Late report, 3.May: Worked a little later, and arrived behind Bart's ~4:45 pm to find a pile of shadaholics prepping, and practicing for the Shad Derby this weekend. I was able to squeeze into the rock pile. The Farm'y was as high as I've seen it this year, only the points on the bridge abutment footings were above water, and not by much. People were almost casting from the sidewalk. The current was fair, the water turbid, but not coffee or cocoa colored, and not much flotsam. I was too lazy to check the surface temp. By the time I left about 6:pm, a half dozen shad had been landed. I, of course, didn't even get a bump, living up to my handle...

Terminal tackle: a 3/4 oz drail didn't cut the muster, so I stuck with the 1.5 oz drail over 2.5' of 10# flouro, and hammered silver leaves in "Spotty", "Crazy Jack", and Pink w/black dot & a black or white stripe.

May the 4th be with you (4.May, for those in the back row...): I arrived behind Bart's about 4:15 pm, and again found a pile of people lined up on the rock pile. Once again I shoe-horned my way in, and set up for (more) casting practice. The Farm'y hadn't fallen much from yesterday, only about 1' or so. The current was stiffer than yesterday, the water had cleared a bit more, and I measured a surface temp of 53ºF. Over the next hour, only a couple of shad were landed, but the alewives showed up here and there, including a Blueback, the first bucky we've seen this year. After that first hour, things picked up a bit with 4 or 5 more landed, most released (including a 3.2# roe full of eggs), and another couple or 3 lost. I, at least, C&R a couple of alewives to keep the off.

Terminal tackle: I had to stay with the 1.5 oz drail with the current, over a 2'-2.5'leader of 10# flouro, and hammered silver leaves in "Spotty", Pink w/black dot, and Jamaican.

I may, or may not take casting practice on the rock pile tomorrow, and won't Saturday and Sunday due to events with the Jeep club I'm in; gotta try to break something else! Upgrades...
If you're fishing the Derby, good luck!

See you next week. Until then, tight lines!