Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT
Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 8:19 pm Post subject: Otis Reservoir 06/07
I had thought that metalfish (aka Ian) and TurtleKiss (aka Kira) were camping in Bigelow Hollow State Park next to Breakneck Pond last night, so I thought about hiking up there this morning. Luckily, however, Daryl (aka Daryl) told me that they were actually camping in Massachusetts' Tolland State Forest next to Otis Reservoir. After I loaded El Habañero (aka my Hurricane Santee 116 Sport) onto my Saab and charged up my dead car battery (I left my keys in the ignition last night and killed it ), I headed up there to use my Massachusetts fishing license for the first time:
I arrived at the boat launch ramp at 10:30 am and parked next to Daryl's car in the lot. There's a $5.00 fee to launch a boat. There was a slight north breeze and full sun, and it was already starting to get hot. After I launched, I paddled to a laydown across from the ramp and threw a wacky rigged five inch black/blue flake Senko at it. Through the stained but clear water, I saw a 14 inch largemouth bass completely ignore the Senko. So I decided to tie a fluorocarbon leader onto my braided line and go with a drop shot for the rest of the day. Thanks, Pete! I paddled 3/4 of a mile up the shore to Ian and Kira's campsite at the north end of the point. Ian, Kira and Daryl were all on the shore, taking a break. After waiting for Daryl and Ian to board Daryl's boat, MOBD (aka My Other Brother Daryl), and Kira to board her boat, Dinghbat, we headed further around the point toward the shallows in the south end of Southwest Bay which, strangely enough, is in the middle of the west side of the reservoir. I stopped to throw my drop shot in eight feet of water off of the beach on the northwest shore of the point. I had a 2-1/2 inch Gulp minnow on the hook. On my second or third cast, I hooked up with a decent smallmouth bass. It jumped out of the water three times, catching three feet of air on one of its leaps. It wasn't huge, but gave me one of the best fights that I've had from a fish all year:
It was 15 inches long and weighed one pound, six ounces. Several casts later, I landed a 12 inch smallie and then a couple of big sunnies:
By this time, the north-northwest breeze had risen to a steady 10 miles per hour wind and I was having a lot of trouble holding my position in the water. I started working my way along the shore toward the shallows where Daryl and Ian had gone, when I passed Kira, who was doing a little shore fishing:
Well, it was actually more like swim fishing. I caught up with MOBD, but didn't see any fish in the shallows. So I paddled back out to the beach, but missed a few hooksets, probably because I had tied my dropshot hook with the point facing down. I tied on a Texas rigged 10 inch swirlytail worm, and set the hook on and landed a 10 inch smallie. After that, I ventured around in the vicinity of the north end of the point. The water in the reservoir is clear down to 10 feet in some parts, stained but clear in some parts and cloudy, almost milky, in some parts. I tried throwing a big Mepps Aglia bucktail inline spinnerbait and a four inch green pumpkin/red flake wacky Senko dropshot, but didn't land anything else before Daryl and I started heading back to the ramp at 4:00 pm. We were off the water by 4:30 pm. While we were loading our gear into our cars, Daryl heard something digging in the dirt next to the ramp and actually caught a mole:
Weird, huh? Anyway, I'm sure that I'll head back up to Otis Reservoir soon, but with The Other Woman (aka my Hobie Pro Angler). There's a lot of reservoir left to explore. The Southeast Bay, in particular, looks interesting to me.
In case you ever drive out to Otis Reservoir and take Alan Road, you should be aware that parts of it are in really rough shape. I tore off another piece of my Saab's undercarriage while driving way too fast up a washed out section of the road:
On my way home, I also noticed that gate to the boat launch at Colebrook River Lake off of Route 8 is still closed. _________________ Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!
Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:04 pm Post subject: Re: Otis Reservoir 06/07
PECo wrote:
So I paddled back out to the beach, but missed a few hooksets, probably because I had tied my dropshot hook with the point facing down.
PECo, that is an easy fix. Remove the dropshot weight, take the tag end and run it back through the eye of the hook and it should turn it barb end up. If not, take the tag back out then run through the opposite end of the eye.
Where were you guys eight years ago before I had kids? Great report!
Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT
Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:21 pm Post subject:
Thanks, MarkO! This was only the second time that I've spent a good amount of time fishing a dropshot. I think that a fish finder would have helped a lot. _________________ Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!
