I saw three over 8 last year in one of the old clay pits on route 9 in Berlin during the spawn.. I always underestimate the weight so for me to say they were 8's is shocking. I wouldn't be surprised if someone pulled a 9+ this year out of there.

8's are just pre-spawn 7's anyway

Thanks for reviving this post, Mitch. Is Greg still a member on the site?

I was going to read this whole thread, but it was giving me a headache, so I just read the first and last pages.


A few years back, there were a number of big bass caught in C'wood in the spring, and it generated a lot of "new record is coming" talk. I wrote my feelings on it in my blog. There may be a link to it somewhere in all the pages I skipped. Or not. So here's a link.


FWIW, I believe it's been over 20 years since an 11 pound plus fish has been verified from any CT waters.

Excellent posting Mitch, thanks again.

Some random thoughts on this:

1. It seems 1961 was a great year for land acquisitions in the state of Connecticut. I have launched from many of those locations as I'm sure most of you have, too. I checked out Toll Gate Pond in Greenwich on Google Earth and it looks to be a little swamp right next to the Merrit. But lets be honest here, ain't none of us Po' folks launching anything in Greenwich.

2. Public Access To Fishing Waters, revised in 1962, was available free upon request. A young Representative from Greenwich named Lowell Wiecker saw the absolute foolishness in this and brought forth a bill to the Capital aptly named "No More Shooting Fish in a Barrel". Since the passage of that bill, nothing in the Nutmeg state has been free. At a congratulatory party for Wiecker sources said that the much inebriated representative could be heard mumbling something to the effect "I'm not done with these assholes yet".

3. Raymond Stopka, Lake Satonstall, 1955 record catch for Calico Bass at 3lbs 13 oz. Try telling me this man is not related to our very own JohnS (Stopka)? If so, we now know how the lineage for all things panfish has been passed along. Congrats John - DNA verification pending.

4. I was unaware that the CT river held pike previous to the stocking program out of Haddam Meadows. The Bulletin reports that the Connecticut River shows indications that this waterway has tremendous sport fishing potential and is largely unexploited. Wasn't the river extremely polluted in the early 60's? Glad they got that one figured out.

5. As if there hasn't been enough foolishness in this post, how incredible would it be to transport yourself and all of your gear, electronics and boat back to 1961 for a week and fish any of the bodies of water that you fish now, back then?