ctfisherman.com logo
Page 6 of 8 < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >
Topic Options
Rate This Topic
Hop to:
#1786229 - 05/14/20 10:51 PM Re: SHAD! 2020 [Re: No Fish Today]
No Fish Today Offline

Member

Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1347
A tip of the CTFisherman cap to Don D, as well as O' for the kind words. Mitch, do you still have any hats in stock in the "store"? Mine is old, getting worn, and wants replaced. Any way, on to today's outing.

6:30-7:45 pm: Rocky Hill Ferry Park, fishing off the docks. The one dock was crowded with 5 fishing. I chose the Po-Po dock with only person on the end (social distancing, LOL!) The water was running clear, the current was fairly mild (with a 1.5 oz weight, holding bottom wasn't hard), and stayed about the same flow from start to finish. The air was fairly calm as I drove to the park, but by the time I parked the Jeep, the breeze had come up moderate from Middletown (the south), and the water was choppy. Enough chop to move the docks, and my fat old azz don't have sea legs. First cast, and I looked like a NOOB/FNG. The breeze sailed the line over the piling and ferry, where it snagged tight, stranding the terminal tackle on the bottom somewhere in front of said aquatic parking lot...

Yeah, I didn't get that back. After spooling a top shot to replace what line was lost, I promptly dropped the bail on the cast, or fouled the line on it, and lost another rig. F.N.G. banghead About this time, I was joined on the dock by a local kid, who targeted anything to use as bait. Worms caught a chub or dace (didn't get a good look at it), which he live-lined for naught. He then caught a little yellow perch, which he chunked. He had two set ups, and promptly caught a fat cat. He was targeting whisker-fish. Smart kid. He caught 4, and the largest was close to 6# on the scale I let him use because he wondered as he made his Kodak™ moment.

More or less, it was uneventful after the opening shenanigans. To make the long story palatable (HA! This is not short, TLDR), No Fish Today. Upstream on the other dock, I saw 4 shad landed by one regular, one lost by another regular, and a little kid (with his dad), who toward the end, in the span of 20 minutes lost 2 at the dock (he was horsing them). The shad were around, but not for me. All I got was a few short hits, a couple or three head shakes, and slack lines. C'est la guerre.

We'll see what tomorrow brings, and if the weather holds, or not. Tight lines!

<edit for terminal tackle, my bad!>

Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz drail, over 2.5'-3' 8# flouro leader, hammered silver in orange w/black dot, a chartreuse, and a hammered gold, in orange. Orange leaves brought the short strikes.


Edited by No Fish Today (05/14/20 10:58 PM)

George Darrell ...

I support "PETA",
"People Eating Tasty Animals"
Top
Fishing Info
#1786340 - 05/15/20 09:07 PM Re: SHAD! 2020 [Re: No Fish Today]
No Fish Today Offline

Member

Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1347
4:30-7:30 pm: Rocky Hill Ferry Park, fishing off the docks. It was busy at the park on a beautiful Friday afternoon. About 8 people there on arrival, and reports of shad being caught. Water was a turbid, with good current, and the breeze was much the same as yesterday. And finally, it felt like May, rather than March!

I got my vitamin shad on my first cast, a middlin' buck. I reached for my phone for the Kodak™ moment, but I had it in the Jeep. :shrug: I did get some other attention, a couple of short strikes, and a decent 3-4 head shakes before the line went slack. Caught 1 alewife, too. But, the regulars were regularly playing shad. All were released, save for the bleeder that swallowed the hook.

Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz drail, over 2.5'-3' 8# flouro leader, hammered silver chartruese nabbed the shad. Also threw hammered silver in orange w/black dot, pink w/black dot, and hammered gold in chartreuse & green w/red dot.

Tight lines!

George Darrell ...

I support "PETA",
"People Eating Tasty Animals"
Top
#1786386 - 05/16/20 02:46 PM Re: SHAD! 2020 [Re: No Fish Today]
Don D Online   content

Member

Registered: 01/03/02
Posts: 7036
Loc: Bristol, CT
Man, you really put in your time. You know, one these days your going to catch a bunch. Keep those reports coming.

If there are fish to catch. I'll be there to my end.
Top
#1786492 - 05/17/20 10:18 PM Re: SHAD! 2020 [Re: No Fish Today]
No Fish Today Offline

Member

Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1347
Don D, you called it! 2:45-7:30 pm, the docks at Ferry Park.

The weather was warm, with just a slight breeze, which came up a little stiff by 3:30, and slacked before 7:pm. The water was clear, up a little from Friday, and there was some noticeable flotsam in the current. And, surprise, surprise, surprise--it wasn't crowded, there was only one person on the dock. And he left shortly after I arrived. I had the dock to myself for the next couple of hours. And after that, only 6 other people showed up, and not all at once so there were never more than 4 on the dock. Today was a very good day, I caught and released a limit, and then some. And only lost two, one broke me off deep, and I lost another at the net.

About an hour after taking casting practice, I landed a short, but fat buck, and half an hour after that, and I landed another, smaller buck. Another half hour passed, and I landed a 3.5# roe; she kept her head down, stayed deep, and fought well in the current. 10 minutes later I landed another middlin' buck, and at 4:30 another. About 4:45 or so, I landed yet another buck. Just about 15 minutes later landed still another, but the slimy devil, slipped back into the drink before I could snap the picture. Things got quiet for the next hour, but just before 6:pm, I landed another nice, 3.5# roe. 20 minutes later produced another buck. Things settled down for almost an hour, but by 7:10 I took my last Kodak™ moment for the day. And in the midst of the shad run, I caught one, lone, thick Blueback bucky to round out the day.

