake fishing with the CTFT gang - Sunday 11/14/10

SeaDog1

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

Great seeing you all out there.

What didn't work for me....

Spoon, drop shot, jig.

Not a fan of cold water bass fishing. However, I am a BIG fan of seeing all of you out there on a gorgeous afternoon.

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

I got the skunk off today. Report to follow.

Hint for Jed: You'd find what worked to be boring.
_________________
Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

weekend angler · Joined: 09 Sep 2009 Posts: 112 Location: trumbull

Sometimes good company is just as good as a Great Fishing day. Wink

_________________
-Get your Pole Wet-

PIKEKILLER1 · Joined: 25 Aug 2010 Posts: 9

I hear there is alot of stumps in there. Are they in the north area or south.Never fished but thinkin about it

PIKEKILLER1 · Joined: 25 Aug 2010 Posts: 9

I hear there is alot of stumps in there. Are they in the north area or south.Never fished but thinkin about it

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

South. I didn't fish the whole lake and I'm sure others could give you a better description, but there's a lot of timber for sure. Nothing that I found too hard to navigate, but I could care less about bumping stumps (while using the trolling motor) and I could see them very well. I certainly wouldn't run wide open until I've put some hours in up there.

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

Along the West shore middle to South end there is a large area of submerged stumps. In the North end there is another area of mostly exposed stumps but some are also submerged up at that end as well.

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

You'll be fine from the launch to a little past the cove on the west. Then you'll start seeing stumps all over the place. Fewer stumps of the east side, but plenty of boulders and some random stumps just for the hell of it. I don't recommend going there at night if you've never been there before. Especially if it's foggy.
_________________
Kira

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