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#1812195 - 04/14/21 09:21 PM SHAD! 2021
No Fish Today Offline

Member

Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1346
I've gotten off to a slow start this year. I went out beginning in mid-March, here and there. After fishing all but daily over the last 2 weeks, I didn't get so much as a nibble until yesterday afternoon.

Tuesday, 13.April:
Arrived ~4:30pm after work. The water has been way down, for want of rain and snowmelt, so I went to the Bissell boat launch rather than Bart's where I had spent most of the last month, and the preceding week. Half a dozen regulars were plying the water, but with no shad on the bank. Just before 5:pm, I had a solid hookset, and after a few minutes, netted a feisty buck, ~2#. Finally, my first shad of the year, and as usual, my vitamin shad (one-a-day). Only saw 1 lone alewife caught after that, and not another thing. I left about 6:30pm. (For those who keep score, the hook up came on a hammered silver in bright green w/black dot.) Water temp was in the mid-to-upper 50º F range, flow was fair and linear. A 1/2 oz or 5/8 oz drail was plenty for me, altho' others were throwing 3/4 oz.

Wednesday, 14.April:
The Surf Nazis were hogging the bottom of the ramp at Bissell, and rather than waste my time dodging those no account self-raised bastids, I headed down to Bart's. The water was as low as I've seen it this year, the footings on the RR bridge are exposed. However the water was clear, the current was flowing pretty well, and the water temp was just shy of 60º F. Only 2 regulars were plying the banks when I got there, but by 5:pm there were 9 of us spread along the bank. One of the original 2 had 3 hits between 3:30pm and 4:pm, he landed 2, lost 1, and kept one. About 5:pm the fella to my left landed a small buck. And that was all she wrote. I left about 5:30pm; no fish today.

Tackle:
Rod: a one-piece Ugly Stik, 4'6" U/L Pro
Reel: a Penn 4200 SS, spooled with 15# Power Pro

Terminal Tackle: 5/8 oz drail over a 3', 8# flouro leader, and willow leaves. I threw leaves in hammered brass in yellow w/red dot (until I lost it), a hammered copper unpainted, and a hammered silver in green and white w/black dot.

While the season got off to a very slow start this year, it is picking up. Most reports I'm getting of shad caught, come from earlier in the day. Morning, and early to mid-afternoon, with any bite (if it can be called that) shutting down after ~4:pm most days. Hopefully we get some real rain to raise the water level and temp, and the current.

Tight lines!


Edited by No Fish Today (04/14/21 09:22 PM)

George Darrell ...

I support "PETA",
"People Eating Tasty Animals"
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Fishing Info
#1812198 - 04/15/21 07:16 AM Re: SHAD! 2021 [Re: No Fish Today]
O-BASS Offline

Member

Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 20124
You have no idea how happy I am to see this report! Welcome back George!
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#1812207 - 04/15/21 11:32 AM Re: SHAD! 2021 [Re: No Fish Today]
MikeV Offline

Member

Registered: 07/07/03
Posts: 2354
Loc: Tolland
George,

Nice Report. Great effort. I am thinking the shad will be in thick in the next week or so. Weather permitting, I will probably try launching at Thompsonville to work just north of the old Enfield Dam on Saturday or Sunday. I will report if I get out.

MikeV
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#1812211 - 04/15/21 01:07 PM Re: SHAD! 2021 [Re: MikeV]
cat_in_the_hat Offline

Member

Registered: 04/16/04
Posts: 2193
Loc: Tolland CT
Originally Posted By: MikeV
George,

Nice Report. Great effort. I am thinking the shad will be in thick in the next week or so. Weather permitting, I will probably try launching at Thompsonville to work just north of the old Enfield Dam on Saturday or Sunday. I will report if I get out.

MikeV


The line of white water shore to shore past the 190 bridge and the continuous booming whenever the outboard motor is off is notice that you need to be very aware of your circumstances launching at Thompsonville and proceeding south.

Make sure you have a very dependable outboard. If it fails make sure you have a trolling motor strong enough to make headway against the current, or at least able to make it to a shore before being swept into the Enfield rapids. Failing that have a very good reliable grabbing anchor to hold bottom reliably and means to signal/call for help.

If you drift into the rapids expect to be capsized. Rescuers will find the boat. They will probably find you if you are wearing full vest PFDs. If so, survival chances fair. If not wearing vest PFD they should find you when the water gets low.

All that said the shad fishing there is fantastic. Shad hold and rest there a while in large numbers after making it through the Enfield rapids on their migration north.