It's been a couple of years since I've had a day this good. And, the others with me on the dock were also more or less successful. The kid and his dad from Thursday were among them, and the kid caught 5 in less than 2 hours. He's young, probably only 9 or 10, but his dad says he loves to fish, and it shows. As they packed up to leave, during his last cast, he was asking if they could go out again tomorrow. It's fun to see his excitement, and passion for it.

Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz drail, over 2.5'-3' 8# flouro leader, hammered silver in chartreuse & green w/red dot, chartreuse, orange orange w/black dot, and a hammered copper in chartreuse/green w/black dot.

At one point, 3 of us were on at the same time. They would hit almost any bright and shiny color today. Tight lines!


Edited by No Fish Today (05/17/20 10:21 PM)

George Darrell ...

I support "PETA",
"People Eating Tasty Animals"
Top
#1786498 - 05/18/20 06:19 AM Re: SHAD! 2020 [Re: No Fish Today]
earl bird Offline

Member

Registered: 01/25/06
Posts: 1637
Loc: Terryville
A productive day for sure.

Fishing: the art of casting, trolling, jigging, or spinning while freezing, sweating, swatting, or swearing.
Henry Beard and Roy McKie
Top
#1786505 - 05/18/20 08:05 AM Re: SHAD! 2020 [Re: No Fish Today]
Don D Online   content

Member

Registered: 01/03/02
Posts: 7036
Loc: Bristol, CT
Good for you. You need a day like that. I've been there and like I said sooner or later your time in pays off. Great day hope more are coming.

If there are fish to catch. I'll be there to my end.
Top
#1786596 - 05/18/20 10:27 PM Re: SHAD! 2020 [Re: No Fish Today]
No Fish Today Offline

Member

Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1347
4:15-815:pm at Rocky Hill. The weather was nice and mild, the breeze was warm and gentle. It had shifted 180º from yesterday and all of last week, coming down the river from Hartford, as opposed to cold and blustery, up from Middletown/Cromwell to the South. The current was stiff today, making it tricky to hold the bottom. As yesterday, only one person was on the dock when I arrived. He managed two before he left, about 5 pm, a nice fat roe, and a long, fairly thick buck.

I was joined by a friend, and his son. My buddy has been out with me a few times before, his son is an avid fisherman whom had never targeted shad. After getting him rigged up, and given a few pointers, he hooked up fairly quickly. Unfortunately, he lost it when it threw the hook. He repeated the maneuver once more a little while later. After a little more coaching, within an hour he hooked up, and was able to bring it to the net; his shad was cherry broken! Yepper, shad on light tackle is exciting stuff.

During all that, a little after 6, I managed my vitamin shad, a middlin' buck. Other than a short strike, and one little 6" dink schoolie, I had two break me off at depth. At least I got a little action... cha

A couple of other regulars joined us on the dock. The action was slower than yesterday, but everybody got at least one today. All in all it was a fine day to be outside.

Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz drail, over 3'-4' 8# flouro leader, and willows in hammered silver with orange w/black dot, chartreuse w/red dot, Bill's custom "stop light", pink w/ black stripe, pink w/black dot, and orange/green w/red dot.

Honestly, any bright, shiny willows attracted hits. Tight lines!

George Darrell ...

I support "PETA",
"People Eating Tasty Animals"
Top
#1786614 - 05/19/20 09:26 AM Re: SHAD! 2020 [Re: No Fish Today]
Don P Offline

Member

Registered: 05/03/07
Posts: 18945
Loc: CLINTON, CT
Sounds like great action the other day! Congrats!

Agree....great to see young kids out fishing and excited about it with their family members. I get a kick out of many kids of CTFers here with their fishing, hunting, outdoor adventures. It’s GREAT to see. Unfortunately so few in society get those experiences these days.
Top
#1786679 - 05/19/20 09:49 PM Re: SHAD! 2020 [Re: No Fish Today]
No Fish Today Offline

Member

Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1347
4:30-7:30 pm at Rocky Hill. The Breeze blew stiff, coming down from Hartford to the North today, keeping us more than a little cool. The water remains a bit high, and the current matched the breeze, stiff. It took a little effort to keep 1.5 oz of lead on the bottom. There were a half dozen working the dock when I arrived. Two of the regulars were working shad as I made my first casts. At another point, two shad were being played at the same time. We had nice little run going on. Most were bucks, but one long, fat roe made a stop on the dock.

About 5:25 I set the hook for a brief, half-hearted fight from a small buck; back in the drink after our Kodak™ moment. On the next cast, I caught another buck, bigger than the first; picture & released. Nice. On the next cast, I hit the trifecta, and landed another fine buck. 3 shad for 3 casts in 15 minutes--Schweet!

And that was it for the night, they shut down. Cold and hunger got the better of me, and I headed out at 7:30 pm.

Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz drail, over 3'-4' 8# flouro leader, and a hammered silver leaf in pink with a black stripe.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow after work. By and large, the boaters report that they are lighting them up. It's prime time. Tight lines!

George Darrell ...

I support "PETA",
"People Eating Tasty Animals"
Top
#1786680 - 05/19/20 09:53 PM Re: SHAD! 2020 [Re: Don P]
No Fish Today Offline

Member

Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1347
Don P, I couldn't agree with you more about seeing kids getting out, and being successful. It's great to see the next generation of sportsmen and sportswomen cutting their teeth. Their enthusiasm is contagious. The dad I mentioned in comments above, was unloading his car with both his boys tonight as I was walking to my Jeep. Of course I detoured to say hi, and wish them luck. Good dad!

George Darrell ...

I support "PETA",
"People Eating Tasty Animals"
Top
Page 6 of 8 < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >

Moderator:  Editors, FindBass, Jimbo, STRIPMINER 


Active Topics