My New PB Largemouth. CT River! by: Josh Rayner

Joe and I started our day at a "pike lake" in Central CT. With the weed kill chemicals leaving a milky green haze in the water, (similar to that of Bantam Lake but worse) we decided to go back to The River. We had been there a couple weeks ago in search of pike, only to find water temps still in the 70's and no pattern had formed. 

Today was similar. Water temps are now down in the 63-65 range. It was slow. We saw more of a presence of pike in our spots today, but they are still in between, as opposed to other fisheries we've been putting some time in to. 

The bass suprised me in a way today, hitting large, gaudy spinnerbaits decked out for enticing pike, run on steel leaders.

On the other hand:

Joe and I heard what sounded like a fish jumping behind us, we both turned to find this at the surface. An 11" bass trying to choke down a 9" perch. Unreal. The barb on the perch's gill plate was stuck in the bass' lip. We successfully seperated them and both fish swam off. 

Working weedlines, working weedlines, a bass here, a perch there, not much happening... BANG! Joe hooks up. It's a pike and a good one at that. It races at the boat, and Joe kept right up with his new burner reel. Never lost tension. Now the fish is boatside with a ton of gusto! The hook pops without warning. We all know that feeling. You did everything right and the unexplainable happens. I even felt that one in the pit of my stomach. Our guess was over 40" and what would have been Joe's personal best.

3 casts later, I hook up on a fish eating from the same school of bait. Feels like a good fish. Pulling line on my Curado. It surfaces, its a bass!? I'm not going to lie, the second I saw this fish I horsed it to the boat and told Joe "lets not mess around here, get the net!" Great assist Joe, thank you.

I'm proud to say this CT. River bass went 6 lbs. 14 oz. and is my personal best.