CTFishTalk.com: Crescent Lake, 8-15 - Connecticut Bass Fishing Reports ( CT Bass Fishing Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

fishingeek · Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 9

A buddy of mine and I went out to Crescent Lake in Southington for a couple hours last night - he's a resident, so no need to pay the non-resident fee...

This was our second trip to Crescent - last time out he got a 20" or so Pickeral, I got skunked - we spent that particular trip fishing off the dock by the boat launch.

Last night the dock was already taken, so we hiked back through the woods and tried the first relatively likely spot we could find. Mark was fishing mostly smallish swim baits, I tried a couple things before settling on practicing with a jig. Neither of us had any luck after about an hour, and decided to continue down the trail to look for another spot.

We came across another spot that I liked the looks of - a couple stumps and fallen tree limbs looked like good sources of cover. Mark wasn't crazy about casting into them, but I insisted on just a couple casts. As I threw my jig out into the water, Mark said to me, "First one to catch something wins." I should've known what would happen next: he tossed his swim bait out there, just started reeling it in, and got a fish on. Granted, it was only a little LMB (maybe 8-10") - but it was more than I had on my line!

I worked the jig for about 10 more minutes before giving up and trying out a crankbait. Sure enough, on the first cast of the crankbait I hooked into what could've been the twin to Mark's fish. About 20 minutes later I pulled in another small-ish one - this one might've been a 2lb'er.

No other action to report - but at least we got out for a couple hours and managed to dodge the skunk!

We did wind up talking to the DEP guy that mans the gates when they close up at night - he told us he watched a kid a week or two back pull out a big bull horn catfish right off the docks we fished from. So apparently there are at least a couple big fish in there - it's just a matter of finding them...

SkeeterJim · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2219 Location: Newington, CT

Nice job fishingeek. That place does hold a few large ones but is very well known for it's dinks. I use to go there but not anymore since they made it a pay for play area. Not worth the money to fish it.
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fishingeek · Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 9

I'll agree to that - if I were paying, I wouldn't be there... Thanks to my buddy though, it's an easy place to get to for an hour or two after work.

jlaz · Joined: 09 May 2007 Posts: 85 Location: Wallingford

How much is it to use the place? Can you put a boat in?

fishingeek · Joined: 23 Jul 2007 Posts: 9

I think it's $25 for an out of town permit - should be good for a year. You can put a boat in, but it's electric motors only. I've seen a few canoer's and kayaker's, and a few kids on a small boat powered by a trawling motor... Not sure if any of them had any real luck - but there's a lot of shoreline spots that look like they'd be promising when fished from on the water.

chuckc · Forum Police Joined: 06 May 2007 Posts: 1440

I use to go up there before it was a pay lake. The place was getting hammered by bucket fishermen. I wouldn't pay a penny to fish that place now. All you will catch 90% of the time is 11" bass and perch. If they go back to catch and release only and give it a few years it will get good again but not until then.