Spaulding Pond, CT Fishing Report

Great Day Catching My First Channel Catfish

My college workload is still light, so I took a little road trip to Connecticut with my Dad in the hopes of crossing a new species off my list: Channel Catfish. I chose Spaulding Pond because it is the closest to my home, and seems to have consistent action. I arrived a little after 2 pm and met 3 other anglers, who pulled out a channel catfish they had just caught to show me. I was very impressed because I had never even seen one before. I set up my medium action rod with 8 lb test with shiners, and my ultralight rod with 4 lb line with chicken liver. Around 30 minutes later, the shiner got bit, and I hooked a nice fish. Minutes later, I slipped my net under my first channel catfish measuring 16 inches, not a bad start. A few minutes later, the chicken liver got bit, and I hooked another fish that broke my 4 lb line shortly after being hooked. Note to self: backreel if this rod gets bit again, and bring a heavier rod next time. The ultralight rod is not really suitable for the job. About an hour later though, I got a second chance. The shiner rod got bit again by a fish that felt bigger than the last one. After a fun fight, I landed my second channel catfish which measured 20 inches and weighed 2 lbs. Literally seconds after catching that fish, the chicken liver got bit once again. This time however, I was very careful. I backreeled and had an epic fight with a catfish that went so long, it drew an audience from several people walking around the park. The fish measured 18 inches, but it felt like a monster because the rod was so light. I now had my limit of 3 catfish, so I left more than satisfied. I will be posting a recipe for catfish within the next week, so keep an eye out for that. Tight lines!

• Added By: newenglandangler on 09/14/19 10:14 PM
• Location: Spaulding Pond, CT
• Report Date: 9/14/2019
• # of Hotspots: 1
• # of Photos: 3
• # of Fish Caught: 3
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