CTFishTalk.com: Connecticut River - Hamburg Cove 05/26 - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

DirtyDawg10 (aka Derek) wanted to finally try out his new boat, so he and I fished Hamburg Cove. He paddled El Fuego and I pedaled The Other Woman. We got on the water at 8:45 am and were off by 4:45 pm. The air temperature started out in the low 60s, but quickly rose into the low 70s. The sky was cloudy all day and threatened thunderstorms in the afternoon. In fact, we felt a few raindrops as we loaded our boats back onto my Jeep at the end of the day. What little wind blew came out of the south. The water temperature ranged from 67 degrees in the morning to 74 degrees in the afternoon. We could see down only a foot or so in the murk, but there was so much debris in the water that there really wasn't anything to see. The debris was mostly stringy green floating weeds. From the look of the flow through the culvert underneath Cove Road, we launched at the crude ramp next to the Hamburg Cove Yacht Club just before dead low tide. There was so little water in the inner cove that we headed straight out to the outer cove. I really wanted to troll some Rapalas around the cove and tried it a couple of times, but weeds would foul the lures really quickly. When we got to the outer cove, we saw a big splash and tried throwing some big striper lures, but it didn't take long for us to figure out that all of the splashing in the cove was from the massive carp orgy that was going on. In any water less than three feet deep, which was pretty much everywhere, there were carp splashing around. If I had had a net ready, I probably would have been able to get one. There was also a lot of boat traffic in the cove. Tenders went back and forth in the channel, and more and more yachts moored in the cove as the day wore on. Derek and I eventually went into chain pickerel catching mode. At first, he threw mostly a white crankbait, while I threw an unweighted Texas rigged Baby Bass Strike King KVD Caffeine Shad. As Derek headed down the east shore of the outer cove, I headed across to the west shore. At 9:45 am, the Shad got me the first pickerel:

As I was typing up a text message to tell Derek, I looked across the cove and saw him taking a photo of his first pickerel, too. Surprised

I didn't have a chance to set the hook on the next pickerel that hit the Shad, because it bit me off immediately. After I tied on another Shad, I boated another pickerel before the next one bit me off, again! Rolling Eyes

At that point, I checked my tackle for wire leaders, but couldn't find any. So I decided to tie on a White Strike King Redeye Spinnerbait. On one of my first casts with it, I got a 13 inch largemouth bass:

After the largemouth, the spinnerbait got me another 21 inch pickerel and then a nice 25 incher:

It clearly had a sunny in its belly:

At this point, I told Derek that it was THE time for him to get over his Spinnerbait Fear Syndrome and he should tie one on. He did and, after a short time during which the bite died, we both went to town. After at least one pickerel, the white spinnerbait got Derek a 17 inch, two pound, seven ounce largemouth that we think was a depleted post spawn female:

Altogether, we probably caught four dozen pickerel. Most were 19 to 21 inches long. My best was the lunker 25 incher, while Derek's was a 23 incher. Along the way, I boated four keeper largemouth (two 14 inchers and two 13 inchers) and two shorts, and Derek boated the lunker 17 incher and one short. We each lost at least a couple of largemouth at the boat, including a 3+ pounder that Derek is probably still beating himself up over. Wink

We had a pretty good day of fishing, but I think that I'd avoid the cove on weekends for the rest of the Summer. Heavy boat traffic and drunk boaters don't look like much fun to me. Rolling Eyes

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

It was a great day of fishing. Sometimes it's just a pickerel kind of day. I definitely got over my spinnerbait fear syndrome. I ended up boating at least 22 fish and only a handfull of those were on the white crankbait and the white grub. The rest were all on the white spinnerbait. Here's a pic of the 17" LMB I caught. No that's not blood...it's the shine off of El fuego Very Happy

Here's a couple of the larger pickerel I caught. I ended up with three 23 inchers and a 22 incher while the rest all ranged between 18 to 20 inch.

