CTFishTalk.com: CT river striper lures - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

blakeslee_a · Joined: 13 May 2014 Posts: 4

what are people using to catch in the ct river? Ive been out multiple times this year and all last year and haven't caught a single striper. not one. Ive used almost every lure i can think of. Bombers, SP minnows, Swim shads on jig heads, pencil poppers, literally everything. I usually fish between the putnam bridge down to the rocky hill launch
thanks for any tips...

Just4fun · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 1389 Location: Saybrook

The lures that you are using should catch you some fish if you throw them in the right spots at the right times,....
I am not familiar with the river north of rocky hill, but in general you want to fish the shallow areas on the river by drifting over them and casting as you go. Low light conditions are what you want,...around dawn or dusk, or on days with heavy overcast skies! It is iften the case that fish will bite like crazy early in the morning and as soon as the sun clears the horizon (usually around 7am,..) they turn off like somebody threw a switch!! The warmer it gets, the more this will hold true. Some shallows will attract the fish year after year while other spots that will look similar (to humans...) will never have stripers on them,...you just have to figure out which are which.
Obviously any shallow bars where you see other boats drifting and casting are high probability spots,...another high percentage spot is any inlet into the main river,..like another river or just the mouth of a backwater area, fish those spots on the outgoing tide when the water is rushing out and into the main river. They are especially prime spots just after the tide turns and the water starts to flow out.

That's a bunch of high quality info that is not known to everyone,..so pay attention to it and good luck!!

The most successful guys on the river have a whole bunch of spots,..and they just run from one to the next, until they find some active fish! Where they are one day does not mean they will be there the next,..if you are not getting bit, MOVE!!
_________________
"If people concentrated more on the really important things in life there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."
Mark

blakeslee_a · Joined: 13 May 2014 Posts: 4

^^ I appreciate all of that. I usually fish in the evening and try for the edges of the channel but I think its time to switch it up a little. Im going to try early tomorrow at the entrance to wethersfield cove. High tide is 3 am so I figure if i get there around 5 the tide should be moving pretty well out into the river. ill post an update afterwards... heres hoping to break a severe skunk

Just4fun · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 1389 Location: Saybrook

I should add that things are really late this year,..about a month behind usual. So although the middle of May is usually the peak of the striper run in the CTR,..this year it is just the very beginning so fish are still pretty scarce and things are going to be hit or miss for everyone right now. Just the same, you have a good plan so I hope you catch something!
_________________
"If people concentrated more on the really important things in life there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."
Mark

blakeslee_a · Joined: 13 May 2014 Posts: 4

Well, no luck. Fished 5-7 this morning, lots of top water action but not sure if they were stripers or not. Fished 630-830 tonight and wanted to stay longer but the Mosquitos were eating me alive & I forgot bugspray, again nothing. My brother caught some shad but that was it