CT River Cat Fishing 4/23

 Last night we decided that with the first real rain in quite some time and most likely murky conditions that we would skip the bass and pike fishing and do some cat fishing. Armed with mackerel, circle hooks, head lamps and our bait runner reels we meant business. The current was ripping and it was tough to hold bottom in the current but we made it work. The action started quickly and we found out fast that it wasn't cats messing with us it was eels. We caught 3 and were stripped of bait countless times until we decided to move down a bit out of the rocky area in hope of finding our main target.

White Cat w/ the tail still in mouth

  It was a good call. As it was starting to get dark the action got crazy, wasn't more than 5 minutes between hits for the next hour or so. Josh got the first catfish of the year. A White Cat. They have round fins and very wide heads with slightly pinkish fins so dont let them fool you. Most people assume its either a channel or a bullhead. They are not!

Channel Cat

Josh went to using a smaller hook where i stayed with the 6/0 which was probably a mistake. I continued to set into nothing for probably 8 hits straight. While Josh was on a roll. He ended up getting 1 Channel 2 Whites 3 Bullhead and 1 Eel. I got one Channel on my last cast of the night. We left due too running out of bait. Definitely will be going back for more soon!

Bullhead

Night Ender Channel

Giant Calico and Lots of Bass! 04/10

Chatterbait

Chatterbait

  Josh got us an invite to fish a private lake on Tuesday night. Said it had a lot of largemouth in it and he wasn't lying. I started with a spinner bait and got one on my first cast. Josh threw a jig with not much action. Then we both tied on rubber worms and they were slamming them. Missed a whole bunch more due too the wind and not being able to feel or see your hits. So i went too a storm minnow and josh tied on a chatterbait. Chatterbait is a new lure to both of our tackle boxes this year. Josh immediately had success on it. Every spot that you would think would have a bass on it did. 

It was almost laughable at one point. Down tree bass, rock wall bass, small cove opening bass. We were on a roll. We didnt know what other kinds of fish were there but i was the one too find out there were crappie and large ones at that. The first one i got was 12 inches and the second one was 15.5 inches. It hit so hard and was giving me a serious fight so i assumed largemouth. WRONG. I yelled to josh, you have too see thisss! We took a few pics and tossed it back. Then i tied back on a spinner as i got dark and kept catching largies. Was a blast fishing a new place and having that kind of action.


Totals for the night:

Josh: 11 LMB

Me  : 12 LMB, 2 Calico

CT River Shore Fishing 4/07

 After a long day of fishing yesterday nothing sounded better than going out and giving it another try..I got a call from Josh that him and his brother Jay went out in kayaks to chapman pond. They got the skunk and the wind picked up so they wanted to go do some fishing from shore. So i made the drive from North Haven to Chester to meet them. Before i got there Josh and Jay already had landed a bass each. Both on bass jigs.


 The water was crystal clear and the fish were all up shallow but the bass weren't in the biting mood. As you would get close enough to cast you would see them swim off. We decided to give the pike fishing a shot and id say it was a good decision. Walked down to the inlet all throwing jerkbaits. I was throwing a swithwich red and gold, Jay was throwing a large perch xrap and Josh was using a yosuri silver and blue jerkbait. 

After a few minutes Jay is the first one screaming Pike! It was his first time out this season after becoming a dad recently and we were beyond psyched to have him get on some fish. It was about a 22-24 inch Pike and it gave him a good solid fight. Was also his first pike on his new pike rod. Five minutes after i cast right where Josh was just fishing (sorry) and Bammmmm rod loads up and i set and see a huge flash swinging side to side like a snake. I knew it was a bigger pike than anything i had caught this season. It literally barrel rolled over and over the whole fight and i thought for sure my line would snap. I had a 2 foot 20lb Mono Leader and 20lb braid so my odds were against me. I yelled for Jay or Josh to come over to help me land her and Jay was there first. He jumped down off the rocks and grabbed her for me. The line was wrapped around her face and gills probably six times so we cut the line took some pics and let her go.  After that i got two largemouth on a white spinner bait and Josh got one more bass on the jig and one calico on a hair jig.  Good couple hours of fishing. Thanks Jay for getting that fish on shore and thanks josh for untangling the mess.

