CTFishTalk.com: Risley Resrvoir 7/14 - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

Alarm was set for 3:30 AM to get down to the Res early for some top water action.
I slept till 5AM right through the alarm! Hustled down just as the sun was coming up, tied my bait/lures and started castin' - realized I forgot my gopro camera...doesn't matter all Ive caught here so far is panfish...

Had a lot of troubled with both reels that were newly spun the night before with some Sufix performance braid FUSE.

I didnt soak the spools and I dont think I had enough tension on the line during spooling - redoing those today. It was a pretty good mess coming off the reels and the braid seemed to be very curly while reeling it back in to the point of it winding up all around the reel in odd places.

Casting the trigger x creatures has still produced nothing for me and I lost another wacky rigged worm to some unknown debris under the water.

Thats the first 15 minutes.

After struggling with another small braid mess I cast as far out as I could and decided to cut the line, hoping to get away from the problem section of line that has plagued me thus far. I cut the line and started to pull in the lure.
( new gold rapala ultralight minnow 06 )

The wife calls and all the kids managed to get up 2 hours earlier than normal and are destroying the house. I'm packin' up and headed home to restore order!

As Im pulling it in I'm winding it around my hand carefully so as not to cut myself, as Ive read braid can be shard stuff. As I'm pulling this in I get the brand new lure hung up on what I presumed to be more underwater debris, curse myself for such bad uck, .....and th eline suddenly zips of to the left VERY quickly.

Fish on!

.....wait a minute I dont have a pole I'm winding this around my hand! I think, right away, this fish is gonna shear my hand right off!

I'm holding the line tight, scanning the area for an object to wind this line around, and come up empty. All I can do is wind slow, play the fish till he gets tired, and hope I dont lose my gearshiftin' hand.

After about a 5 minute fight I get him to shore and managed to land a 3 lbs. LMB - really wish I had that videocam stuck to my head for this one - it was quite a unique fight this mornin'

Guess this goes to show you that even without a pole and without any scientific tank proven retrieval method you too can land a good sized fish

jomonkey527 · Joined: 22 Oct 2010 Posts: 225

Way to stick with it!

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

I had no choice - wasn't gonna lose that new Rapala on its first day out!

pikePERSUADER1 · Joined: 07 Dec 2010 Posts: 521

thats why icefishing is so awesome, handlining big fish is hard to beat! Cool

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

as far as losing lures, etc... I never fish anything on the bottom if I am fishing off the dam. Those rocks catch the line and unless you go in the water your lure is lost... I see people using jigs, worms, etc...and they always get caught up. I lost a rapapla last week, went back a couple days later, walked into the water about 3 feet and got it back... right in front of the bench near the spill way.

BTW, I was there thursday night and caught 2 bass and a pickerel using rapala and a mister twister grub.

Back to snags.. the rest of the reservoir ispretty snag free, mostly sediment and weeds that you can easlily pull out of.

While I think about it.. another spot that produced well for me in the spot. If you park in the main area, walk down the path, take a right and there is a very short path you can walk to the shore...the water is shallow, wade out into the water a good 10 to 20 feet and cast out... That's where it starts to bottle neck and I think that's where the channel or a decent drop off might be. I've never caught anything inside the cove there though.

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

Congrats on landing the bass!

Bravery and risking it pays off for many people. Carefully working your way through it is the right thing to do.

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

yeah chud - ive got to at least get some waders when im not floating there - its so shallow the first 30 feet out you can only play with the panfish

michael - truly it all happened so fast Im just happy i didnt slice my hand - bringin the headcamera every outing now

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

Waders??? Hell no...some old crappy sneakers and some cheap shorts is what I wear when I go! I started walking in now where the bench is on the dam and near the spillway... I like to cast to the overhanging branches near the spill way.

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

last 2 trips ive had snappers come outta the water at me - waders will make me feel invincible! Smile

Pulled any fish out of those 2 spots chud? that whole side from entrance to spillway seems so over fished - every time I go there are kids throwing rocks, dogs swimming in there etc - cant imagine any fish even hang out along that whole side from parking to spillway

Real tired of seeing dogs and kids swimming there too

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

That's why I get there at late evening....the water is smooth as glass, everyone is gone...they are out there....the only 2 places I've never caught a fish there is the cove near the main parking area and the part right near the road side parking before the round cylindrical thing. I have been seeing a lot of turtles also! But they aren't attacking me. I had a good time wading between the 2 benches parallel with the road the other night...only 3 fish but it was quiet and no one was around me at all.

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

im gonna strap on some flipflops and wade the benches this week probably thurs or fri and see what I can pull outta there

The cove near the parking lot ( main area ) has never produced fish for me. Its so deep and quiet I gotta think there is fish down that way, but for all the times ive been there - nada

There was a guy with 3 5gal buckest he was loading up with catfish from that spot so maybe thats all that is down there

The roadside parking spots , be it between the trees or as the trail enters in through the gate produce a lot of bluegill, none too big but its a fun time for the kids there

maybe ill see ya down there this week

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

probably thursday evening.... I am going to spend the day up at bigelow on thursday afternoon...thursday is only supposed to be in the low 80's and no humidity...so it should be a good day up there.
Catfish in Risley? I would have never guessed that. One day I'll try that area by the main parking area again... maybe a little deep water action.

colburn · Joined: 16 Apr 2010 Posts: 125

Manimal - what do you mean "I didnt soak the spools "

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

ive read that soaking the spools of line in water before you spool up your reel helps soften the braid a bit so it goes on better

seems to me that this FUSE line sufix does, even though rated at 4# diameter, is stiffer than a regular 4# mono - i cannot throw my lightest ultralight lures with it - switched to a different line on a different setup and all is well now and ill use that fuse on a different setup

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

Manimal... if you are a casual fisherman, fishing from the shoreline...I would recommend just going back to mono...Braidsand all thathave their place for sure, lots of ppl use them here but it seems to be giving you more grief than anything.. just an opinion..that's all.