CTFishTalk.com: Housatonic River - Shelton 12/28 - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

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

Although I'm not a fan of weekend fishing, DirtyDawg10 (aka Derek) is usually only free to fish on weekends, so he and I headed down to the Housatonic River in Shelton on Saturday. When we arrived at the Sunnyside Boat Launch Facility at about 7:30 am, the parking lot was mostly full. The boat trailer parking spaces that are directly across from the ramp were completely full. I immediately noticed that the guy from the City of Shelton who checks for permits wasn't there. Yet. Wink

When Derek and I began preparing to launch my boat, The Other Woman, Too, he finally showed up. I ended up parking my trailer in one of the boat trailer parking spaces on the side of the lot next to the marina. And the guy from the city said that the New Yorker who had parked his trailer in 1-1/4 spaces would get a ticket. Laughing

Sunrise was at 7:18 am, high tide at 7:46 am and low tide at 2:52 pm. After we launched, although I wondered to where almost all of the other boats had gone, we headed upriver to the skim ice in front of Two Mile Island. We quickly marked some fish with the fish finder, but the schools were small and sparse. They were apparently hiding underneath the thicker ice inside the cove, and would swim out and back, again. We opened up some water by circling the boat through the ice and began fishing. Although Derek had caught a keeper striped bass while snap trolling during a charter on the Sunbeam VI in June, he's new to striper fishing on the lower Housy. We couldn't get the fish that we marked to bite, but pretty soon there were half a dozen boats around us. I guess that a lot of the other boats couldn't find hungry fish, either. Confused

It wasn't until 9:40 am that I finally boated one of the finicky little schoolies:

Although I wanted to catch some fish, I wanted even more for Derek to catch some. We joined the fleet on the upriver side of Two Mile Island for a while, but couldn't get much. I think I might have gotten one. But the highlight of of fishing with the fleet was watching another fisherman fight for several minutes with what I told Derek was either a very large striper or a snag-hooked schoolie. When the fisherman yelled for his buddy to get the net, we knew that it wasn't a snag-hooked schoolie. After the whooping died down, we heard that it was a 44+ inch, 34+ pound keeper. Shocked

That was really sweet to watch. Very Happy

Anyway, we soon headed back downriver in front of the ice sheet in the cove at Two Mile Island. While we were there, we saw another fisherman boat a schoolie with a lime green fluke or Slug-Go. Although I didn't have any lures as brightly colored as that, I remembered that I still had some Bubble Gum Zoom Flukes, so Derek and I both gave them a try. I quickly discovered that a fast retrieve off of the bottom followed by a pregnant pause could trigger a bite:

And a few minutes later, at 12:50 pm, it worked for Derek, too:

Whoo hoo! Derek's first ever striper! Very Happy

And, no, the one he caught on the charter boat and the one he snagged up earlier in the day don't count. Wink

Anyway, our day was much more productive after that, although that's relative to our sucky morning. We ended up boating 15 before we got off of the water in the fading light at about 4:45 pm. We may not have had a great day of catching, but we really enjoyed a great day of fishing:

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Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

Nice to see you got into a good bite after the skunky start

fishfinder · Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 1672 Location: Naugatuck, Ct.

Did you see tgat 44"er at all? Thats by far the biggest fish Ive heard of being caught this time of year! Good to hear some big girls are still around. Biggest Ive caught in the past 2 months is 35"s and like I said in another thread it felt more like I snagged something off the bottom and reeled it in. Almost no fight at all.
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There's a fine line between fishing....

and standing on the shore like an idiot!

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

fishfinder · Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 1672 Location: Naugatuck, Ct.

Well went out from 4:30 until 8:30 tonight at 3 different spots. Freakin cold out!! 1.25 hours into fishing I got my first mono ball of spaghetti trying to whip a small zoom out and of coarse while reeling in just as I get the big knot at my top guide I hook my 1 and only fish of the night and couldnt reel it in any further due to that knot and was in an awkward position wading in the water on rocks so couldnt set the hook either and it got away. Wasnt a big 1 but it would have been nice to actually catch a fish lately especially seeing as how I doubt Ill be going for awhile with the deep freeze coming up! Sad

Go away winter!
_________________
There's a fine line between fishing....

and standing on the shore like an idiot!

DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

Thanks for getting me out there Phil! Despite the slow bite I had a great time trying to get them to bite.

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

fishfinder · Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 1672 Location: Naugatuck, Ct.

You know, I didnt but where I stopped because of the knot was not a good place to as Ive gotten snagged 100's of times right there without even pausing! I got lucky that time that I didnt. Im going to go in awhile for probably the last time if the weather predictions are right and hopefully all spots arent too frozen over already.
_________________
There's a fine line between fishing....

and standing on the shore like an idiot!

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

fishfinder · Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 1672 Location: Naugatuck, Ct.

Well, I put my new fishing license to work today fishing the Housy for 6 hours with no payoff at all, not even a bite again. I did see a guy that puts in just as much time in as me get a 32"er though on an SP. Im glad it was caught by someone who puts the time in and typically throws his fish back!
_________________
There's a fine line between fishing....

and standing on the shore like an idiot!

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

At least you got out. The weather forecast looks like crap.
_________________
Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

fishfinder · Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 1672 Location: Naugatuck, Ct.

Yep, still better then a day at work!!!!
_________________
There's a fine line between fishing....

and standing on the shore like an idiot!

rvolkers · Joined: 23 Oct 2011 Posts: 359

boats put away - fishing hard water

fishfinder · Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 1672 Location: Naugatuck, Ct.

Never!!!!!! I fished last night and from 7:30 am today until 2 pm but never got a hit. Only the coves have ice now but I guess that will change again after tonight and tomorrow. I had no work due to that fire in Shelton which was almost right across from where I work so we had no power all day! At least I got out. Cant believe I didnt get a bite still.
_________________
There's a fine line between fishing....

and standing on the shore like an idiot!

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

Check out Rich Z's Bass Blog. The big girls came out to play today in the Housy.

http://www.richz.com/fishing/blog/?p=4685
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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.