CTFishTalk.com: Presidents Day At Bantam - Connecticut Ice Fishing Reports ( CT Ice Fishing Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

Bluegill Terminator · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 538 Location: Plainville

Rolled out of bed at 3:30 this morning and took off to Bantam. Got there around 5 am and just sat in my truck watching the snow fall. My plan was to park near Point Folly then walk all the way to the incoming Bantam river. I took a drive to see where North Shore road brought me and I ended up finding the Litchfeild boat launch and parked there. I am glad that I didn't walk from the other side of Point Folly to there because it was packed! I was set up at 6 am and then another guy comes in and sets up about 50 yards away, then another guy on a quad sets up between us. Go the whole lake and has to go within 10 feet of our tip ups. Nice sunrise though

Then around 7:30 picked up a chain pickerel. I left North Bay around 9 am when it just became a zoo and went down to south bay. Glad I did too. Got set up in south bay around 10 am then caught a nice pickerel around 10:30. Ended up to be a smart move because I had never had so many flags at Bantam in my 5 years of fishing there. I ended up with 9 flags and 7 fish. 4 chain pickerel up to 22 inches, 2 pike 22 inches and 28 inches, and a bullhead haha. South Bay was a ghost town as well. Only about 3 groups out there. I figured it would suck to because of the derby the day before but the fish were hungry there today. Heres the bullhead about 13"

22 inch pike/chain pickerel. Looked just like a chain pickerel but had the jaws of a pike:

The 28 inch pike view:

Most action I have ever had there in my life. The amount of flags I got today usually takes me about 4 weeks to get in the past at Bantam.

Fish On! · Joined: 24 Dec 2009 Posts: 68 Location: Northeast, CT

Awesome job!

Bass Sniper · Joined: 05 Feb 2010 Posts: 255 Location: west haven

real nice pike
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JiggyWithIt · Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 58 Location: Farmington

SWEET!!! It looks like that giant pickerel got the best of your finger though. Have never fished Batam ice or otherwise... Thinking its so big I don't even know where to begin and the heavy fishing traffic I'd much rather look at the pics Wink

GREAT JOB BGT!!!
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fishinschmoe · Joined: 01 Jan 2010 Posts: 300

Dude, SWEET Fish.
Although I went to school for Wildlife-Marine Bio, and can't tell by just a photo, Im willing to bet a dollar your big "pickerel" is actually a Pike-Pickerel Hybrid!! And a Nice one at that... hence, the weird markings, and the fat head. Although I can't see it in the pic, would be interested to see the scale pattern on the gill plate, as that is a tell-tale pike or pikerel ID.
Hybrids are not all that rare in the Pike family.
No matter how you slice it... you had a Great Day, and for that, Im jealous, as Im working today.

deerslayer1 · Joined: 22 Jan 2010 Posts: 31

Awsome fish terminator Thumbs Up

, especially for South Bay. Don't see that many legal size fish from that end of the lake.

We fished the opposite side of Folly Point and had non-stop action all day. Ended up catching and releasing 12 Pike between 22 and 32 and some yellows and 1 big fat white. Funny thing was we caught all the Pike in 22-29 feet of water and nothing in shallow.
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Bluegill Terminator · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 538 Location: Plainville

Near the big white house. I saw some guys way out in front of that white house when I was in north bay

SkeeterJim · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2219 Location: Newington, CT

Awesome job Terminator! Put me on the jealous list also as I don't start fishing until the ice melts. Crying or Very sad

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billybass · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 315

Dude ,real nice , another monster for the album..
congrats ,And real smart move switching spots
because it really paid off. Laughing

Bluegill Terminator · Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 538 Location: Plainville

Ya haha. I have all my personal best fish hanging on my wall (pictures) for each gamefish in CT, and its going to be hard to beat them in the future.

toptech · Joined: 12 Jul 2007 Posts: 322 Location: Vernon

Nice fish man.....Im hoping to get out to bantum this weekend.

I love catching bullhead through the ice....its so unexpected and it always cracks me up. Halls pond near/in Ashford is always good for a surprise bullhead or two.
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