Wethersfield Cove...species!

[BWB-ice]

Hit up the cove on Saturday to try my luck at producing some perch n crappie.   I’ve always targeted bigger species...largemouth, smallies, pike, etc.
I’ve jigged up both passing the time while waiting for flags.   Hear they are delicious but never brought some home for the table.
So I go there with smaller set ups, medium shiners, small jigs...
The day started slow but picked up and I was eventually chasing flags and getting “jiggy”!
Had a decent mix of perch, crappie, gills and even some bait fish!





I kept the perch and crappie to try my culinary skills...delicious!
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I decided to go back there on Sunday but this time with some big baits...live and dead.
Wasn’t as successful but managed a real fat pickerel that went about 22”-23”.  Great fight. No pike but I did manage this...

The guy next to me was loaded for pike as well but didn’t find any.  He caught al large pickerel as well and ended up with six bowfine!!!

I didn’t know they were that prevalent in there.
Any way you look at it I had two great days on the ice!



Some of the fish I caught the day before...


Managed to stay hydrated...Dr’s orders😉



So two days on the cove...largemouth, perch, crappie, gills, pickerel, bowfine and a number of baitfish, one of which I caught the bowfine on!!!
Gotta luv that place!

[thndrvlly]

Nicely done!! Luv that place, flag goes up you never know what’s coming thru the ice.

[Global Warming in CT]

Bowfin are really good eating. I got some for the first time in NH thus winter and was pleasantly surprised. "Freshwater cod" as they're called.

[Ravo Himself]

Bowfin are really good eating. I got some for the first time in NH thus winter and was pleasantly surprised. "Freshwater cod" as they're called.

That would be a cusk. Completely different than s bowfin. Bowfin are usually regarded as very muddy and mushy

[eiderz]

Bowfin are really good eating. I got some for the first time in NH thus winter and was pleasantly surprised. "Freshwater cod" as they're called.

Are you confusing burbot with bowfin? Burbot/cusk/ling/eelpout etc. is "freshwater cod", a scumsucking bottom dweller. Bowfin is an ancient, savage, hard fighting beast of a fish. Don't know how they taste.

[Global Warming in CT]

Yes, sorry for the confusion. Never got a bowfin in that case! Looks like a fun species to pull through an ice hole though. I will have to try the cove next season if it freezes again.

[wrx2017]

Nice catch. I was right next to you on Saturday. I only managed a few calico, perch, and some bass. That was my first time to the cove. Will have to try again next year, ice pending.

[BWB-ice]

Hey Josh...aka, wrx2017. Sorry we didn’t get the chance to chat!
Next time...
Great day on the ice though.

Here’s a good one...got a flag on the first day and this greedy little guy comes up!

Too funny!!

[MartyMarPlv]

Looks like a good weekend BWB!

[sgalante]

Had my first day there on Saturday. What a great spot! Stacked up the crappies and perch for the first few hours of the day. Left with around 4lbs of fillets and five species under my belt. Only two perch on the tip ups though. Jigging was the name of the game for me.

Closed the day out at Crystal lake where I chased flags the entire time I was there. Pulled up three additional species including this handsome devil that was just an inch too short....



Maybe the best day of Ice fishing ever. Certainly the best "last day" of any season I can remember.

Species caught on 3/9

Bluegill
Sunfish (yup I count both separately... come at me!)
Yellow Perch
Largemouth (the size of my thumb but still a largemouth)
Crappie
Brown Trout
Brook Trout
Pickerel

[lowaccord66]

I thought there was a consumption advisory for the cove?  I like harvesting fish and eating them...but not from there!

[Ravo Himself]

I thought there was a consumption advisory for the cove?  I like harvesting fish and eating them...but not from there!

The only advisory is for the river in general and it only lists catfish as once per month. I keep panfish from there all the time in the winter but I still try to space out my consumption a bit

[lowaccord66]

Ah that makes sense, perhaps the pan fish aren't susceptible to picking up the heavy metals like a catfish.  I guess if you eat canned tuna there isn't much to worry about.