I will try to find safer areas to troll the CT river for shad, hope to start by launching Ferry Park Rocky Hill Monday and trolling south to The Wall in Cromwell. During the shad season I will work my way north exploring various regions of the river and will share what I learn here in my shad thread.
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#1812218 - 04/15/21 02:37 PM Re: SHAD! 2021 [Re: No Fish Today]
O-BASS Offline

Member

Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 20124
I would really enjoy doing this, but have no gear for it. If possible, can I meet one of you shoreside for a morning of casting this coming week? I get my second shot tomorrow am, so I am going to be fully set if thats a concern. Let me know what to buy for shad lures, and do I need a drail? Id rather not throw one if not needed.

Never caught a shad in my life.
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#1812222 - 04/15/21 03:05 PM Re: SHAD! 2021 [Re: O-BASS]
cat_in_the_hat Offline

Member

Registered: 04/16/04
Posts: 2193
Loc: Tolland CT
Originally Posted By: O-BASS
I would really enjoy doing this, but have no gear for it. If possible, can I meet one of you shoreside for a morning of casting this coming week? I get my second shot tomorrow am, so I am going to be fully set if thats a concern. Let me know what to buy for shad lures, and do I need a drail? Id rather not throw one if not needed.

Never caught a shad in my life.


If you fish Quabbin, I assume you have a Massachusetts fishing license? There are easy shore options where no boots needed on the Chicopee, also Holyoke-South Hadley 116 bridge area: Slimshad Point and the South Hadley boat launch. Or, plan a drive south to The Wall in Cromwell late afternoon to early evening if you are a night owl, sunrise if you can manage. Advise your interests.
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#1812224 - 04/15/21 03:18 PM Re: SHAD! 2021 [Re: No Fish Today]
O-BASS Offline

Member

Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 20124
Wouldnt mind the early sunrise shift on "the wall" , wherever this is in cromwell.

Do not have a mass license and wont be fishing quabbin this season so that is out.
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#1812245 - 04/15/21 05:48 PM Re: SHAD! 2021 [Re: No Fish Today]
MikeV Offline

Member

Registered: 07/07/03
Posts: 2354
Loc: Tolland
Paul,

Thanks. I will respect the Enfield dam. My two week wait after Covid Shot # 2 is up middle of next week. I will contact you to see
if you would like to take a trip on the CT River somewhere (Your pick).

Mike V

Looking forward to not having to fish solo. I will catch up with the rest of you shortly.
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#1812251 - 04/15/21 06:37 PM Re: SHAD! 2021 [Re: No Fish Today]
No Fish Today Offline

Member

Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1346
O-Bass, MikeV, and Paul, thanks fellas. It's good to be back. Obviously I didn't go out this afternoon after work. After drizzling a little in the afternoon, it started pouring when I left work. Tomorrow looks worse.

O-Bass, Saturday morning at "The Wall" should be good. They've been doing fairly well there recently, and the 411 is that this rain, w/rising water & temp, and faster current should help things pick up.
I will be heading over there myself, but NOT for sunrise, LOL! For equip't, most people use medium to heavy bass tackle. I'm--er, different... crazy I usually use an U/L set up, even at the Wall. Unless I need to throw heavier than 3/4 oz, then I use a med-action rod w/Penn 4500SS. Use whatever bass set-up you have, it will be plenty. The terminal tackle matters most.

You will want to throw a drail, min. 3/4 oz., and up to 1 oz. or even 1-1/2 oz if the water is high and ripping. Join the Merry Pranksters on the Wall, we'll learn ya. I've got enough gear to get you started, and a guy who makes and sells terminal tackle (leaves and weights) will most likely be there, too. I can always give him a call if we need his services.

George Darrell ...

I support "PETA",
"People Eating Tasty Animals"
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#1812260 - 04/15/21 08:05 PM Re: SHAD! 2021 [Re: O-BASS]
ecurB Offline

Can you eat that ?

Registered: 06/06/10
Posts: 1614
Originally Posted By: O-BASS
Wouldnt mind the early sunrise shift on "the wall" , wherever this is in cromwell.

Do not have a mass license and wont be fishing quabbin this season so that is out.


Mike , Google directions to Cromwell Landing Park and it will bring you just upriver from the wall . It will bring you down Wall St . Wall St ends at River Rd and you'll see the park in front of you . Take a right and you'll see a gravel lot with a big bollard at either end . That's the wall .

.

"Politically correct" was initially coined by Leon Trotsky to refer favorably to those whose views remained in sync with the ever-shifting Bolshevik Party line. This was important, as "not PC" people risked prison or death.
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