CTFishTalk.com: Candlewood Lake 8/29/2014 - Connecticut Lake Reports ( CT Lake Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

Dan1 and I headed out to Candlewood Lake today. Hit the water at 5am. I know it's crazy hitting that lake on Labor Day weekend but I figured as long as we were off the water by 2PM we would probably miss the I84 traffic before the silliness started.

This year fishing has been different. Top Water doesn't seem to be on for anyone I talk with. There are no set patterns. The fish aren't stacking up on humps or drop offs. The schools are small and good electronics are almost a must. Experience in knowing fish migration during various seasons in big lakes just doesn't seem to work this year. I've had to rely heavily on my electronics which I had no experience with until I was forced to use them this year. And when you find them at times you have to throw a multitude of presentation just to figure out what they want.

We started out in New Fairfield / Danbury section of the lake. Fished Top Water for about an hour. With only two blow ups and only one hook up we decided to move. Headed nine miles north and started fishing coves with 35' of water. Fish finder is marking actively feeding fish. This was the results.

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bdiggy · Joined: 15 Aug 2011 Posts: 245 Location: Thomaston, CT

Looks like you did alright out there. Nothing like the fight of a smallmouth bass! Cool

Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

Learning how to use the electronics and having faith in them has definitely turned bad days around to better ones. The last two smallies were drag rippers. Every time I got them to the boat they'd dive for the weeds.

Large Mouth should be the predominate species this time of year. Especially with the late summer start but the smallies seem to be the most aggressive in the larger lakes.
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Don't hold your farts in! They travel up your spine to your brain and thats where shitty ideas come from.

clinteastwood · Joined: 29 Mar 2012 Posts: 87

How are the floating weeds up there? Friend of mine told me early July it was almost impossible for him to fish. I hope it's cleared up.

Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

I've never encountered floating weeds on Candy. But when weeds are the area to fish 1oz jigs are my go to bait. The weed lines are well defined this year and easily fished.
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Don't hold your farts in! They travel up your spine to your brain and thats where shitty ideas come from.

clinteastwood · Joined: 29 Mar 2012 Posts: 87

I guess you haven't been in Echo bay in July. You could walk across it on the floating weeds. I think they get churned up by the electric motors people going in the shallows.

Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

Had lunch at Down The Hatch! Didn't see any issues with floating weeds. Fished it for about an hour. In the shallows. I guess it's all in the style of fishing that makes weeds a difference. Dragging baits through the weeds on a sunny day is one of the best shallow water techniques for bass. They bury themselves deep. Weeds can be a pain but with the right lures (1zo jigs) can be very productive. Except during Pre Sawn and Spawn Echo Bay doesn't produce as well as the rest of the Lake. You would be better off going to New Fairfield or Danbury Bays.

Boats with trolling motors aren't the only boats with props. All those pontoon and ski boats turn up more weeds in the shallows than my bass boat does.
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Don't hold your farts in! They travel up your spine to your brain and thats where shitty ideas come from.

clinteastwood · Joined: 29 Mar 2012 Posts: 87

In April and May I kill em in Echo Bay. Many trips I never leave that area. Just took my Nephew from Maine on 9/4 as he comes down once a year from Maine to fish. The launch at Latins was disgusting with weeds. Trailers all covered everybody pulling them off by the hand fulls. Echo wasn't too bad but still had a lot of floaters. Casting to shore was pretty tough as a lot of the weeds are just under the surface now. Trolling that area was a challenge picking up the floaters. Fished other areas which were clear of weeds but the bite was slow. We got some average sized fish but it always seems much better in the spring.

Wanna Fish · Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 662 Location: Earth I Think

Weeds at the launch are awful. I just got finished crawling under my boat to clean what I couldn't reach at Latins. Next time your there, if your not trolling fish the point from Latins into Echo. You'd be surprised at what Jigs pull out of that area. After the spawn a lot of bass migrate to deeper waters just outside the bay.
_________________
Don't hold your farts in! They travel up your spine to your brain and thats where shitty ideas come from.