CTFishTalk.com: White Oak / Crow Point - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

imsafanct · Joined: 05 Aug 2013 Posts: 118

We've spoken with 3-4 different people this past week about this cove, all raving about it being a good spot for bass and pike.

We'd like to give it a shot this weekend.

I have a couple questions that maybe some of you can help answer:

Shallowness: I hear and have read that the entrance is very shallow. Our boat is a small 2-person flat bottom with a trolling motor mounted out back. I've found that there's really nowhere we can't go with it, even if we have to pull the trolling motor up and paddle. We can even get out and drag it, if necessary; it's that small. We'd probably be entering just after high tide (roughly 6:00AM), based on the Hartford tide charts for this weekend.

Should we expect to be able to get in ok? Are there any obstructions that have made their way into the entrance this year?

And, of course, once we're done fishing, with the tide having receded, is it reasonable to assume that we can get back out?

The other question is where to launch from. We figure we can launch from Point Rd. in Keeney Cove and go South into the river, then cross over to Crow Point Cove. But I also hear that the Keeney Cove entrance to the CT River is also really shallow, so I don't want to try this if there are any obstructions.

We can launch from Wethersfield Cove as well, but the distance between Wethersfield Cove and Crow Point is a bit concerning, considering our only power comes from a trolling motor. We figure getting there won't be a problem, using the current, but we don't know if the trolling motor would be strong enough to get us back to Wethersfield Cove when we are done. We do run two batteries.

And logistics aside, is anyone catching fish in there nowadays? That's sort of important too!

Thanks,

-Eric

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

Everything that you said about what you expect to find is exactly right, from the distances you'd have to travel to the shallow waters you'd probably encounter. I think that your plan to launch from Point Road in Keeney Cove is good. I don't think that you'd have any problems with a trolling motor powered boat, provided it has sufficient thrust to move you at three to four miles per hour. Just be sure to leave a float plan with someone, in case you were to run into trouble. It has been almost a year since the last time I did it, but here's my report:

http://www.ctfishtalk.com/connecticut-river-keeney-cove-crow-point-cove-09-14-t10489.html#.UgJ6ZfzD-00

There are some deeper areas in the cove. If I were to make the trip, again, I'd drop shot or drop jigs into them, instead of just banging the shore or fishing shallow. Here's a bathymetric map of the cove:

http://cteco.uconn.edu/map_catalog/maps/lake/bathymetry/Bathymetry_With_Aerial_Crow_Point_Cove.pdf
_________________
Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

nories · Joined: 14 Jul 2013 Posts: 80

You will have no problem,,I have no problem with a 19ft boat

imsafanct · Joined: 05 Aug 2013 Posts: 118

We went early Saturday morning with success. The trip out of Keeney Cove was touch and go at the CT River due to trees/branches having fallen across the cove outlet. We were able to navigate through it, but a larger boat might not be able to.

We got into Crow Point easily and fished counter-clockwise for the morning. The weather was beautiful all day and the wind was non-existent until late morning. We caught crappie, largemouth, bluegill, bullhead and yellow perch by using a variety of Rapalas, staying within casting distance from shore. The water was surprisingly clear (for the river) despite Friday being a washout.

Though we worked the shore mostly, I was also casting a heavier-duty rig out the opposite side of the boat trying to work the deeper, center section of the cove. According to the maps, the bottom drops off pretty quick not far from shore, typical of a man-made excavation.

I'm not sure if my casts were hitting the drop-off or if I was out into the deeper portion where the depth leveled to 15-20 feet, but I was rewarded. As soon as my firetiger Rattlin' Rapala hit the water and sank for a count of less than 5, I was on.

At first I thought I was snagged, but as I reeled, I realized it was a fish. I slowly made progress, letting him run, fooling with the drag all the while wondering what the hell I had on. Carefully, I finally got him up to the boat so I could see him, only to have him make a final dive. Lots of energy!

Once we got him in the net, I was excited to have boated a 6.15lb. cat. My first good-sized cat. As I've said before here, I fish to catch nice fish that fight hard, not necessarily for one species or another. I was pumped!. Great fish, even better fight. Very impressive. And on a Rattlin Rapala no less.

We put him back in the water but were kicking ourselves later in the day. He may have been a good meal, but we catch and release.

We made our way back to Keeney against the wind and current (very nerve-racking, slow-going with just a trolling-motor) and fished the upper and lower sections of Keeney with little success and called it a day.

Very enjoyable day, found a new spot that we can get to, caught a bunch of fish, one of which was great.

One more thing...I believe this cat to be a blue cat. I remember his top color was almost a slate blue color. Very nice-looking fish.

-Eric

anointed130 · Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:58 am Post subject:

Glad you all caught fish and had a nice time. That's the way it's suppose to be.
_________________
"Come after Me, and i will make you to become fishers of men"

Can i be a fisher of fish too?

~Tony~

avidangler · Joined: 08 Jan 2013 Posts: 469 Location: Forestville

I don't believe there are blue catfish in Connecticut .Odds are that you caught a channel cat.Unless,someone let one go in the CT river.I know there are channel and white cats there but a blue?? Wish you took a picture.Nice fish anyways.
_________________
...Randy...

Leeway and elbow room.There's plenty of water to fish!

avidanglingadventures.blogspot.com

"If we concentrated on the really important stuff in life,there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."

imsafanct · Joined: 05 Aug 2013 Posts: 118

How do I copy and paste a pic into the body of this reply? I have a pic, but I don't know how to get it into this reply. Thanks.

-Eric

imsafanct · Joined: 05 Aug 2013 Posts: 118

My 6 lb. cat from last Saturday...Check out the color and tell me what kind of cat it may be.

Mike's largemouth from May 2012...Fish was not weighed.

Bill's largemouth from a week and a half ago in the rain...Fish was not weighed, but was 19" long.

imsafanct · Joined: 05 Aug 2013 Posts: 118

Randy, thanks for the PM with the info. on how to upload photos.

We went to Keeney again last night for a couple hours. Just one largemouth but two very nice crappies. Boy are big crappie fun to catch!

-Eric

anointed130 · Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:41 am Post subject:

That looks like a regular channel cat to me
_________________
"Come after Me, and i will make you to become fishers of men"

Can i be a fisher of fish too?

~Tony~

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

That's a channel catfish. Blue catfish are very big catfish found in rivers farther south.

imsafanct · Joined: 05 Aug 2013 Posts: 118

Thanks for the help in identifying the cat guys. I didn't think we had blues up here. Can't wait to see what else we can catch! I'm anxious to catch a nice smallie and a pike.

-Eric