CTFishTalk.com: Risley Rez 7/7 - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

MANIMAL · Joined: 08 Jun 2012 Posts: 242 Location: Manchester

Got up and got down to Risley Reservoir at 4 AM today

Still pretty dark so I took 15 minutes to rig my poles and break my lures/bait down to cargo pocket sized plano boxes and headed off. I did not park in the parking lot on the end of the rez ,but instead, I parked on the dirt patch cutout off road site.

By parking there it allows you to walk down through the gate and you have a shoreline patch straight to the waterfall that will be about 500 yds ahead.

At first stop, about 20 ft in I started tossing my rapala skitter pop to get the top water action goin' - nothing happened. I took 3 minutes to drop in my first home made minnow trap ( soda bottle bread bait ) and got back to surface popping.

After about 15 minutes of not a single nibble, but seeing a few minnows eyeing the trap, I decided to walk halfway down to the giant cement cylinder.

Im not sure what this cylinder is or what its function is, but it was a good spot for me to place all my gear on top and sit and cast into the shallows with hopes of bluegill. After about 5 minutes of casting to the left ( where I read chud scored a bass? ) and coming up empty I shifter to the right. Looking down I see........a rod and reel combo laying there.....snelled hook, bobber, and a dead little minnow still rigged up. what the heck am I looking at? Is it too early for my eyes to work? NOPE - upon further inspection it appears the previous owner threw one heck of a bird's nest into the reel, cursed it, threw it down, and went home - the whole rig was wet from early morning dew so I figured I'd leave it and if no one claimed it by the time I was leaving Id collect it.

I packed up and headed towards the waterfall. No water was falling and after 7 casts and not a singel bite I headed down, then up over the rock steps and into the woods on the trail that circles the reservoir.

Walking walking going counter clockwise I finally came to an opening I had seen some kids at previously but never fished.

Its a nice little spot with an 8 ft metal bench and a little plaque dedicating the spot to a friend of the town? Rob something? ...anyway.

At this spot you can toss clear out into the middle of the water OR, as I chose, steer hard left and toss into this little cove/pool that is over your shoulder. Switching to Rapala's new X RAP POP ( chartreuse / white ) I tossed it out and started popping. BAM! big bass on! I like th epopping of the XRAP POP better than the Skitter POP and it seems this Bass did too.

The fight was on, and seeing as this is my first time using braid on a spinning reel, I made sure not to set the hook so hard that I rip its jaw off......fight it in fight it in - 2 feet from shore, looks real big......and it spits the lure right at me, lost him.

Man that was fun, next time I gotta set that hook better and risk tearing its jaw off!

Switching to my ultralight rig I start tossing that little Snap Bean thats made by Yo ZURI - I love these little things. I managed to catch, what musta been, the tiniest bluegill in the place. After telling him that his eyes were bigger than his stomach and to be more choosy of his next meal I released him and told him to get fatter for next time I catch him.

Got down to texas riggin' some Trigger X creatures, first time putting a bullet weight on instead of letting it free float down, and tossing plastics in general.

Im new to the skill so "feeling bottom" is something I have to learn. The last 10 feet towards shore is shallow enough for me to see the bait action and get the idea of how I need to work it and what it feels like during its movement - should I pin the bullet weight? is it alright if it slides up the line?

Sun was coming up and had to be back from breakfast with the family so I gathered up my gear and headed back through the woods and to the car.

No one collected that rod/reel combo so I made it mine! Thanks whoever got pissed and ditched it! I always seem to find left behind lures at this reservoir but never gear like this- score one for me!

On the way out I had a quick chat with 2 guys who were fishing for Perch and had never fished anywhere but teh shore of the lake so I told em to reel in, pack up, and get to walking around this place - lots of great little fishin' spots along the trail.

Loaded up the car and went back down to check my minnow trap, nothing - all the little guys who had swam around it never went inside......bummer - gonna try again soon and bait it with more than just bread.

This reservoir is my new favorite spot this month - hoping to get back there at the 4 o'clock hour and launch my pontoon and paddle around next time.

chud059 · Joined: 29 Mar 2011 Posts: 413 Location: Manchester

I caught most of my bass from the cylindrical thing to the spill way. Also, where the benches are on the between the 2 parking areas, I like to wade out there..I've had luck there. I've never had any luck by the main parking area where people like to swim. I may head out there tomorrow evening afterwork.

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

Great report! Sorry about the bass.

MANIMAL · Joined: 08 Jun 2012 Posts: 242 Location: Manchester

no worries Michael - still learning the new setup
Chud Ill be there from 6PM till dark