Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT
Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 4:15 pm Post subject: Winchester Lake 05/30
I had arranged to meet up with metalfish (aka Ian) at Winchester Lake to kayak and fish on Sunday. However, we ended up with a few more boats on the water. Daryl (aka Daryl) arrived early and was out on the water at 6:00 am. I carpooled to the lake with mep21 (aka Mark) and when we arrived at the boat launch ramp at 6:45 am, Daryl had been chased off of the water by lightning. He was standing at the ramp in the pouring rain with Ian and Fishface (aka Tim). Fortunately, although it was raining, and there was lightning and thunder, the air was already fairly warm. The water was also a balmy 68 degrees. We waited for the lightning to head off to the east and got on the water at 8:00 am. It was still pouring rain, but since we were getting soaked while standing around at the ramp, I figured that we might has well get soaked out on the water:
On Mark's first cast next to the ramp, he got a hit on a spinnerbait but the fish somehow avoided the hook. The wind was blowing from the north and west, so I headed to the left from the ramp, toward the sunken rocky island. It didn't take many casts for me to land the first of many rock bass. On my first cast over the rocks with a silver blade squirrel bucktail Mepps Aglia inline spinner, I got a hit from what I thought looked like a largemouth bass, but now think was probably a rock bass. We worked our way up the west side of the lake, landing rock bass, and small largemouth bass and chain pickerel along the way. And then, Tim hooked up with a monster that ended up being his fourth species of the day:
Although everyone else was landing largemouth bass, however small, Ian and I weren't. I got a little frustrated, because I could see them on the bottom in seven feet of water. While they would follow my inline spinner and wacky Senko, they just wouldn't bite. There was definitely a post-rain lull in the bite. The sun came out in full and the air temperature quickly rose to 90 degrees. And so did the water temperature; it ended up hitting 73 degrees. It wasn't until 12:45 pm that I finally got my first largemouth bass:
It was just a short 11 incher but, man, was I thrilled that it wasn't another freakin' rock bass! And at 1:25 pm, Ian finally landed his first largemouth bass:
And ten minutes later, he got another:
Daryl and Tim had to leave a little earlier than Ian, Mark and I, but we got off the water by 3:45 pm, I think. I ended up landing nine rock bass, two chain pickerel and four largemouth bass. The largemouth bass were all small; three were 11 inches long and one was 12 inches long. I'm pretty sure none of us got a largemouth bass that weighed two pounds or more. However, I still enjoyed a relaxing day out on the water with a great bunch of guys. _________________ Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!
I had a blast fishin with you folks. Its was nice meeting new faces and seeing old ones again. I stuck to a Keitech Swing Impact , gold shad color and baby ayu color. Got two crappie one yellow perch couple pickeral and two bass. Thanks for letting me paddle El Habanero. See was good to me. Thanks all for a great day on the water.. _________________ I Love My Fishing And NASCAR. But When There Is ICE On The Pond Bet Your Britches I Will Be There.
Bassin In The Summer Perchin In The Winter Mr. Green
Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 393 Location: congamuck
Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 7:14 pm Post subject:
probably hands down one of the bassiest looking lakes in the state that just doesnt put out fish consistently. There are some pigs in there though but i have fished a few T's there with some decent fisherman and that place has made many just scratch there heads. tons of wood and cover and every foot of that place looks like it should hold bass. If you can weed through some dinks and keep patient there you have a shot on setting the hook on a big bass.
tough place though.
Joined: 01 Mar 2011 Posts: 65 Location: West Hartford, CT
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:56 am Post subject:
Always a good time fishing with you guys. Was great meeting a few of you as well. I think I ended the day with around 3 pickeral, 2 rock bass, and 4 or 5 largemouth. Biggest largemouth was maybe 15 inches or so. Most everything I caught was on the baby brush hog (surprise). The best part about going to a place like that is that even if the fishing is slow, its a perfect way to spend a day on the water. What a beautiful lake!
Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 7:39 pm Post subject: By the way. . .
While we were waiting for the lightning to pass, we realized that none of us could remember the old rule of thumb for figuring our how far away lightning is by counting the number of seconds between the lightning and the thunder. I looked it up. A sound takes 4.72 seconds to travel one mile. So the rule of thumb is that for every five seconds you count between lightning and thunder, the lightning is one mile away. _________________ Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!
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Shortly afterward, at about 9:15 am, the rain finally stopped falling:
And at 1:25 pm, Ian finally landed his first largemouth bass:
