CTFishTalk.com: Connecticut River - Haddam Meadows 12/13 - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

After I had a relatively short outing with NWDarkcloud (aka Bob) the day before, I went back to fish the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Plant Canal from Haddam Meadows in The Other Woman, Too with TurtleKiss (aka Kira). I asked Kira to check out my bung hole before we launched, but she declined. Laughing

We were on the water from 9:45 am to 4:45 pm. The weather was nicer than it was the day before; it was sunnier and warmer, and there was less wind. High tide was at 11:18 am, so we fished both sides of it. The water temperature ranged from 37 degrees to 39 degrees and then back to 38 degrees through the day. Once again, the water was murky, probably from the incoming tide. I started out throwing my minnow jig, which is a Pearl Silver 2-1/2 inch Berkley Gulp! Minnow on a 1/16 ounce round jighead. It didn't take long for me to boat a couple of yellow perch:

Meanwhile, Kira (whom I think still hasn't filled her prescription for ADD medication Laughing

) threw at least six different lures, including her sperm chandelier:

As you can see, the full sun and lack of wind made it a terrific day for fishing, so nice that Kira had to take off her heavy Winter coat. We worked our way up into the canal and through the big laydowns, where I boated a couple of more yellow perch:

Kira switched over to a white spinnerbait and, while casting it toward the west bank, she finally hooked a fish. It was a sweet, 17 inch, two pound, 10 ounce largemouth bass:

It had a huge lower jaw, almost like the hooked jaw on a spawning salmon. After Kira's bass, my next yellow perch was a little bit anticlimactic:

We continued to move up the canal to a spot that I know always holds black crappie. I don't think I've mentioned this, before, but I've been hoping to catch a 15+ inch crappie for a while. Well, at the crappie spot, I finally got one:

It's my new personal best crappie! Whoo hoo! Very Happy

After Kira's excitement over the crappie subsided (okay, that took about 10 seconds Rolling Eyes

), we decided to head up to the cove at the end of the canal. Although we saw bait fish rising all around us and occasionally saw a splash or swirl from a larger fish, we didn't get any bites up there, although we did enjoy a little bit of shelter from the north-northwest wind that rose up and blew straight down the canal. We decided to start drifting back down the canal with the wind and the tide, and, yes, I caught another yellow perch and another crappie:

But then I caught a 15 inch largemouth bass:

Like Kira's, my bass was caught off of the west bank of the canal. I asked Kira whether she thought the bass were sitting along the west bank or it was a coincidence. She began throwing her spinnerbait along the west bank and, only four minutes later, what might have been a coincidence turned into a pattern when she caught a 14 to 15 inch bass:

As we continued down the canal, I caught another yellow perch:

After I broke off my minnow jig on a snag, I tied on a white 1/16 ounce marabou jig. I had never thrown one before, so I told Kira I was going to find out whether crappie really do like them. As we drifted past my crappie spot, I found out that, yes, they do:

We reached the mouth of the canal as the sun dropped below the treeline to the west. Although it was hard to leave without having caught a northern pike or a bowfin, I had to be home by 6:00 pm, so we headed back to the ramp after several "last casts". Laughing

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

Awesome crappie Phil! Nice jawbreaker bass Kira!

And yes Phil, all panfish love ultra light maribus. I've hit crappie, yellows, rock bass, gills, and even trout and largemouths many times with white maribus. Some even like a brown or orange color imitating a crayfish.

NWDarkcloud · Joined: 23 Apr 2012 Posts: 474

funny how just the littlest things change the fishing around . The day before you had to work real hard to get a calico bite ,I guess just a little warm sunshine helps alot
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

JimiChanga · Joined: 04 Mar 2012 Posts: 195 Location: Meriden

Phil, you da man!!!

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

Not sure what else to add...I threw a spinnerbait 80% of the day. Probably could have caught more fish with smaller lures, but I felt it was more important to delay the onset of SSWS (seasonal spinnerbait withdrawal syndrome.) Plus, the spinnerbait does a good job of keeping those horrible perch and crappie away from me. Very Happy

I wonder where the pike and my beloved bowfin have gone.

Thanks for the compliment, Bob. If I'm warm sunshine, then you're a gentle breeze.
Phil, once again, I really appreciate the invite...it's sooooo nice to still be fishing from a boat & catching spinnerbait bass in December!
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Kira

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

NorthEastFisherman · Joined: 27 May 2012 Posts: 582

I love reading your reports. Its like a little fieldtrip for me Very Happy

. Great job getting those fish!!!
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fish4fun · Joined: 23 Jul 2011 Posts: 50

Congrats on the monster crappie. Really enjoy your posts, even though 99 percent of my fishing is saltwater. Except I'm addicted to ice fishing, mainly jigging. Can't wait.

Redneckangler · Joined: 05 May 2012 Posts: 851 Location: Meriden, CT

Went out yesterday. Could be the last trip. Spent some time talking to Andrew at FishinFactory III. Snow will really drop the water temp and start the freeze, though the forecast has changed to rain. Went around lunchtime to fish the outgoing tide til dark for big pike. Usually been a good bite for me when the tide change comes just a few hours before dark. Wasn't looking for anything but big pike. Had a dozen jumbo shiners and big swimbaits. Did bring a small setup and some minnows to catch more bait if need. Hooked a few calicos but threw them all back. It was pickeral all afternoon. They mauled all my baits without getting me many hooksets. Basically just grabbing my bait and draging it around 'til it was useless. These were 2-3lb. pics. If I'd had brought some med-large shiners, I could have caught a ton of them. Still, any time I'm in my boat catching fish in December is good. Who knows, maybe I'll get another day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyFtiAU_YmQ
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bass tracker · Joined: 17 May 2012 Posts: 84

Sperm chandelier?? Pretty funny Phil! Did it catch any fish?

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

AfternoonFisher · Joined: 17 Feb 2012 Posts: 96 Location: Torrington, CT

Man, you guys make me jealous. Congrats on all the fish catching to everybody.
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PB LMB: 4lb 13oz
PB Pickeral: 6lb 8oz

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

Nice pickerel RNA

pikePERSUADER1 · Joined: 07 Dec 2010 Posts: 521

The only place I've seen the A-rig work on the CtR is the northern part of the river near hartford, for smallies Wink

Redneckangler · Joined: 05 May 2012 Posts: 851 Location: Meriden, CT

I broke one out for the first and only time last spring during the TAVF Striper Tourny when absolutely nothing was working. Landed a fish on the first cast under the railroad bridge by the DEEP. Wasn't enough though. Have to fish heavy with them, which I don't like to do. Just not my thing. "Sperm chandelier" is hilarious. I was fishing pearl Zoom Flukes. Laughing

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Weekly reports from around CT, the LIS and beyond.