CTFishTalk.com: Thames River or mouth of CT River....access? - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

CTPete · Joined: 14 Apr 2010 Posts: 6 Location: Windsor Locks

Hi guys.....new member here....

Recently upgraded to a larger boat that will allow me to fish bigger water (from a small 16' bass boat conversion to a 17' deep V Starcraft Superfisherman) and would love to check out the striper action down near the shore as it begins to heat up.

I've heard a lot about stripers stacked up in the Thames in April, and wondering where is a good ramp (maybe with a little less current than I'm fighting on the river up in the Windsor/East Windsor area) to get into the Thames, and I've heard of a ramp near I-95 near the mouth of the river for the CT.

I'm not looking to drag for stripers so much as I am to cast for them, but I'll do whatever it takes to hook my 14-year-old up....we fish mostly largemouth and occasionally for smallies (with a yearly trip to Champlain for smallies and pike primarily) but he has yet to hook up with a striper.

Thanks for whatever info you all can offer.....great site, too.
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17' Starcraft SuperFisherman 170
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Fish On! · Joined: 24 Dec 2009 Posts: 68 Location: Northeast, CT

The launch off of 95 is under the Goldstar bridge on the groton side. There is a launch up the river in montville on Dock Rd. It's not usually crowed and easy to use. There is a powerplant very close to that launch where I caught a few good size striper in front of.
By the way, the Thames has stone walls submerged on either side of the channel especially towards norwich, watch out props don't like them.

Very Happy

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

There is a very sizeable population of stripers (mainly schoolies) that winter-over in both the Thames as well as the backwaters of the CT River. Some people fish for them in Norwich even in the dead of winter!

As for access on the CT River,..the state launches are in Saybrook under the Baldwin (I-95) Bridge, or further upstream in Hadam Meadows. You can also get in on the East side at the mouth of the Salmon River. All these are free.

I'm not familiar with the Thames River at all,..but here is a very cool link with all kinds of access info!
http://www.lisrc.uconn.edu/coastalaccess/searchtown.asp

ps: The month of May is when the action heats up and is really when you want to take your son. Before then it's very hit or miss! Cool

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"If people concentrated more on the really important things in life there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."
Mark

fishinschmoe · Joined: 01 Jan 2010 Posts: 300

If you wanna get out now, best best for CT river is to launch in Old Saybrook, and fish the DEP Dock, Train Bridge, and the edge along Great Island... then buzz over to South Cove (behind (up river from) the inner light house). That is pretty much where the schoolies "stage" right about now.

Im guessing that the schoolies, and a few a bit larger are cruisin up the river, and if you launch in Haddam, look for sand flats adjacent to the channels. Dont worry about shallow...Im talkin 3 feet or less in some cases...
And all you dudes who think Im talkin smack... try it
You will be amazed at the size of stripers that cruise these flats looking for alewives. and your kid will have a blast when a modest sized striper slams a bait in shallow water, and has nowhere to go but out to the channel. its a BLAST. And I never give up my secrets, so dont ask what color Storm Chug Bugs, or soft swimbaits work surprisingly well in the shallows..

CTPete · Joined: 14 Apr 2010 Posts: 6 Location: Windsor Locks

Awesome....thanks for the replies, guys. I will plan on heading down that way to check these areas out.

We did get out on the CT up in the Windsor area a few days ago....got a 24" schoolie and a 32" northern.....missed a few other hard (I'm assuming Stripers) hits but was fishing really light tackle.....fun!

Nice to see some holdovers.....can't wait to see the cows in the coming weeks.....

_________________
17' Starcraft SuperFisherman 170
75 HP Merc
It's New to Me!