CTFishTalk.com: Lake Mashapaug - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

Mase2020 · Joined: 15 Jun 2012 Posts: 228

Let me preface this report by saying that i have been to Mashapaug twice before and really not a big fan. The first time I was skunked and the second time I caught two largmouth bass, nothing to brag about. For me the lake is big and deep which I am not a fan of and I also notice when I there I never see very many sunfish, however this last trip I did see lots of small baby bass. I was going to go to either Mansfield Hollow or Black Pond in Woodstock but was too lazy to drive that far.

The lake:
Mashapaug is a 300 acre lake surrounded by the Biglelow State Park and Nipmuck state forest in Union. There is a fee to enter the park on Weekends and Holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but if you go early enough in the morning there is no one there to collect money. There are numerous hiking trails thorough out the park as well areas to cookout, but it does get very busy on the weekend during the summer. The lake itself is clear and clean and visibility is about seven feet maybe more hard to tell as the bottom is mud and I never notice any vegetation.

There are a total of three lakes/ponds in the state park: Bigelow pond which is a small pond stocked with trout and also has bass in it which is on your right as you enter the park. No combustion motors allowed. There is Mashapaug and Breakneck pond which is about a 1.2 mile hike in the woods from Bigelow Pond and gets very little pressure.

The ramp is large enough for boats as you can see by the picture and there is a dock.

When I got to the water the air was cool and the report said it was going to get hot later in the day. There were wispy clouds in the sky which created a slight overcast. There was one trailer in parking lot which meant there was no one on the lake. The lake has many private islands which people have houses on or camp on so the lake is pretty busy in the summer. There are houses around the lake, but not too many right on the lake itself.

At about 9:45 AM as I left the ramp I could see lots of dead insects on the surface of the water which was calm. There was surface action, but it appeared to be by small fish hitting the insects. I began by throwing a wacky rigged watermelon candy Yum Dinger (SORRY PHIL) Shocked

(but read on and you will be happy) and on my first cast on the right side at the end of the channel I caught a 13" largmouth bass. the fish picked it up off the bottom and I was putting my paddle down and when I lifted up he was on. I thought this was going to be a great day, but I was wrong, sort of.

I paddled towards a northwest cove that I never fished and trolled a SSR perch across the lake and got nothing, which I believed was due to the depth of the lake and the shallowness of lure, that I was too lazy to change. I fished with both the crank bait and the Yum Dinger and nothing. Switched to a green laminate 5" senko and nothing and there was still a lot of top water small bites. I did a large splash under a overhanging tree and threw there and nothing.

Decided to troll over to some islands and on the way still nothing. I fish ed a small rocky island and picked up a short smallmouth on the Senko (happy Phil, if so wait) Laughing

Again picked up when I was distracted moving my paddle and never felt the bite.

It was getting close for me to leave so I began to paddle back to the ramp and wanted to fish in between on island and shore on the east side that I was told by someone once that big fish were often caught there. I fished the area then threw the wacky rigged Senko by a large rock in about five feet of water I got a hit that was quick and I was too slow to react as I was using my paddle like a rudder. I threw by the rock again and felt a slight twitch as I brought the rod tip up, so i lowered the tip, took up the slack and set the hook.

the fish ran deep and took a while to show itself, so I knew it was a good size. The fish pulled the kayak a little ways and I made sure to let it take drag. I got it near the boat and could see it was a largemouth hooked in the corner of the mouth and went to grab it but it took off under the boat. I finally got it on board and could tell it was a personal best for me, which I only started bass fishing last year, before that I fished trout in streams with waders.

Well the fish weighed a little over 5+ on my analog scale and here are the pictures.

Phil you will be happy to know it was caught on a GY Senko. That was the only bite I felt all day, still not a great day but I will take it.

P.S. I tried to resize the pictures but photobucket kept saying failure Embarassed

anyone know why.

Mase

sbehuniak09 · Joined: 10 Jul 2012 Posts: 229 Location: Seymour, CT

Nice fish man! Catching a PB is a great day even if its the only fish you catch.
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The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad. ~A.K. Best

SAP284 · Joined: 07 Jun 2011 Posts: 655 Location: Central, CT

Great report! Mashapaug is a nice lake. The mosquitos can be deadly though!
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Steve

Stevius86 · Joined: 12 Apr 2012 Posts: 165 Location: Ellington

Nice fish! Mashapaug looks like a gorgeous lake when I drove by. I've been waiting for cooler weather to actually fish it but it looks like things have been picking up everywhere.

JJay · Joined: 23 Sep 2011 Posts: 113 Location: Farmington, CT

Looks like a nice place, Great job on your LMB !

NWDarkcloud · Joined: 23 Apr 2012 Posts: 474

Ive been there a couple times nice lake good structure ive never had any real luck with bass few decent bass no monsters....good job
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I Love to fish......Not a big fan of sitting in the boat alone ....the Conversation and the company make it perfect

mikey5string · Joined: 09 May 2012 Posts: 179 Location: West Haven

great report. Looks like a nice place.

Try throwing jigs, swimbaits, texas rigged creature baits/worms, flukes.... In deeper areas throw lipless cranks or deep diving cranks. Senkos aren't always the best option.

IME, the fish are still in deeper water, over submerged weed flats or in shallow cover close to deep water.

Maybe you just didnt feel like retying .

And I feel like the resident pessimist around here but that fish was over 5lbs? really? Again, it looks more like 3-4. The mouth looks way small for a 5lb class bass....unless you have huge hands.

Still a good fish. Maybe I am just envious. I have yet to weight a 5pounder.

jjbassfishn · Joined: 17 Jun 2012 Posts: 209 Location: Northwestern CT.

NIce fish, Congrats on the PB. Cool

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PB LMB 9.3LBS Winchester Lake
PB SMB 5.8LBS Colebrook Res.
PB Pike 3.85LBS Winchester Lake

Can't catch em sittin on the sofa! Wink

KurtyTyson · Joined: 04 Aug 2012 Posts: 29 Location: Vernon, CT

Nice job on the big bass!

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

Congrats on your new PB, Alan! I haven't been able to catch a largemouth bass over 14 inches during my last couple of outings, even with Senkos! Laughing

On what day were you there? Did I miss it in your report? Embarassed

It seems as if the largemouth bass at Mashapaug Pond were feeding slowly and picking up the lures off of the bottom. That's what I've been seeing, too. But I think they're starting to get more active. I can't wait for them to put on the Fall feedbags. Very Happy

Thanks for all of the photos of Mashapaug Pond. I've never fished it, although I've fished Breakneck Pond through the ice a couple of times. I need to get out there soon.
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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

Mase2020 · Joined: 15 Jun 2012 Posts: 228

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

cmhyland · Joined: 29 Nov 2011 Posts: 17 Location: Woodstock, CT

That's a real nice bass... I live a few miles away from Mashapaug and only go there a couple of times a year.... I go to Black Pond in Woodstock alot more....
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Regards,
Chris

hoppy · Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 393 Location: congamuck

nice report. Mashapaug is a nice lake. Ive been there a hand full of time over the years and for me has been pretty good. There was one day there that really sticks out that me and another guy were swinging for the fences with jigs all day on smallies and largemouth. Dont know what was differant about that day vs. the others. They were just on. As you know there are some nice fish in there and thats the lake the CT state record came from so based on that we can say it has put out big fish. Would love to catch a walleye there sometime..............im just not a walleye fisherman so dont really target them.
Wish it was just a tad closer to home as id love to hit that lake on a nice evening.

cmhyland · Joined: 29 Nov 2011 Posts: 17 Location: Woodstock, CT

I went over to Mashapaug yesterday. Dropped the boat in at 7:45am and fished till 9am. Not a bite !

It's a beautiful place.... It's such a tease....

Several dates and rarely more than a kiss..... Frustrating.....

Regards,
Chris
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Regards,
Chris