The One That Got Away
Pat and I went to the upper Mystic on my boat yesterday. We didn't get on the wated until 4:30ish. My trolling motor s*** the bed right off the bat, so I knew it would be a f***ed up trip. We tried a few spots in some shallow water in the back first, but with out the trolling moter it was impossible. Eventually we make our way back to the ramp area where an old dock is all stumps now. I'm sure you know the one. Pat flipped a creature bait into the dead middle of it and got whacked. I heard his drag take off immediatly. When I looked over, this monsters head and half of his body came out of the water. When I say it was a pig, I mean it was a f***in pig. Had to go at least 6-7lbs if I had to guess. I reached down to grab the net, and by the time I picked it up, I heard that terrible noise we have all heard before. h, f***! He spit the hook. It would have been nice to get that one in. We stayed in that spot for another hour hoping he would hit again, but got nothing. On another note, the herring were everywhere. The bass must get huge in this place. I'll bet there are some over 10lbs. We called it a night after that. Braid is a must at that spot. Even if it had not spit the hook, Pat only had on 10lb mono, and might have been broken off on the pillons. Other notes: Way overgrown in the back. The ramp sucks.
They built a fish bridge for them to get up the dam. It's like the one's they use for the American eel. They were getting hammered that night.
I went out to Upper Mystic Saturday night myself, thinking I would try some topwater in the shallows after dark thinking they would come in after the alewives I had seen recently (as I have had luck in the past) but got discouraged by the wind. Just out of curiousity, are these landlocked alewives/herring, or is there some way for them to get up over the dam?