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MFF US Northeast => Massachusetts => Topic started by: stripernut on Jul 29, 2020, 05:23 PM

Title: Night time paddle
Post by: stripernut on Jul 29, 2020, 05:23 PM
With such a nice night I loaded up the SUV and headed to a section of the Conn River that is tough to run a boat too. With the canoe, battery, trolling motor, pontoons, and everything else it takes me 7 trips back and forth to be fully "Pimped Out" the canoe... I did not start til late as I was just interested in fishing at night so, in the end, I pushed off at about 9 pm. The 1/2 moon was bright and I did not get any hits on anything until it set. Much of this trip was to see where I could get to with water hight and current flow and I learned much. One of the most interesting was that even with this hot water you can still find walleye coming into very shallow flats <2', but getting them to hit was a different story...  Plenty of rock bass and a few smallmouths with the best throwing the hook, nothing worth breaking out the camera for. I did not get to where I wanted, but still a great night out and now I have a better idea of how to go about it next time. If anyone has some good ideas on what to use for walleye in a foot of water (VERY spookable), please let me know. I have gotten some in the past on topwater, but not last night. I did try a shallow running swimmer with no luck... Next time I think I will bring a trout rod and really try for stealth... I pulled out at about 2 am and was surprised how much heavier a Group 27 battery after using it (and having to carry it uphill)... The beavers weren't too bad and the howling coyotes brought a lot of music for the night. It beat watching TV, but I think walking 5 miles of Quabbin shore line may have been easier but fishing the Conn. River you never know what you will catch!
Title: Re: Night time paddle
Post by: bogtrotter on Jul 29, 2020, 06:26 PM
Quite an account - - and a great sketch of a memorable night on the waters (particularly with the sidebar about the beavers and the coyoutes) - - even if the fishing might not have een all you'd hoped for.

I imagine you must have been wiped out by the time you got home if you fished from 9 PM to 2 AM.
Title: Re: Night time paddle
Post by: stripernut on Jul 29, 2020, 09:30 PM
Crawled into bed at 3:30 and was out working on the new stairs for the deck today, work on the boat tomorrow, and head to the salt Friday... Looks like it will be very flat, I may run out for some haddock and whatever else might bite. As I always say (sometimes as I am yawning) "I will sleep when I am dead"...
Title: Re: Night time paddle
Post by: lowaccord66 on Jul 30, 2020, 06:51 AM
Nice Allan.  My buddy has had luck with rattle traps for them shallow like that.  I prefer a stick bait or a jighead with a crawler segment on it....granted I've not encountered them that shallow.
Title: Re: Night time paddle
Post by: stripernut on Jul 30, 2020, 07:27 AM
They were holding in the current in some backwater only about 2 ft at its deepest. Very spooky and some looked to be a good size. I think I will try some smaller topwater and smaller stick bait next time...
Title: Re: Night time paddle
Post by: lowaccord66 on Jul 30, 2020, 08:35 AM
They were holding in the current in some backwater only about 2 ft at its deepest. Very spooky and some looked to be a good size. I think I will try some smaller topwater and smaller stick bait next time...

My juices are flowing...what about a streamer?  How cool would it be catching one on the fly.
Title: Re: Night time paddle
Post by: Steve H. on Jul 30, 2020, 10:28 AM
My juices are flowing...what about a streamer?  How cool would it be catching one on the fly.

I was thinking the same.  Very stealthy, for sure.  Though fly fishing in the dark can be tough if you get tangled.
Title: Re: Night time paddle
Post by: lowaccord66 on Jul 30, 2020, 12:16 PM
I was thinking the same.  Very stealthy, for sure.  Though fly fishing in the dark can be tough if you get tangled.

Yes it can. Have literally hit myself in the head with a mouse pattern more times than I want to remember...speaking of...I have to assume they'd eat a mouse.
Title: Re: Night time paddle
Post by: SkunkLuvver on Jul 31, 2020, 11:33 PM
If you’re talking about the area I think you are, I proposed to my lady on the island just up from your put in. (She said yes)

She’s giving me the day off tomorrow so gong to plunk the yak and see how far upstream I can get.
Water levels are making things tricky in daylight... navigating in the dark must’ve been interesting.

I love that area. (If it’s where I think you’re referring to)
Title: Re: Night time paddle
Post by: SalmonAndStriper Stalker on Aug 01, 2020, 07:55 AM
if its that area I'm thinking as well and you are putting in at a certain street I hear that they are not letting people be down there anymore. I guess the path down is private property and they are calling police i hear....
Title: Re: Night time paddle
Post by: stripernut on Aug 01, 2020, 08:22 AM
If you are talking about Poplar St. you can still put in under the bike trail... Not as nice, but I can understand the property owners being upset with all the trash people leave down there.
Title: Re: Night time paddle
Post by: SalmonAndStriper Stalker on Aug 01, 2020, 09:01 AM
If you are talking about Poplar St. you can still put in under the bike trail... Not as nice, but I can understand the property owners being upset with all the trash people leave down there.
ill have to check that out. i always thought it was a extremely steep cliff there.
Title: Re: Night time paddle
Post by: stripernut on Aug 01, 2020, 11:05 AM
There is a path but it is not like a sandy beach... I have done it and it looks like I will be doing it again... If you like fishing from the sandy beach you could put in there and paddle up to the sand bar and fish, they can't own that, just the path to it.