Thames River Thursday any takers? - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Got Stripers · 01-08-2001, 05:11 PM

I finally took a drive down to Norwich CT to check out the Thames this past Friday. Got my license for 2001 and I'm going to give it a shot on Thursday since the high temp might actually get into the low 40's. There was a guy out striper fishing in a small boat while I was there Friday, but I didn't stay long enough to see if he was having any luck. I'm curious if any of you die hards are interested in giving it a shot with me on Thursday. The marina across the street sells 3 day and season licenses. I bought a $25 year round license, which is a deal compared to what I pay for my own resident license.

I will probably get an early start to get on the water around mid morning. It's about an 1-1/2 hours to the ramp in Norwich, so I figure I'll try to hit the road around 8:30am. Let me know if anyones looking to wet a line, tight lines.

Saltheart · 01-08-2001, 05:17 PM

FYI , there is a guy who regularly sends out reports on how he's doing in the Thames River over the winter. Its the RISAA email list (or SNESA). Anyway , if you search for RISAA you should be able to get on the mailing list and get these reports. I believe he goes in the afternoons mostly. He catches tons of fish and tags them for ALS. It might be Al Anderson but I'm not sure.

JohnR · 01-08-2001, 05:28 PM

I'm interested!! IF, I can get away from work AND get an OK from Da Wife.... Lets look into it...

John

Got Stripers · 01-08-2001, 05:49 PM

Be great to fish with you John so let me know. Send me your email address and phone number to rgsiroisco@neaccess.net and we can talk. Don't know what makes sense for you travel wise. I took 495 to 95 to 295 to 6 to 395 down to Norwich. Didn't go 95 all they way south and then north on 395, because the above looked quicker and avoided the downtown and any CT tolls. Maybe a meet on RT 6, but we can talk.

I plan on meeting up with some NY guys from another board who have experience with the winter stripers down there, but looks like a week or two at the earliest for us getting together. I figured I'd hit it Thursday for yuks and to get familiar with the river. I think it will all be dependant on water temps and tides, but I'm not sure on either.

Well give me a call in the office 781 293-6222 any time during the day, tight lines.

chris L · 01-08-2001, 06:45 PM

GS
That made me laugh . we dont have tolls anymore We're a 1-800 state ( toll free ). No more massive death crashes at the tolls . Now we just have way too much construction and traffic on the highways . They are really fixing he highways just in the wrong areas

Wish I could go on Friday too much work . In December I know Al Anderson caught a lot of fish in the upper Thames in Norwich.
Also reports of fish being caught to 30 lbs in Montville . Its been warm enough ( lol ) to keep the ice only near the shores and thin .
Check the Fisherman Wednesday in the Ct coast report under Preston and Mystic .

Got Stripers · 01-08-2001, 08:13 PM

Can't seem to find the reports you guys mentioned. Love to look at them, along with any information on productive presentations for the winter. I've found a couple articles on the Web, but they seemed geared more for late fall and early spring. Looks like it will be lead heads and plastic, based on what I read. I'll be happy to just be out taking some casts, even if that means spending 3 hours total driving/towing the boat, lol. I'm a diehard what can I say, tight lines.

Fisherwoman · 01-09-2001, 11:21 AM

GS you are killin me!!!!!! LMAO, I would love to go but already have other plans, and the way the shoulder feels lately it probably wouldn't be a good idea. Best of luck to you if you make it down, let us know how you make out.

JohnR · 01-09-2001, 01:10 PM

:'(
GS, I really don't think I can go. Just too much happening at work and home... I was looking for that Thames article from OTW but no luck - probably in some moving box or another. Did Schollie Monster ever get that to you??

The bucktail jig with gruns and other soft plastics were the lure of choice if I remember right...

Good luck,

John

schoolie monster · 01-09-2001, 01:46 PM

Got Stripers,

I would love to go, but there's two guys out of the department on training for the week and that leaves me and my boss to handle any problems (of the computer variety)... and my boss hasn't been on the support side for a few years and would probably just break stuff.

Maybe next time if the offer comes again. Thanks.

John, that article is from the Nov1999 OTW and I still have it if you need a copy. I shrunk it down to fax to GS so I have a 8X11 copy.

Good luck GS and let us know how it goes...

Got Stripers · 01-09-2001, 04:28 PM

I'm getting busy myself and Thursday might be tough now. I'm thinking Saturday now if that works any better for you John & SM, although I still might try to get down there Thursday.

Let me know if Saturday works, tight lines.

Saltheart · 01-09-2001, 05:47 PM

Here is the RISAA link. Somewhere on there is how you get on the mailing list. If all esle fails , email you address to Steve Medeiros and ask him to add you to the RISAA(SNESA) mailing list. Beware , you'll get lots of mail. Some good , some a waste.
http://www.risaa.org/

JohnR · 01-10-2001, 11:27 AM

GS,
:'(
I can't go Thursday or Saturday, unfortunately. I need to do some upgrades around the house this weekend, finish a fishing rod, and have my wife understand that I'm not having too much fun during the time she gets little sleep. I'm hoping to break away for 2-3 hours to go to the Prov Boat Show but that's about it... Plus my niece gets home hopefully on Sunday so I'll want to spend some time there.

Think you'll be hitting the boat show at all? I'm not in the right position to get one but I do want to check some out so that when the time is right next year or the year after, I'll have daydreamed about it enough to be more certain of what I want... :P

nightstalker · 01-28-2001, 01:37 PM

ah, the thames river bass fishing. norwich harbor is full of bass!! if anybody goes up there, forget vertical jigging, yes thats right. small frames with wire line is the answer. tiny tubes or shad bodies on your frame is the outfit. january up in the harbor, the bite is still going strong. capt. al anderson just resently had a write up in the "fisherman" about winter thames fishing. take my advise, do exactly as he wrote about. don' t make a long trip to norwich to vertical jig as some other write ups have talked about. i live local and have put many hours up there. good fishing.

Slipknot · 01-28-2001, 04:11 PM

Well what's wrong with that ? If you don't want to wire line then casting shadbody jigs can be fun. I got a 15 lber 2 weeks ago casting a jig. Bob and alot of others were doing well with casting and vertical jigging. Besides there is not as good a fight in the winter so it makes it even less with wire. Wire is ok for capt.Al since he tags the fish but not too sporting in my opinion. There are definately alot of fish there and some big ones too.