[paul gotta fish]

Started out this morning at about 6am at Wethersfield Cove, but the keeper of the cove wanted to charge me to launch my canoe. Really? Well, he couldn't take my credit card, so I hit the road and launched at Keeney instead, had my Pelican in the water at 6:30. The out-going tide was ripping pretty fast, making it tough for a couple of bucket fishermen who were already trying their luck on the bridge. But in the main body of the cove, the water was dead calm, slight overcast, and a zillion little minnows jumping all over the surface. Perfect! I paddled/headed north along the western shoreline, casting a black Zoom Horny Toad as I went. Nothing for the first 10-12 casts or so, and I was thinking that the murky water and the out going tide was working against me, but towards the back of the left side there's an inlet with heavy lily pads, and something slammed my frog hard and pulled it into the pads. My 20lb braid held fine, but it fought free in the weeds. I'm OK with that, that's why I'm here at dawn, just happy to see some action. Three casts later on the other side of that inlet and another surface smash, I fight a 15 inch LMB into the boat. Sweet. I continue on with the HT, and between that location and the tunnels under Route 3, I boat 4 more bass, from 10 to 16 inches. 2 of them had nasty gash/teeth marks on their sides. (Pike?) Out in the main body of the cove I tossed a white and silver blade spinner bait and hooked/landed 2 more 12 inch bass, and lost what I am certain was a good size Pike at side of the boat, good thing too, cause I forgot my net... As I headed towards the tunnels, I flipped a Senko up against the rocks on both sides but got no hits on it. Paddled through the tunnels, (which I always gives me the creeps) and started up again with the HT on the surface, along the western shore. Nothing. Paddled through the goopy surface weeds, still throwing the frog, (no hits) and spotted a guy in a siver canoe about halfway to the back of the cove boating something under his bobber. Watched him boat a crappie. And then a few minutes later, another crappie. After his 3rd in 10 minutes I paddled over, said hi, and saw he was using minnows. He was happy, said they were "great eating", I commented on not wanting to die of some wierd cancer, would never risk eating anything out of this toxic area, and left him to his crappie fest. Saw 4 yaks out towards the back of the cove, figured they had already tapped out the area and headed back to the other side of route 3. Half way back on the east side of the cove a medium size (20" or so) pike slammed my frog, came completely out of the water, and disappeared with the lure... Must be getting near pike season. Next time I hit the CT river, I guess I'll be sure to have a heavy leader on all my setups. (At least on the topwater, spinnerbaits and diving lures.) Landed one more smallish bass along that tree line, and decided that was all for me, since the sun was now breaking through, and the water level was getting really low. Very satisfied with the top water action! Next weekend, I'm gonna give Chapman Cove a shot, depending on the tides and weather.

[PECo]

Nice. I paddled the same area on Friday. Stupid me didn't check the tide tables before leaving the house and launched my kayak just as dead low tide hit at 7:30 am. I didn't get a nibble or a swirl until 9:00 am, on the other side of the culvert that runs under Route 3. And, even then, I had downshifted to drop-shotting three inch Gulp! Minnows, so the fish I caught were a small black crappie and a couple of decent bluegills. But as the water started to move faster, I boated a three pound largemouth bass with a wacky-rigged five inch Senko next to the riprap of the upper channel:



I ended up boating four more largemouth bass, only one of which was a short.

I think you should always check the tide tables before fishing the river. I prefer to launch at high tide and fish as the water level drops.
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Don't forget to wear sunscreen and don't litter!

[imsafanct]

Nice job guys.

Bill and I hit Wethersfield Cove again Saturday morning for pike as the storm front was approaching. The wind just got stronger as the morning got on and we eventually had no more trolling motor juice at around 11:00AM. Bill won the day with two small largemouths, a nice pickerel and this 4+ pounder, which he caught in a laydown on a black & blue 1/2 oz. jig. I missed a bunch of fish and only landed one small largemouth on a senko.

I hope to get back to Keeney soon to see if I can continue my luck there and maybe grab some pike there if they're starting to become active.

Again, nice job at Keeney guys.



-Eric