That's a nice shad. Glad to see you still getting out and connecting.

MikeV

21.May: I'm out of commission until next Wednesday, at least. I had to have a procedure done yesterday, and need to recuperate. The follow up app't isn't til next Tuesday. OTOH, with the forecast Nor'easter, there won't be much fishing until next week anyway.

Tight lines.

26.May: The Wall. I felt well enough today to try to get back into the game. I arrived at the Wall at 1:pm. I found not one Shadaholic to be seen on such a fine day. There were, however, about a half dozen meat-stick pitchers soaking their chunk baits and worms from mid-wall down to the right terminus. The river was up to one course below the lowest capstones at the left side of the Wall. Turbid, with some flotsam, and a concerning amount of "cotton" in the current (which was not unexpected for Memorial Day). The current was stiff enough for a 2 oz. drail.

I had light bumps on my first few casts, and had a gentle hit and hook up by 1:15. After a short, but spirited fight, I netted one of the smallest buck shad I've caught this year. After a Kodak™ moment he was repatriated with the river. One of the meat-stick guys looked at me like I was crazy for tossing it back in the drink. LOL. By 1:30 I had another light hit, but it had more back in it, and fought a bit harder. It was net-shy, and made me work to net it solo. It turned out to be a small roe, maybe 2#. After her Kodak™ moment, she went back in the drink. Meat-stick guy just had to ask, "why'd you throw it back?" Because I want it to go make more shad, so I can come back and catch more in the future. He was crestfallen. :shrug: I told him, if I got a bleeder I'd give it to him.

After those two shad, I didn't get so much as another bump-bump, the current slowed down some, and the cotton got thicker on the water. By 3:pm, I was done picking cotton off the line, and out of the guides. Dunkin called to me for an iced coffee, and I headed home. It was a very good day to take casting practice.

Terminal tackle: 2 oz drail over a 4' flouro 10# leader, and a hammered silver leaf in Bill C's Spotty pattern (white w/4 red dots).

Tight lines!

Thanks, MikeV! I have enough trouble minding my own business that I don't have the time or energy to mind others'. Besides, the only behavior I can control is my own. Sometimes...
OTOH, I am not above dropping a dime (it's a quarter now, isn't it-if you can find a payphone) for serious poaching.

27-28.May: Tuesday and Wednesday at the Wall I struck out, got the stinky kitty. Well except for a big blueback on Wednesday.

29.May: I arrived at the Wall at 2:30 pm. Four shadaholics were wearing out their rotator cuffs as I parked. One small buck shad was being netted as I set up. The 411 was the shad were in, and cooperating!
It was overcast, and the water was smooth as glass. Clear, with ZERO cotton, only a little flotsam, and a fair current. About quarter to 3:pm, I set the hook on my vitamin shad. It put up a decent fight in the current, and we netted a small roe, about 2#, maybe, after a brief contest. After a Kodak™ moment, she was released. Other than an alewife, that was all she wrote for me, but it kept the off.

The action was sporadic through the afternoon. Just before I left about 4:45 pm, one of the regulars who was soaking a chunk at the far right terminus, had a hard hit on his meat stick. He landed a 39" striper, a little over 23#. After measuring, weighing, and a Kodak™ moment, he released it.

Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz drail over a 4' flouro 10# leader, and a hammered silver leaf in pink w/black dot.

Tomorrow is another day, and I hope the cotton stays off the water. Tight lines!