CTFishTalk.com: Bantam River 06/11 - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

I fished the Bantam River for the first time today from about 10 AM to 4 PM. I parked at the canoe launch on Whites Wood Road, just past the bridge to the south of Bissell Road. The parking lot was packed. Just after I launched, I caught up with Fishface, whom I have to thank for telling me about the river.

Fishface told me that he had caught a decent largemouth bass just after he launched, but before I showed up. He also told me that the river was higher than he had seen in the last few years. Now, I have to say, in my eyes at least, the word "river" overstates the stature of Bantam River. It's really more of a stream, ranging from only 10 to 25 feet wide for its length down to the beaver dam just before Bantam Lake. There's a lot of cover on both sides, a few little coves and a loop around what turned out to be a little island in the river. The cover was mostly water hyacinths, with occasional patches of lilies.

We worked our way downstream from the bridge. The fishing was slow at first. I caught a rock bass, and Fishface caught a tiny largemouth bass and a little northern pike. I finally caught a little 12 inch largemouth bass after an hour or so.

The fishing didn't pick up until after we were well past the pedestrian/horse bridge, at the loop around the island. Fishface got a good hit on his wacky Senko just upstream from the loop, but lost the fish. Just inside the entrance to the loop, a little northern pike zoomed in to take a shot at my wacky Yum Dinger as I reeled it in. It actually hit the side of my kayak before it zoomed off. I threw my lure in the direction I thought it went and saw it grab the worm. I set the hook and as I started to reel it in, I realized it wasn't the pike, but another largemouth bass. It was just another 12-incher. I was kinda disappointed, because I've never caught a northern pike. Cue the short story:

When I was 12 years old, my younger sister and I were fishing Lac Vieux Desert on the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan border in an aluminum rental boat, 50 feet off the dock. I had rowed us out there, because my dad told me that I shouldn't start the engine by myself. We were casting nightcrawlers at splashes when she got a BIG strike. The fish dove straight down into the heavy weed cover and her old white Zebco rod was bent over double. She started to cry, but I told her that she had to reel it in herself. When I finally realized that she couldn't do it, I let her give me the rod and began cranking the fish up from the weeds. When the hook got to the surface, all we saw were weeds and I thought the fish was gone. But as I cleared the mass of weeds away, we saw a humongous, toothy head. It turned out to be a northern pike and it was the biggest fish anyone in our family had ever landed. We rowed back to the dock and ran to our camper to show everyone what we caught. My mom later had the fish mounted. Although it seemed HUGE to us at the time, it was only about 18 inches long. I don't think it was even legal. But we were just kids. End of short story.

Fishface and I worked our way around the loop. Near the exit, he finally landed a decent largemouth bass. It was 16 inches, 1 lb 6 oz. We re-entered the river and the fishing slowed again. As we rounded a big bend, I threw my wacky Yum Dinger across the river from the inside to the outside of the bend and got caught up in a bush on the edge of the water. As I yanked it free with a tiny splash, it shot past my head and ended up on the other side of my kayak. After I got all of the line back on my reel, I threw the Dinger back toward the bush and nailed the water right underneath it. As the worm sank, my line started drifting upstream and I knew I had a fish on. While I was hoping for a northern pike, I soon realized I had a big largemouth bass on and yelled to Fishface. It didn't jump, but pulled my kayak 10 feet across the river and into the bank. I thought I might lose it in the cover on the bank and almost lost my paddle, but I managed to haul it out. It was just short of 18 inches and was 3 lb 1 oz. Fishface took a photo, so I'll post it when I get a chance.

After that, I caught three more little largemouth bass. We also saw a couple of clouds of largemouth bass fry. The fry were each about an inch long and actually looked like teeny little bass. However, there was no sign of mommy or daddy nearby.

We had a good day. We saw a couple of small beavers and I paddled with a big three-footer. It was swimming next to my kayak like a dolphin off the bow of a ship. I've never seen a beaver that up close and personal (well, a live one, anyway).

