CT River 4/3/11



Fished the main stem of the river today with hopes of finding some schoolie stripers. Launched from Wethersfield Cove & headed North around 6am. Recent reports said they've been huddled up in the warm water discharge from the power plants, so thats where I was headed. Air temps were around 40 degrees & the water was about the same. 

Zero wind before sun up made for a smooth ride.

As I pulled up to the energy plant the water temps rose to around 53 degrees. This was a good sign. Marked fish along the edge of the shore & around the dock pilings in about 20' of water. The fish were suspended in schools 10' off the bottom. Fished these areas slowly with a 4" chartruese paddletail swim bait, a chrome lipless crank bait, a pearl colored deep diver, then a 5" white slugo - Nothing. 



As I drifted along the dock closer to the discharge of the plant, the water temps rose up to 60 degrees, which was amazing considering 50yds away the water was 42. Around 8am fish started hitting the top of the water inside the fenced off area of the discharge. Looked like bass in the 12-18" range. I moved in for a closer look. The fish were shallow, in 3-6' of water, so I started throwing a 4" storm kicking stick in a shad pattern - Nothing. Slow rolled a smaller natural colored spinnerbait - Nothing. Walked the dog with a 4" top water directly where the fish we're hitting the surface - again Nothing.  Frustration was setting in so I decided to drift down river back towards the cove.

Finally found this smallie hiding in a cluster of pilings along the sunny side of the river. Not a monster, but it sure was nice to have something other than weeds pulling back on the other end of the line. I fished these pilings for another 30 minutes without a bite, so I decided to head into the Cove.

Wind was picking up a bit and the birds weren't working the middle of the cove at all, so I stuck to the NW shoreline & hit the usual spots hoping for some Pike action. Threw spinnerbaits, crank baits, kicking sticks, a jig & pig, paddle tail swim bait, and the kitchen sink - Nothing. Fished the shallow flats in the back of the cove hoping for some prespawn action - Nothing. Finally I had enough and packed it in at 11.

We'll try again next week.