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Author:
PECo
Date:
Nov 18, 2012
Subject:
Connecticut River - Salmon River 11/18
Message:
I know that I'm in a rut regarding where I've been fishing, lately, but when rmflint (aka Ryan) and I were deciding where to fish, today, everything pointed to the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Plant Canal. First, the weather forecast was for sunny skies, air temperatures in the 40s and north-northeast winds up to six miles per hour from which the canal would provide good shelter. Second, Ryan had never fished the Connecticut River. And third, he had never caught a northern pike. :wink: We met at the Salmon River Boat Launch at 9:00 am. Low tide was at 10:33 am and high tide was at 4:19 pm. As we prepared to launch The Other Woman, Too, mep21 (aka Mark) showed up with his kayak, Yeap, I think that he's hardcore, too. And since he's workin' a Movember 'stache, he even [b:c1c7df32d2][i:c1c7df32d2]looks[/i:c1c7df32d2][/b:c1c7df32d2] hardcore. :lol: Right before I backed the boat and trailer into the water, DCAJ (aka Dave) showed up with his six horsepower Polar Kraft aluminum can. He said he had a feeling that I'd be there, today. We all launched at the ramp and headed up to the canal. Ryan and I got there first, and started fishing the big laydowns just inside the mouth of the canal. The water temperature was 41 degrees and the water was murky, but the surface of the water was calm because we were sheltered from the wind. I started by throwing a Perch Rapala JSR07. Neither Ryan nor I got anything as we worked our way up the canal. When we reached a section that was less sheltered from the wind, we decided to motor all the way up to the cove at the end. We anchored for a while, but I had to pull the anchor up when I snagged and then lost my Perch JSR07 near the bottom on the Bermuda Triangle snag that has also taken a Perch JSR07 from NWDarkcloud (aka Bob) and a spinnerbait from TurtleKiss (aka Kira). Rather than tie something else on by braid setup right away, I grabbed my fluoro setup and began throwing a Pearl White three inch Berkley Powerbait Minnow on a 1/8 ounce round jighead. Meanwhile, Ryan was throwing a bunch of different things from his tacklebag and had the same spectacular lack of success as I. Eventually, Mark paddled up and began fishing the area in front of the power lines. He hooked a two pound largemouth bass with a big Mepps Dressed Aglia inline spinnerbait, but lost it at his kayak. Just a short while later, however, he hooked into a decent fish that flashed gold in the sunlight when it first broke the water. I immediately said, "That's a bowfin!", and began motoring toward him. When we got close, I netted it and handed it over to him: [img:c1c7df32d2]http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/5192/img4077cropped1.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] [img:c1c7df32d2]http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6645/img4083cropped.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] [img:c1c7df32d2]http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/1143/img4081cropped.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] By the way, Bob, the bowfin wasn't slimy or smelly or disgusting in any way. :roll: It was an absolutely beautiful fish. About 10 minutes later, I finally boated a black crappie with my minnow jig: [img:c1c7df32d2]http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/6968/img4084cropped.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] I didn't have time to admire my majestic catch before I noticed that Dave was fighting a decent fish a little way down the canal from us. He seemed to be taking a long time to boat it, so I figured that it was a big fish and motored down to him. When we got close, we saw that it was a fat 20-1/2 inch, five pound largemouth bass: [img:c1c7df32d2]http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/1848/img4088cropped.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] He had hooked her with a lipless crankbait. Sweet fish, Dave! :D After Dave released her, and Ryan and I motored back up the canal, I pointed out to Ryan that he was the only one of us who hadn't caught a fish. I also reminded him that I was counting on him to prove that the back deck of The Other Woman, Too isn't broken and that fish [b:c1c7df32d2][i:c1c7df32d2]can[/i:c1c7df32d2][/b:c1c7df32d2] be caught from back there. Well, I'm glad to say that Ryan came through: [img:c1c7df32d2]http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/2881/img4089cropped.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] [img:c1c7df32d2]http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/1427/img4091cropped.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] His first northern pike was 27 inches long and was caught on a golden shiner colored lipless crankbait. Way to go, Ryan! :D The bite slowed in the cove, so we all began working our way back down the canal. As we did so, Mark spotted Steve's little friend, the American mink, on the shore: [img:c1c7df32d2]http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/263/img4096cropped.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] The bite never really picked up, although I caught a few more black crappie: [img:c1c7df32d2]http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/8827/img4095cropped.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] [img:c1c7df32d2]http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/9265/img4097cropped.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] [img:c1c7df32d2]http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/3461/img4099cropped.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] Just before 3:00 pm, Mark texted me that he was heading back to the ramp, but only after he had caught a couple of 14 to 15 inch largemouth bass off of laydowns with a lipless crankbait on his way out of the canal: [img:c1c7df32d2]http://imageshack.us/a/img17/6632/img4102cropped.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] Nice fish, Fu Manchu! :lol: My minnow jig ended up getting bit off by a small, 20 inch or so, northern pike when I accidentally tightened my drag, rather than loosening it. :? Our last fish of the day was the first chain pickerel that I had ever seen in the canal: [img:c1c7df32d2]http://imageshack.us/a/img542/997/img4100cropped.jpg[/img:c1c7df32d2] It hit a weird silver Sebile crankbait I picked up a while ago that has a single treble hook and a spinning blade tail. After the sun dropped below the treeline to the west, we headed out of the canal and narrowly beat Dave back to the ramp. After he caught his lunker largemouth bass, I think that he caught a yellow perch, a two pound largemouth bass and a black crappie. Now that Ryan has taken the skunk off of the back of my boat, I can't wait to get back out on the water, again.
Author:
rmflint
Date:
Nov 18, 2012
Message:
Thanks for a great day Phil and thanks for getting me on my first Pike
Author:
Michael
Date:
Nov 19, 2012
Message:
Congrats on your first pike Ryan! Nice pig Dave! Any size to the pick Phil? 2+ pounds?
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