Personal Best Rod & Reel Northern Pike @ 31 inches

Good Friday w/ Larry ( smallmouth/pike )

 So today Josh and I headed down to seymour at 5:30 this morning to met up with fellow CTF member Larry Johnson (unknownangler).  He took us out today on his boat to a hidden location. So secretive that we had to wear blindfolds on the way and had to promise to not reveal where we fished to anyone, not even Jesus himself.  We got on the water at around 7am and it was very cold and water temps were down to 43 degrees. 

red!

2lb 13 oz 

 I got the first fish of the day, a monster 8 inch smallmouth that didn't fight at all felt like i was reeling in a leaf. Who knew at that time that after 8 more hours of fishing that would be my only fish. Thats when the Josh show began, he got on a roll with a deep diving white xrap. He ended up getting 6 smallies, one being just under 3 lbs.  All of them had really red eyes, which happens before they spawn. Really cool too see.

 I missed a small pike that hit right between the hooks then not five minutes later Josh hooks into a fish again with the xrap and knew it was a pike. It wasn't a big pike but it was great to see one in a new place that we hadn't fished before. Right after that i swing and miss on another pike. Was very frustrating. Then Larry who was trying to break the Skunk gets crushed by a 30 inch plus northern on a small rapala and didn't get a hook in it, threw it out again. Slammed it and nope.... didn't hook up. 

Our minds were blown! 

Josh's Pike

  It was a day of being teased by fish, with the temps being down the fish weren't feeling all that aggressive. But the highlight of the day was Larry deciding to stop on the bank and as he jumped out of the boat his foot got caught in his rods and somehow he sunk into the sand with one foot, head started heading towards the ground...( time stood still for a moment ) and he leaped forward an amazing 8 feet minimum and saved what looked like an inevitable face too sand collision.  He was okay and we moved on while laughing about it for hours... Larry ended up getting a smallie before we left.  We had a great day regardless of the fishing. Always a blast with Larry. A class act in everyway and he is a riot too fish with.  The ball busting and the laughs dont stop. Looking forward too the next time already buddy!


Totals for the boat were:                                                                           

-8 Smallies
-1 Pike 

  Lure of the Day:

X-Rap Deep Shad  6-12' Glass Ghost

Slow day on Bantam / Evening redemtion on CT River 04/01

Part 1. ( Bantam )


This morning we headed up to Bantam Lake in Morris CT to do some bass fishing. Normally would be Pike fishing but Pike season is closed from March 1st through April. When we arrived at 7:45am the water was as calm as ive ever seen it but the launch had 5 boats already there fishing. We fished the south shore most of the day. Used some steel leaders and 20lb floro leaders in case a pike decides to hit. 

The day was rough, we got zero bass. I missed one smallie and josh got one pikeral and one perch. I got the SKUNK!  I had a few swing and misses on the jerk bait but that was the only action i had. Water temps after this cold week were down too 46 degrees which were 55 a week 
ago. The wind picked up and the action never did so we left.

Part 2. ( CT River )


 From there we drove back to Wallingford. Had a little ceasars 5 dollar pizza and decided that bantam had left a bad taste in our mouths not the pizza and we headed down to the river. With the temps this week we weren't sure what too expect but the water clarity has improved a ton and that was a good sign right off the bat. I threw a emerald green xrap the whole time and had a few quick swings with no hook up. I take a cast in between a few down logs and bammm fish on! Knew it wasnt huge but dam did it give me a good fight. I saw immediately it was a pike not not a sike (pikeral) and told myself dont lose it. Today has sucked enough and ive drove across most of the state, Lets me have my one fish! Got it.. 


My seasons best so far probably 4-5 lbs around 26 inches. Was pike number 10 for me which is already 4 more than i got last year total.  Still waiting for one of the big girls too hit but until then ill take a pike like this any day.  After a few pics and setting him free i got one pikeral and had 4 more pike follow me and wiff.  All in all saved my bad day and saw some signs that things may soon be picking up. 

Until next time...