CTFishTalk.com: Bantam River 09/03 - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

My wife promised to go kayaking with me this Summer and since Labor Day is almost here, we went. We paddled down Bantam River from the canoe launch on Whites Wood Way. We launched at 8:00 am. I paddled El Habañero and she paddled La Calabaza:

It was sunny and warm, and there was a light south breeze. The water level was still higher than normal, but we could see that it was obviously down several feet from the high water marks on the plants and structure along the banks. We had a nice, leisurely paddle. I took one setup with me, and threw a frog and a buzzbait on our way downriver. I didn't get a single hit on the way down. We paddled past the big beaver condo:

And we went over the dam:

But we didn't go into the lake, because the south wind was blowing fairly strongly at the mouth of the river. I decided to try fishing deeper on the way back upriver and tied on a wacky Senko. Unfortunately, I didn't get so much as a nibble on the way back to the launch. We got off of the water at 10:30 am. I had a nice paddle, but where did all of the fish go? Confused

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bdiggy · Joined: 15 Aug 2011 Posts: 245 Location: Thomaston, CT

Lower half of the river has always been weak as far as the "good bite" goes. You need to paddle up and fish little pond inside the board walk. DEP screwed all that rivers fishing up when the tore the big beaver dam down upstream 16 years ago so the kayakers didn't need to get out of their boats.........naturally, no offense, lol. Wink

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

Nice to see you got your Wife out on the water.

fishfinder · Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 1672 Location: Naugatuck, Ct.

Phil, thats great! I wish my wife would even consider doing something like that with me. She has no interest at all in doing any type of fishing which could also be a good thing because I know it would be 1 hour into it and she would say I havent gotten a bite lets go!
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and standing on the shore like an idiot!

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

You just described my 13 year old daughter. Although she'd probably give it three hours. Very Happy

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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!