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

I knew that NWDarkcloud (aka Bob) would be fishing the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Plant Canal from the Salmon River Boat Launch with angry john (aka John) on The Way More Better, but I wasn't feeling very well when I woke up, so I considered not even getting out of bed. But TurtleKiss (aka Kira) was eager to boat a fish, so I decided to get my butt in gear and head down to East Haddam, anyway. Kira beat me onto the water, but I beat her up to the canal. She had called Bob to ask for a tow, because Dinghbat's battery isn't holding a charge very well anymore, and they had to get the tow hooked up after we launched at 10:35 am:

It took me a leisurely 15 minutes to get upriver to the canal:

After I got into the canal, The Way More Better and Dinghbat motored past:

Hey! Watch the wake, pal! Laughing

They motored all the way up to the end of the canal, while I slowly worked my way along. I threw a white five inch slow sinking Sebile Magic Swimmer and trolled/threw a Yellow Perch Rapala Jointed Shad Rap JSR05, a Perch Rapala Jointed Shad Rap JSR07 and a perch patterned Rat-L-Trap lipless crankbait. I didn't get even a nibble before I got to the end of the canal at 11:45 am. I soon tired of not getting any hits, let alone not catching anything, so I broke out my crappie rig, which is a 1/16 ounce round jighead with a Pearl Silver 2-1/2 inch Gulp! Minnow. It'll catch anything, including black crappie:

As good as it felt to finally boat a fish, I wanted to catch a bowfin, a northern pike or a largemouth bass. Kira had been having some success with a slow rolled spinnerbait, so I tied on one of her favorites, a black Strike King Midnight Special spinnerbait. It wasn't long before I got a bite:

The 14 inch largemouth bass weighed a surprising one pound, seven ounces. Shocked

River fish always seem to weigh more than lake or pond fish of the same length. At 12:50 pm, it began to rain. I had forgotten my raingear in my Jeep, but Bob lent me a spare plastic poncho. It was a little bit musty, but it made the light rain bearable. Thanks, Bob! Very Happy

And the rain turned on the bite. I got a 14 inch, one pound, nine ounce largemouth bass:

And then I got a 15 inch, two pound largemouth bass:

I was dragging my crappie rig behind me and while I was boating the two pounder, I got a short largemouth bass with it:

As the afternoon wore on, the rain fell harder and harder. I got soaked! Confused

However, the Midnight Special spinnerbait continued to get good fish:

Whoo hoo!

The standard size 26 inch long northern pike weighed three pounds, six ounces. Just before 3:00 pm, Bob and John headed back for the ramp, because John has a life outside of fishing. Laughing

Kira and I slowly followed. When we got to the big laydowns near the entrance to the canal, the Midnight Special got me another keeper largemouth bass:

The 14 incher weighed one pound, 11 ounces. Shocked

I love river fish! Very Happy

We were all off of the water by 3:30 pm. We were all soaking wet and I, for one, was cold, but we all had a pretty good day out on the water. I can't wait to do it, again!
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Stripedhunter · Joined: 30 Jul 2012 Posts: 52

Should get yourself a wet suit, buddy.
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Redneckangler · Joined: 05 May 2012 Posts: 851 Location: Meriden, CT

Looks like a nice day. John tried to get me to ditch and go out, but unfortunately I couldn't. I'm waiting for all of those black slime mats along the edge of the canal to disappear. Makes the pike fishing a lot more productive. Hoping to get out there Monday morning. Haven't been into Chapmans yet this fall. That's another good place to catch 5-6 species on a single day out.
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Weekly reports from around CT, the LIS and beyond.

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

I figured that I'd let Bob, John and Kira post about how they did, although Kira's bag was similar to mine and Bob mentioned some largemouth bass and a couple of bowfin.
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NWDarkcloud · Joined: 23 Apr 2012 Posts: 474

As Peco (Phil) had said I had planned to return to the canal sometime this week and had mentioned it on our last outing at Mansfeild Hollow sunday,
So Angryjohn (John) met me at the launch around 6:00 am and we where off ,skies where cloudy water temps 65 deg. air temps about the same breezes light from the east 1-2 mph.
A fast run up the canal to the end got us started John brought his heavy rods in hope of hooking up with a pike and started with some larger lures I started off with a jsr-7 perch hook first fish pretty quick.

not big but a starter, followed it up with a bowfin

fun fish but there 1 nasty toothy slimey fish to handle .We fish for a while the turkeys gobbled the deer ran by in small groups of 2-3 and eagles screached as they circled over head . Fish jumped and splashed all around us as we kept pounding the waters

It was about then Phil called and I told him how beautiful it was out there this morning and he decided to come Cool

.

