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.