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Kimberultra · Joined: 10 Jun 2013 Posts: 21

I spent most of the day at bigelow pond. I usually bottom fish the ct river and mess around with jigs and senkos but I don't top water a whole lot since all of my rigs are heavier.

The bottom of bigelow was too snaggy so I took out a few tiny torpedoes, a popper, a yellow perch clackin minnow and a spinnerbait.

Was getting hits on alot of my surface stuff but I haven't quite mastered setting the hook with such light lures. The spinnerbait get hit hard on the first cast. A good sized crappie. I was thrilled because I have zero top water experience.

I left bigelow and hit cabelas and got a few more spinners and a Zara puppy bass pattern. I went to walker res before sundown on the waterfall side. As soon as the Zara spook hit the water it got hit hard. I wasn't quite ready and the fish took off into thick cover and I lost it. I got a few hard hits on the tiny torpedoes and eventually lost one in a downed tree.

Do any if you have tips on setting the hook on top water stuff. I was told to hesitate for a second before you set when you see it get hit but it didnt seem to work.

therieldeal · Joined: 20 Oct 2010 Posts: 245 Location: Thompson, CT

What i normally do is wait a second to see which direction the fish moves with the lure... for example if they move to your left, set the hook with your rod top low and to the right. With the rod tip too high you'll pull the lure right out of their mouth more often than not.
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PB's:
LMB - 4 pounds - Stump Pond, Thompson
Carp - 11 pounds - W. Thompson Lake, Thompson

Still searching for some toothy critters big enough to be worth weighing...

Kimberultra · Joined: 10 Jun 2013 Posts: 21

Hm. That's good advice. It must have been a fluke then because I didn't go nuts on the hook set. It caught me so off guard it didnt give me a chance to rip my shoulder out of place Smile

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Is the Zara puppy a good choice? The regular one seemed too big for the sjze of the bass I have seen. I'm fishing from the shore but I've never seen anyone pull out a massive bass. I tend to stick the the smaller versions of everything. 3 and 4 inch senkos, 2-3 inch cranks, and the 2-3 inch spooks and poppers.

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

what parts of bigelow did you fish? near the boat launch I don't think would be ideal for bottom fishing. I see "old timers' bottom fishing from the shore right near the road. The cove to the left of the boat launch is ideal for top water, especially in the evening. The other end is good, if you wade into the water and turn left there is a large mass of lilly pads that you can throw a frog on or a spinner bait on the edge of it.

Walkers is tough as summer drags on with the weeds, but the area near the "waterfall" is a decent area, I've caught small bass in that area using crank baits. Most people fish there for trout since it's a tma. I've tried the other body of water across the street but that seems to get over grown with weeds.

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

I cannot recommend the full sized Zara Spooks highly enough. I started using one about a week ago and am catching fish everywhere. As short as 10" too so just about anything will hit it. I think its becoming my favorite topwater lure.
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The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad. ~A.K. Best

Kimberultra · Joined: 10 Jun 2013 Posts: 21

I drove to the third lot on the left I think at bigelow. It was my first time there. It was def after the boat launch. It was a little cove area on the path right before the bridge that goes over the brook. Wasn't too active though. But I didn't stay till sundown. Soon I'm gonna go to the boat launch area and being my girlfriend so we can cook some food and spend the day out there.

bigh1590 · Joined: 12 Apr 2013 Posts: 25

yea the biggest mistake with a topwater or any lure for that matter is never quickly reel in after a strike and try to get ure lure in the same spot...always stay patient after a missed strike either that fish is still following it or another fish will see him miss it and will go after it himself recasting quickly will scare him away... also r u talkin bout the little bigelow pond or the Mash

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

I caught a nice small mouth about a week and half ago from the Mashapaug boat launch, that area can be busy obviously, it's the boat launch, but early enough and during the week you can get some time there.

That cove, I know where you're talking about, before you get to the bridge there is a "beach" like small spot with a fallen tree. Try wading out ( I just wear some old shorts and ratty shoes so not to cut my feet) and fish to the left.

My wife and I stop at Subway at exit 68, bring some drinks in a cooler and also you can drink the water from the water pumps. My wife doesn't fish but she wades in at the dirt boat launch, you really can't fish from the boat launch itself, too many weeds, go to the handicap access to the right and fish from that. The small bluegills and the occasional water snake seem to swim up to her all the time... great place to spend a few hours. In the summer, it's a bit cooler because of the shade to. There is a third pond, breakneck pond, but it's walking access only and it's about a mile. the entrance is on the right of the access road... a lot of the guys from here have been there, seems to be some good fish because it isn't fished so much cuz it's a haul!

Kimberultra · Joined: 10 Jun 2013 Posts: 21

I was at bigelow pond. I walked down to the mash and contemplated hiking to breakneck but I'm lazy. Haha

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

we did the hike a few years ago when we had that really hot summer and a lot of the lakes were really low, breakneck was incredibly low that year... I believe it was summer of 2010. That hike sucked.

Kimberultra · Joined: 10 Jun 2013 Posts: 21

I frequent keeney cove quite a bit. Always good fishing there. I don't like discriminating so ill rig up a heavy dropshot rig with a 1oz weight and let it sit. Caught everything from catfish to bowfin with night crawlers. But since the river has been flooded since April it seems I've had to learn how to target specific fish a little more at ponds and lakes