Had an awesome day Phil! My brave shirtless self from 10am-11:30am managed to catch a light sunburn. Nothing like Ian's though!
Thanks for coming out and joining us!
I must say that the campground is clean and trash free with very nice bathrooms to use. The idiots buzzing around the lake high speed leave a little to be desired though.
I recommend fishing this place with a depth finder like I had. I just need more experience finding humps and structure to pull fish off in such a large body of water.
I wish I had something photo worthy to show except for this 1lbs 8oz LMB
_________________ Daryl
"Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers." - Herbert Hoover
Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 5:39 pm Post subject:
I got another fat sunny again, today. And Kira caught a keeper smallie while swim fishing! I'll post a report later. _________________ Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!
Yes! There are kids on this forum and there was nothing wrong with what I posted.
There wasn't anything dirty or any inappropriate language used by me.
It was just something that was funny ! -> And has been an on going marine and swimming joke for many many years by people and comedians long before you where born !
***If you've read some other members, -> very recent posts ! -> you'll read some "Very Serious Inappropriate Language" used.
Now those are the ones, if you have a mind to, that you should really scold
Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 206 Location: South Windsor
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 9:05 pm Post subject:
I wasn't talking about your language seadog. I dont recall you using any bad language, and I'd never acuse you of doing so. It was the picture that you posted that bothered me the most. I can understand if you enjoy sharing your old jokes with everyone, but the picture you posted was borderline obscene. You have to understand that I joined this site to share and gain knowledge with other Connecticut fisherman, not to have to deal with this kind of vulgarity. _________________ Catch and release only.
A 4lb bass is not going to grow to 8lbs on your wall.
Uh! Are you saying that a woman's, God given, natural brests are vulgar
I Don't think so
My goodnes -> you watch much more vulgarity and hear more dirty language on TV and in the Movies than I ever did growing up !
I'll bet you watch those Victoria Secret commercials or other racey movie trailers !!!
Would you call them obcene ?
Maybe But I don't think so.
If you think that what I posted is off color -> You should see what they put up on billboards and TV in many other countries for ALL kids and adults to see.
But -> If that's your personal position, I can respect your right to say so.
Freedom of Speech my friend -> Freedom of Speech
Or as Larry the Cable Guy says -> "Now that's FUNNY "
Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 9:56 pm Post subject:
Stephen, I gotta go with Steven on this one. The picture you posted is a little much. No pun intended, of course! _________________ Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!
Lets see -> 1st warm Wx we get and the girls put on their Daisy Dukes, halter tops, string bikinis, and any other tight or revealing clothing that gets them attention
Plus you see much more explicit things on any of the various medias today!
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
), I headed up there to use my Massachusetts fishing license for the first time:
I paddled 3/4 of a mile up the shore to Ian and Kira's campsite at the north end of the point. Ian, Kira and Daryl were all on the shore, taking a break. After waiting for Daryl and Ian to board Daryl's boat, MOBD (aka My Other Brother Daryl), and Kira to board her boat, Dinghbat, we headed further around the point toward the shallows in the south end of Southwest Bay which, strangely enough, is in the middle of the west side of the reservoir. I stopped to throw my drop shot in eight feet of water off of the beach on the northwest shore of the point. I had a 2-1/2 inch Gulp minnow on the hook. On my second or third cast, I hooked up with a decent smallmouth bass. It jumped out of the water three times, catching three feet of air on one of its leaps. It wasn't huge, but gave me one of the best fights that I've had from a fish all year:
I caught up with MOBD, but didn't see any fish in the shallows. So I paddled back out to the beach, but missed a few hooksets, probably because I had tied my dropshot hook with the point facing down. 
I tied on a Texas rigged 10 inch swirlytail worm, and set the hook on and landed a 10 inch smallie. After that, I ventured around in the vicinity of the north end of the point. The water in the reservoir is clear down to 10 feet in some parts, stained but clear in some parts and cloudy, almost milky, in some parts. I tried throwing a big Mepps Aglia bucktail inline spinnerbait and a four inch green pumpkin/red flake wacky Senko dropshot, but didn't land anything else before Daryl and I started heading back to the ramp at 4:00 pm. We were off the water by 4:30 pm. While we were loading our gear into our cars, Daryl heard something digging in the dirt next to the ramp and actually caught a mole:
