CTFishTalk.com: Highland Lake 09/27 - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

I decided to join NWDarkcloud (aka Bob) and his fishing buddy, Gilligan, out on Highland Lake, today. They hit the water at the boat launch ramp in the northwest corner of the lake in Bob's boat, The Way More Better, at about 6:30 am, I think. Gilligan texted me this photo:

Yes, Bob does smile, well, occasionally, at least! Laughing

I didn't get on the water in The Other Woman until 9:30 am:

The morning sun was glaring and there was a steady five to eight mile per hour north-northwest wind. I spoke with a couple of fishermen who were coming off of the water after trolling for trout at a depth of 35 feet. They were disappointed to have caught only largemouth bass. Yeap, at 35 feet! Shocked

I'm starting to think that largemouth bass are already in a Winter pattern, sitting on or near the bottom in what is probably warmer water. The surface water temperature ranged from 65 degrees to only 67 degrees the whole time that I was on the water, so it's already fairly cool, while the air temperature ranged from 60 degrees to 68 degrees. I decided to troll a couple of crankbaits while I looked around for The Way More Better, so I clipped a Yellow Perch Rapala Jointed Shad Rap JSR05 onto one setup and a Perch Rapala Jointed Shad Rap JSR07 onto another, and headed down the west shore. I tried to stay on the outside weedline, which was at a depth of nine to 10 feet. As I passed the public beach at 9:45 am, I sent a text message to Gilligan asking where he and Bob were. Just then, I got simultaneous hits on both of my setups. Shocked

It was my first ever double while trolling two crankbaits! Cool

I figured that I must have trolled through a school of either black crappie or yellow perch, but I reeled in a short largemouth bass and a 14 inch chain pickerel:

I continued down the northwest shore until Bob and Gilligan motored up in The Way More Better. They hadn't boated a fish, yet. Crying or Very sad

I guess that the early morning bite was off, today. Rolling Eyes

They began a drift down the northwest shore. I decided to head across the lake to get into some shaded water and continued trolling up the east shore along the outside weedline in nine to 10 feet of water. When I got to Sandy Cove, I hit the pickle jar! Shocked

I got a 14, a 15 and a 13 inch long chain pickerel, before I boated the lunker 18 incher:

At 11:10 am, Gilligan texted me a photo of a short largemouth bass that he caught with a creature bait in six feet of water:

After I boated a yellow perch, I caught five more chain pickerel that ranged from 12 inches to 18 inches long and another yellow perch. At 12:15 pm, Gilligan sent me a text message asking whether I'd like to go get something to eat. I replied that I wanted to catch a keeper bass first. I worked my way down the east shore, around Bristol Cove on the south end of the lake and halfway back up the west shore before I finally boated a 13 inch keeper largemouth bass at 3:00 pm:

A little while later, Bob's casting arm gave out on him, so he and Gilligan headed back to the ramp. I decided to join them and got off of the water at about 4:00 pm. I think that I might go fishing down in Old Lyme, soon, because if I'm going to catch chain pickerel all day, I'd prefer to catch the 19 inch to 28+ inch long monsters that lurk in Hamburg Cove.
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NWDarkcloud · Joined: 23 Apr 2012 Posts: 474

Peco hit the fine point well enough for my part of this story . After a whole day of pitching and worming we only managed 1 fish in the boat I stunk up the lake so bad im sure Gilligan was glad the wind was blowing so hard he couldnt smell it Embarassed

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The bite definately was on for the slow troll Phils Hoby is well suited for the 1mph troll my boat can only move that slow if im on the electric motor but against 15mph head winds like we had yesterday that realy eats the battery up.
Looks like ill be working hard Sunday the wipe the shame and stink of my first skunk for the year off Embarassed

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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

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

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

Nice job guys!

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

Sounds like the lunker LMB's are still hanging deep? A trout fishing friend is getting LMB's in 30+ feet of water on spoons.

Thanks for the report. We'll be hitting highland on October 8th. Hopefully the wind is mild!
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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

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

A fisherman at the ramp told us that there was a big bass tournament at Highland Lake last weekend. Does anyone here know the results of the tournament?

**** Edit ****
Nevermind. There were two tournaments on the lake last weekend. The results from the CT Sweetwater Bass tourney on Saturday haven't been posted yet, but the winner of the U.S.A. Bassin tourney on Sunday had five fish for 11.98 pounds and the lunker was 3.80 pounds:

http://www.usabassin.com/modules.php?name=Divisions&doAction=view-season&divisionID=126&year=2012
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pikePERSUADER1 · Joined: 07 Dec 2010 Posts: 521

probably all ds'ing Confused

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