John still working the larger lures decided to drop down to smaller jigs spooked up a huge pike that swiped at him right at the boat just as he lifted lure from water and missed it . Right about then I lost my favorite jsr-7 bummer Crying or Very sad

I realy like that perch lure . Little while past the phone rang it was Phil he was at the launch ,Kira was waiting on me for a tow so we packed up and headed down to pick her up. Some fast work with a tow rope and a mid river jump from kira into my boat off we went.
Short trip up river found us back at the fishin hole another mid river jump from Kira into her boat (the Dingbat) and the fishing continued .

We had passed Phil comeing in and I knew he wasnt far behind . Kira was busy pulling fish but John and I still pikeless Phil rounded the corner and our party was finaly all together. I consider myself lucky thinking , it was definatly going to be a bad time for the fish when you look at the talent of my companions .
We floated around together boating fish haveing a good time.The weatherman with there normal accurate forcast of the rain for later that day found us getting drizzled on 3 hours earlyer than they predicted . Luckly John and I had rain gear but my lie about how beautiful it was out there had caught Phil & Kira unprotected from the weather (sorry guyz) I keep a couple .99 cent ponchos in the boat but only 1 of them was new the other had got wet covering gear from a earlyer trip and had a musty smell suxs but better than nothing Embarassed

.
Even though the skies dumped buckets of water on us by now the fish wernt safe from us. I changed up to a brush hog dead stixing it along the bottom .

Time ran out fast ,real life butting in on fishing time again we headed for the launch but allways time for 1 more cast.

By the time I hit the ramp there was 3 inches of water in the bilge.
Thanks for a fun day of fishing guyz ...once again sorry about misjudging the weather.
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Redneckangler · Joined: 05 May 2012 Posts: 851 Location: Meriden, CT

I still want that bowfin with my fish grip!
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NWDarkcloud · Joined: 23 Apr 2012 Posts: 474

I was watching for it didnt see it floating. To bad you couldnt make it this time still hopeing to get together with ya bfore seasion ends bud
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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

DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

Looks like a great outing

angry john · Joined: 30 Jun 2012 Posts: 119

it was a good trip and the morning was outstanding. The weather man sucks again and the rain started at 1 vise 3. The larger baits were unproductive this time, as i was hoping for the fall binge which had yet to set in or the "hatch" was much smaller. Make sure to bring those steel leaders as the pike an bowfin are killing it there.

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

Great job all around - wish I was there!

DCAJ · Joined: 04 Jun 2012 Posts: 76 Location: Berlin, CT

Great report.
I gotta get back out there.

TurtleKiss · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 1200 Location: central CT

Ahhh, so nice to be able to get onto a productive part of the river in my own vessel. Thanks for the tow, Bob!

I only caught 3 fish, all before the rain began, and all on light colored spinnerbaits. I probably should have switched to darker colors once the rain started, but I opted to vary the blade configurations instead. By the end of the day, 3 of my rods were equipped with spinnerbaits. The War Eagle Twin Spin was the most popular with the fish, even vs. my beloved white Midnight Special. Also tried a chatterbait, buzzbait, wacky senko, T-rigged beaver, and a perch Rapala (XR-10, I believe.)

I didn't bother weighing or measuring the bass; they weren't the size I'm after. My educated guess is 1.5 & 2.25 lbs. The pike was only 25 inches.

Had a great time though...calm wind, leaves changing color, nice comfortable conditions, wonderful company. Nice meeting you John; hope to see you on the water again.
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Kira

*~ "Not everything about fishing is noble, reasonable and sane..." -Henry Middleton ~*

pikePERSUADER1 · Joined: 07 Dec 2010 Posts: 521

TurtleKiss · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 1200 Location: central CT

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Kira

*~ "Not everything about fishing is noble, reasonable and sane..." -Henry Middleton ~*

Stripedhunter · Joined: 30 Jul 2012 Posts: 52

That's a huge bass.
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Something smells fishy.