CTFishTalk.com: Connecticut River - Hamburg Cove 04/05 - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

After I left Bishop Swamp in Andover, I decided to drive down to Lyme for a hot meal and check on whether the anadromous white perch have made it into Hamburg Cove. First, I enjoyed yet another Fish Reuben and hot coffee at Rustic Cafe in East Lyme:

I’m addicted to that sandwich!

I was on the water from about 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Before I launched my kayak, I saw that it was much windier in Lyme than it was up in Andover. I could tell that the wind was whipping up the outer cover from the south and decided to stay in the inner cove. The water temperature was unchanged from the prior week at only 48 degrees. As usual, the water was crystal clear, but the glare from the overcast sky made it tough to see the dark bottom. I’m pretty sure that I caught the last of the outgoing tide, but didn’t check the tide table.

A week earlier, the largemouth bass were biting, so I started by throwing a weightless, wacky-rigged, five inch, Green Pumpkin with Red Flake Senko. I didn’t get any action at all, so I switched to a drop-shot, 2-1/2 inch, Pearl Silver Gulp! Minnow and began focusing on catching perch. So, of course, I caught a largemouth with it:

And only four minutes later, I finally, FINALLY caught a perch, although it was yellow, not white:

I didn’t get any more bites after that and saw no sign of any white perch. I guess I’ll have to keep driving down there to check on them. . . and eat more Fish Reubens!
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Tuesday, May 7:

Whoo Hoo!

I kept four of the eight I boated. Of course, I didn't bring a bucket:

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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

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

Friday, May 10

The change in the weather from warm and sunny to cold and rainy lowered the surface water temperature and killed the white perch bite completely, although everything else was biting. I caught a few crappie, a half dozen pickerel, four sunnies, a half dozen largemouth, two dozen yellow perch and another channel catfish, but this one was smaller and prettier than the 25 and 28 inchers I caught there a few weeks ago. I caught ZERO white perch.

The temperature didn’t change at all from 8:15 am to noon:

Here’s the golden catfish:

Here’s the 28 inch catfish from April 22:

It’s been The Year of the Cat for me. My daughter even boated a white catfish at Highland Lake on May 8:

The Bucket Jinx got me, AGAIN!

I knew that I shouldn’t have brought it with me. Stupid bucket!
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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!