I went out to Bissell yesterday afternoon, 4.May: The water was up a couple of feet from my last trip (1.May) but still below the last cleat on the ramp; clear, flowing, and a little choppy owing to a stiff breeze out of the NW-NNW. It remained heavily overcast, with occasional passing showers. On arrival, about 4:30 pm there was one small shad in a bucket on the bank, and less than a dozen regulars between the parking lot and on the water combined. I warmed up with a few alewives, all C & R, and finally landed one middlin' buck ~3#, and promptly released him after a Kodak Moment ™. It was enough to keep the skunk off. By the time I left a little after 6:pm, there were a half dozen shad on the bank.

Terminal tackle: 5/8 oz drail, over ~3' of 8# flouro, and hammered silver willows in red/white w/black dot, orange w/black dot, and the shad'y orange/yellow/white w/eye spot on which I got my vitamin shad.


This afternoon after work, I arrived at Bissell to similar conditions of wind, weather and water. The water was up to the last cleat today, and the wind was blowing more fresh than yesterday but still cold and blowing out of the NW-NNW. At least it didn't rain or drizzle. There were only three people on the bank when I arrived about 4:30 pm, and only one in the parking lot. A half dozen casts into it, I C & R an alewife to warm up. Before 5:pm, I landed ~ 4# roe, which I kept for my table. It was almost 6:pm when I C & R a middlin' buck that might have weighed all of 3#, maybe a couple of ounces over if I thumbed the scale... As I left about 6:15 pm, I saw one small buck shad being landed, and except for one other alewife, there wasn't much catching today.

Terminal tackle: 5/8 oz drail, over 4' of 8# flouro, and hammered silver orange/yellow/white w/eye spot (got the roe on it before I lost the leaf), and red/white w/black spot.

Tight lines!