CTFishTalk.com: Things are Looking Good - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

After taking a 6 hour nap Tuesday evening and not feeling tired throughout the night, I headed out on a journey again.

Started off at the North Ave bridge around 7:30am to see if the yellows, crappie, and schoolies have woken up yet but nothing ever followed a HJ-6 no matter what retrieve I did.

Next I checked out the tunnel at Glenwood Park but never had a follower.

Next stop was the funeral home pond. Saw the open water from last time had slightly skimmed over, but the main pond still had 1 to 3 inches of ice. The ice wasn't the white ice this time. It was a silvery white ice as if it had weakened.

Checked out the small pond at Unity but no open water and still a good 2 to 4 inches.

Went to the ice out pond, which this time last year I was fishing. Saw it still had a good 4 inches. Even tried to stomp my boot on ice along the shore but it never even moved.

Rode to a nearby bus stop to take the bus out to Mondo.

Found much more open water vs last time. The main pond was about 1/3 open while the smaller pond had a good chunk of open water in the area I caught the pickerel in last time.

Played with a number of Husky Jerks and lost a pickerel on a helsinki shad HJ-6. Also tried playing with a 1/8oz chartreuse marabou, silver shad Jointed Shad Rap JSR-4, custom painted purple nurple X-Rap Shad Shallow XRSH-6, Texas rigged Berkely Subwoofer, and a Texas rigged chartreuse Bomber Fin-S type of soft plastic.

Never had any more hits or followers as the day went on. Tried looking for worms but never found any.

Things are looking good with Mondo Ponds as the days get longer and this warmer weather comes this weekend.

Saw a group of ice fishermen out there when I arrived. When I asked how they were doing, they're response seemed to be, "I'm not saying".

As I walked away, pieces of a puzzle started coming together. Safe ice within walking distance of I-95. Guys drinking their coffee with their 6 pack handy. A few yellow perch laying on the ice. And them not wanting to say anything about how their fishing had been going. I right away thought of somebody special Laughing

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

Headed back out to Mondo today. When I got there I saw 2 guys on the ice. One of them told me the ice was still about 4" thick and they hadn't gotten a single hit on the tip ups or jigging.

I went over to where I was last time and saw more ice had melted. What was originally ice covered snow on the trail was now slushy snow.

I checked out all the areas I was at last time and tried throwing a number of Husky Jerks, as well as the JSR-4, a small spinner, and working a Texas rigged chartreuse Fin-S type soft plastic as a slow sinking jerkbait.

Later as the sun got stronger and skies opened up, I saw a school of small bluegills right beneath the surface with their backs sometimes visible out of the water. After seeing a swirl and them scatter, I decided to take a floating jighead rigged with a small custom cut piece of soft plastic to see if I could catch one and then live line it. I only had 1 grab the soft plastic but spit it out.

After trying to find worms but not having any luck, I went out onto the ice to jig with a 1/8 ounce marabou. The 2 guys from earlier had already left and 2 new ones had already gotten set up. I didn't have a single hit as I moved around finding open holes. The 2 fishermen didn't get a single flag while I was out there.

Last stop before heading for home was checking out the striper spot. From what I saw, I'll be there again Tuesday to see what these next few days of warm temps and strong sun does.

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

Hit Mondo again Tuesday afternoon into the early evening. Found almost half of the main pond ice free and remaining ice looked to be about 2 inches thick. More ice had melted at the smaller pond too. Saw 2 different medium sized dogs run out onto the ice chasing birds and ended up falling through the ice even though they made it back to shore. Last time that didn't happen to 1 of those dogs.

Other than Husky Jerks and the JSR-4, I also tried playing with a yellow perch Clackin Minnow CNM-7 seeing if the hard cadence rattle and the color Yellow Perch would attract any pickerel but had no luck.

As the afternoon went on I never had any signs of life on or near the lures. I also tried doing a slow light twitching retrieve with a bone Teeny Pop R in areas that were weedy, shoreline that had lots of brush, and coves that were getting plenty of sunlight but no pickerel came shooting out and no bluegill or crappie pecked at the teaser tail.

It's looking like smaller shallower ponds that have enough open water are the way to go as ice slowly melts and water temps slowly warm up.