Thanks, again, Tim. I'll be back on that stream, ahem, river again, soon.
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

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

As usual awesome report Phil. If you wanted to try and catch some big bass you should have continued up and gone into Bantam Lake. Right near the mouth of the river to the right is a flat area with weeds and grass where a good portion of the lake's bass are caught. Haven't been back since the town closed the public boat launch. Crying or Very sad

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

SkeeterJim

I thought about staying longer to check out the lake, but Fishface had to run and my wife called to tell me that she was on her way home. We didn't actually make it all the way to the beaver dam, but several kayakers told us that there isn't an obvious portage around it to the lake. There were a surprising number of non-fishing kayakers out there today.

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

The next time I fish Bantam River, I plan to paddle straight down to the beaver dam and work my way back upstream. I think that fish tend to hold on the downstream side of cover and it would be best to approach them from that side. You know, like the way you fish upstream for trout. Does anyone have any thoughts about this plan?
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SkeeterJim · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2219 Location: Newington, CT

Phil that reasoning does make sense. If it works on the CT River as far as fishing the current then it should be the same on a stream like the Bantam River. Next time when you have time just drag and go over the beaver dam with your yak and fish the lake. On a decent day you will not be disappointed with the bass quality there....trust me. Wink

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Eat, Sleep, Fish......I Love my SKEETER ZX225!!!
If I didn't have to work for a living....I'd be fishing.
If I'm not in my Skeeter then I'm in my Hobie!

RobO · Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 285 Location: South Windsor

Great report Phil!
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SkeeterRon · Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Posts: 1173 Location: Newington, CT

Phil,

Awesome report...
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TurtleKiss · Joined: 09 Mar 2010 Posts: 1200 Location: central CT

Do you think Dinghbat could handle a trip downstream without smashing apart too much? Are there places to tie down a boat and fish from shore? I've been wanting to find a slow-moving river that isn't infested with speedboats. Little Pond to the north appears shallow on Google satellite but OMG it looks like bass heaven if you zoom in all the way. Does anyone happen to know if Little Pond is too narrow/swampy to be considered "accessible by boat?" Sorry for the questions. I'm still motorless & sick of the Batterson wind vortex.
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PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Dinghbat would be fine in Bantam Stream, er, River. Trust me, the current would not be an issue. The biggest problem would be launching, since there isn't a real ramp. There are some boulders over which you would have to carry it. But the water is shallow by the launch and launching wouldn't be a problem at all if you didn't mind getting your feet wet.

Fishface and I didn't head up to Little Pond, but I know that it's accessible and fishable. If you'd like to head out there during the week, let me know. I'd love to check it out, too.

I think the coolest thing about Bantam River is the presence of northern pike. Fishface told me that his best northern from there was 30 inches.
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Flipper · Joined: 21 May 2010 Posts: 347 Location: Enfield

Next time you are out that way, skip the stream and fish the lake. Excellent pike lake and plenty of LMB as well.

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

Since the Bantam Lake boat launch ramp is still closed to no-residents, is there a place where I could legally park my car within schlepping distance of the north end of the lake?
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SkeeterJim · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2219 Location: Newington, CT

One thing I don't understand is why is the DEP still treating the weed problems there at Bantam even though the boat launch has been turned from "open to the public" to a resident only status? If the lake association wants the lake for themselves then they should burden the cost of the weed treatment and not the State and the DEP. Am I missing something here?
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Eat, Sleep, Fish......I Love my SKEETER ZX225!!!
If I didn't have to work for a living....I'd be fishing.
If I'm not in my Skeeter then I'm in my Hobie!

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

Bantam Lake is owned by the State of Connecticut. Only the access to it is private. I think the land where the formerly public boat launch ramp is located was donated to the town of Bantam.
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SkeeterJim · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2219 Location: Newington, CT

Oh gotcha. Kind of stupid on the State's part to donate land to the town and then have no public access to it. Bet their kicking themselves in the ass right about now.
_________________
Eat, Sleep, Fish......I Love my SKEETER ZX225!!!
If I didn't have to work for a living....I'd be fishing.
If I'm not in my Skeeter then I'm in my Hobie!