Last trip of 2007

[Trooper Bri]

I think so anyway, unless the phone rings in the next few hours.

 Met up with Kapt, Frank, Skip, Mitch, and ScottJ today to coax some pike out of Winchester.

 We launched around 6:30 to 7AM, and headed out to some of the visible stumps, punched a mess of holes, and dosed the place good with large shiners and suckers. We were working 8-11ft of water, and running baits 1-3ft off the bottom. Most of the action seemed to happen higher in the column today.

 Frank got us started soon enough with a flag taking line, and was rewarded with a chunky 29" pike. Unfortunately after that, things slowed down to Winchester speed as usual. Not many more flags, resulting in some largies, pickerel, and perch. Skip had a real nice fish on that was smoking the spool, but unfortunately the fish snagged his line in the stumps. Bummer...
 After lunch we moved a couple hundred feet into some different stumps, and were rewarded with more action. More largies and perch, and then Kapt got the golden flag. Another fat, healthy pike that measured 31". Scott had a big fish for a while, but only had 6lb test on that tipup, and got chomped.

 Thought i finally got my first pike today, only to find it was a PB pickerel that came through the hole instead. Maybe 26 or 27". It too snagged my line on a stump. I waited a minute or two, then gave the line a couple quick shakes that freed my line. It saved me from the humiliation of a rat pickerel and small bass tally.

 It's nice to see more pike appearing and getting bigger in Winchester, but the fishing there is still pretty slooooow for the most part. Ice was a nice surprise. 6-7" of good white on black ice. All the snow got incorporated nicely from the rain.

 

[biscuit]

i'm glad to hear about the pike. that's what i'm shooting for this year. that and a boat-load of perch. but i think your friend might have caught a new state record pike. http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2696&q=322678&depNav_GID=1630   unless it weighed a lot less.

[Kapt]

No, no record by any means! It was a nice fish but Pike over 45" have been caught in CT with reports of a couple 50" fish! I'm not sure what the exact record is but my best 18# was not even close I was told!

It was a great day in the NW hills of CT. Awesome weather, food and friends and thats why I ice fish! Catching fish is a bonus! There are a bunch of pic's from our trip on CTF.

[biscuit]

yeah, well i re-read the records in that site i posted and i think the record was 29lbs. i was thinking in inches. so my bad. but i agree..........the fish is the bonus. just bein out there is what it's all about.

[pdbruzassr]

yeah, well i re-read the records in that site i posted and i think the record was 29lbs. i was thinking in inches. so my bad. but i agree..........the fish is the bonus. just being out there is what it's all about.

I get my hair cut in Southington at Bill's Barbershop next to the Milldale Post Office. Bill was the fishing partner of the record holder who passed away several years ago. Bill told my nephew and I that the fish was eaten by the record holder and not mounted. Bill spread his friend's ashes in Lake Lillino ah at  the request of the record holder. I think you can understand why Bill gave up fishing. I believe the picture  and article is still on the shop wall there.
I wish I could see a picture of the record Lake Trout caught in 1918.

[Kapt]

There are some monster Pike in Ct, bigger than many would believe! The REALLY big ones are not spoken about and released, not even pictures. I think it was a DEP guy that had one over 50" from the CT river a few years ago. Maybe Blaine could verify/clarify that story. It may have been electroshocked or netted, not sure if it was a rod and reel fish.

[pdbruzassr]

There are some monster Pike in Ct, bigger than many would believe! The REALLY big ones are not spoken about and released, not even pictures. I think it was a DEP guy that had one over 50" from the CT river a few years ago. Maybe Blaine could verify/clarify that story. It may have been electroshocked or netted, not sure if it was a rod and reel fish.

The rod and reel CT record Northern Pike was caught by Joseph  Nett in 1980 on Lake Lillinohah in Brookfield,  CT. on a 14' rowboat. What a sleigh ride on the river.
It is different now with better techniques, equipment; and electronics.

[Danderson]

nice trip guys