The new boat was great on the water. The seat was comfortable with a small seat pad I brought along and the boat was very stable after I got used to it. The best part is there was plenty of room for gear and when the thunder started it was plenty fast. Wish I could have gone back today to try for that "bass that got away"...I always hate when that happens never mind when it is on the last cast of the day. Mad

All bass (even the one that got away) were enticed by the white spinnerbait.

hila2006 · Joined: 22 Jul 2011 Posts: 582 Location: Ellington

very nice day men!! I honestly love to catch a butt load of pickerel sometimes, spinnerbais rule for that kind of day. Every public boating lake is going to be getting a little crazier. Do the patterns of boat traffic differ here than mass? Cuz everybody on Beseck today was pretty much going whereever the hell they wanted O.o Normaly it's counter clockwise for regular boat traffic.

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

WOW!!! Awesome job guys!!!

That pickerel with the belly must have been close to 5 pounds Phil! Any weight to it?

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

Haven't you realized that most Nutmeggers think the Rules of the Road (or Lake) don't apply to them, John? Rolling Eyes

That was one of the first cultural differences I noticed between Connecticut in the Midwest when I moved here. I couldn't believe the number of cars that I saw running red lights each day. Rolling Eyes

No, Michael, I didn't weigh any of my fish. I got slimier and bloodier after each chain pickerel that I boated.
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SAP284 · Joined: 07 Jun 2011 Posts: 655 Location: Central, CT

Nice! Derek is puttin that new yak to use! I still can't believe that sale. I was at Dick's today and was so tempted just to pick up a canoe...but I was able to resist lol.

Looks like the pickerel had one too many sunnys.
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SeaDog1 · Joined: 21 Dec 2009 Posts: 2629

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

The "party" has definitely started in Hamburg Cove. As more and more yachts showed up, the rafts of boats got bigger and bigger. I saw a jet ski with a man and a woman on it passing boats in the channel as it arrived. When someone on a yacht yelled at them to slow down in the "No Wake" zone, the man slowed the jet ski and it rolled over, dumping him and the woman into the water. Rolling Eyes

Luckily, each of them was wearing a PFD. She, apparently, thought it was hilarious and began laughing hysterically. She also, apparently, was so drunk that she couldn't get back onto the jet ski. Rolling Eyes

A guy in a tender finally motored over to recover her from the water. I couldn't help but think of the recent spike in alcohol related boating fatalities in Connecticut.
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slim2043 · Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Posts: 446 Location: Plainville CT

Nice job guys! Pretty sweet looking boat DD. what is it?
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pikePERSUADER1 · Joined: 07 Dec 2010 Posts: 521

Nice fishes, I got spinnerbait love Wink

I almost always have a rod with one tied on! Drunk, Ignorant boaters are everywhere on the CT river, WATCH OUT!!! They really do believe they own place and dont show any courtesy, almost got flipped the other day by a yacht in the cromwell area, flew right by me and my 12ft jon and never let up on the throttle, i had to hit his 4ft roller wake in full speed in my little boat! Just turned into it a little and rode it out! a little hairy!!!

pikePERSUADER1 · Joined: 07 Dec 2010 Posts: 521

Thats part of the reason I love fishing the CT in mid to late fall, sometimes I'm out there for a full beautiful autumn day and dont see a single other boat, I love that! It's as if you have a whole major river system to yourself! Cool

pikePERSUADER1 · Joined: 07 Dec 2010 Posts: 521

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

hila2006 · Joined: 22 Jul 2011 Posts: 582 Location: Ellington

Wow, it's too bad people just can't use their heads out there. It's the same in Mass to, but on the lake we came from everybody followed the rules for the most part. It was just a little surprising to see boats going in every direction on a small lake. We had to have our neighbors call the cops Saturday, some jackass on a jetski was trying to play chicken with a male swan protecting his young, complete dumbass. The family of swans lives on our land, and they don't bother anyone except the Canadian Geese, which works for us Laughing

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

Unless they have passports, John, those are Canada Geese, eh? Laughing

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