SHAD! 2023

It's that time, again. Time for this shad-aholics, annual shad thread. Welcome to this year's sh*t-show.

20.March: a beautiful day, and my first on the water. Stopped by E. Barbor St/Bissell. Water clear, ~40ºF, and no current to speak of. Water lapping at the last cleat. Yeah, that's a negative. Off to Bart's.

2:pm at Bart's above the RR bridge. Water level above the footings, and at the foot of the rocks lining the bank. Surface temp ~42ºF, fair current, and clear. Radio and I took casting practice for an hour and a half. No Fish Today.

21.March, 2:30pm: another beautiful day. Water conditions same as yesterday, except a tad warmer, surface temp ~45ºF. Ran into Rob at the boat launch, just planning on casting practice, not unlike me. LOL! He gave me my annual "mini" (tiny, size .5, .25?) willow leaf "for luck". Last year didn't work out so well for luck, I almost didn't accept it. F**k it, it was good to see an old friend, but No Fish Today.
As I packed up, Gary pulled up, and we traded good tidings with Rob. As I rolled out to go for supper, I thought I saw Radio pull in.

Not much to report, but I didn't want another BOLO to be put out on me! And it's time to start this thread again.

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

Terminal Tackle: 5/8 oz drail over a 3', 10# flouro leader, and willow leaf, hammered silver in green/orange with a black dot.

Good to see the shad season season is starting, run may be earlier than normal, I had pear tree flower buds breaking dormancy 3-15-23. I plan to continue researching how to effectively troll on the main CT river for shad. I learned last year that I am not as skilled as I thought, being out-fished by better than 10 to 1 by at least one other boat. I plan starting the year trolling the CT River south of the Holyoke Dam prior to the fish ladder starting operations, exploring the waters before the run begins in earnest. I thought I was hot stuff after netting 187 shad in 2021, one morning having 60 hookups in 3-4 hours in Thompsonville. Last year only netted 38 shad and had multiple skunks on days when shad were clearly present as confirmed by shoreline fishermen catches in Rocky Hill.

Hi Paul,
By all accounts, the season got off to a slow start, and my fellow shore-bound shadaholics roundly opined that the shad were not as abundant last year as in the recent past. We hope this year is not a repeat, and that the run starts soon. Good luck tuning your trolling skills. Tight lines!

I cannot wait for the season to get underway. If you see a little wannabe 15' FISHER Bass boat in the area be sure to say hello.

22.March.23: About 1:30pm, I stopped near the RR bridge behind Bart's. Rob and Radio were making chin music on the sidewalk, and we exchanged greetings and the 411s. Not a hint of fish, of any species from anyone. Eventually I pried my silly self away to actually fish--eh, cast. The river was about the same as the last 2 days, maybe down an inch or 2, running clear, with a decent current, and surface temp of about 46º/47ºF; air temp was about 60ºF.

As I began casting practice, Jeff (Radio) joined me on the bank, while Rob went a little upstream to another spot known to produce. Shortly after a kid, who is becoming a regular, joined us. We all soon had our arms in syncopated casts. K (kid) threw a hammered silver, pink w/black dot willow under 5/8 oz drail. I know, because I gave it to him yesterday. (Gotta encourage the young ones, if they want to fish make it so.) I didn't see what Radio was throwing, but I started with the terminal tackle I used the last 2 days. After I lost the 1st leaf to a snag, I changed to a hammered silver, pink w/black dot, traditionally a producer.

Eventually, Radio left, and about 3:45pm so did I, leaving K and Rob holding the fort. No Fish Today, for anyone. I have to go back to work tomorrow, so with the weather forecast being iffy, I'll probably pass on going out after work. Maybe Friday after work, we'll see. Tight lines!

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

Terminal Tackle: 5/8 oz drail over a 3', 10# flouro leader, and willow leaf, hammered silver in green/orange with a black dot to start, followed by hammered silver in pink with a black dot.

Again looking forward to your reports this year.

Shad fishing is like the lottery...You gotta be in it to win it.
Good to see you guys playing regularly. I am certain all of you shadahollics will get hooked up very soon.

Shad fishing is great. Filleting shad is not so great. Once they are in, I will try my luck with the rest of you.
If one gets injured on the way in, I will try to fillet. Hopefully my knife skills have improved. Last attempt, I ended up
with filet of snake: 4 strips about 1" or so X 10" and despite roughly 40 minutes of knife work (and pliers)
the things still had a few bones in them.

Tight lines,

MikeV

24.March: Arrived behind Bart's about 4:15 pm after work. No. Body. Was. There. I had the place to myself for about 45 mins before someone else showed up. The water was up almost 3' from Mon-Wed levels, clear, no debris, although there was a large limb hung up by the bank, just upstream from where I usually take casting practice. The current was good, and surface temp was surprising at ~48ºF. The air temp was cool, especially with a light breeze running down the river, and got progressively cooler.

After about an hour and a half, I was cold and hungry, and called it a day about 5:45 pm. Not so much as a nibble; no fish today. Still, it was a nice day to be on the water, and the sun was still shining, if lower in the sky.

Terminal tackle: 5/8 oz drail, over 3' 10# flouro leader with a leaf in hammered silver with pink, and a black dot under it all. Until Poseidon demanded his tribute, and took it. Switched to hammered gold with yellow/orange, and a red dot.

Maybe I'll get out tomorrow, we'll see. Depends on the weather, and how I feel after finishing my chores, but Sunday is looking like the better day. Hey now! It's time to get out there, test the equipment, and work the rust out of the joints. Tight lines!

26.March: Pulled up behind Bart's after 1:pm. Stopped to chat with one of the regular shadaholics who was set up in the parking lot selling tackle, including willow leaves. After greetings and pleasantries, I headed up to the RR bridge, where I found 5 more of the usual suspects. Where I spent most of the time jawing up on the sidewalk.

The Farm'y was up another 2'+ from yesterday's rain, and while the water was clear, there wasn't much current. Surface temp was down a few degrees, at ~44ºF. I took some casting practice for a while after the krue left, but conditions were less than ideal. No fish today, and I headed home about 3:45 pm.

Terminal tackle, same, same as the day before.

Tight lines!

Hang in there!!

27.March: I pulled in behind Bart's about 4:30 PM, nobody at the boat ramp, or on the bank above the RR bridge. It looked to be threatening to rain, but held off for the most part, spitting occasionally. The water was clear, had a decent current, and down about 2' from yesterday. Surface temp was about 48ºF. I didn't figure I would catch anything, but I thought I would take casting practice since I was there.

A little while later Dylan showed up and joined me on the bank. Then one of the regulars stopped by to chat from the road for a little while, before he moved on. Once it started to drizzle a little more, Dylan and I packed it in. As I pulled onto 159, it started to rain lightly. No fish today, but at least we stayed dry.

Terminal tackle: 5/8 oz drail over 3' of 10# flouro, with a white, hammered silver willow, emblazoned with a St. George's Cross.

29.March: Arrived behind Bart's by 4:15 pm, only one lone regular plying the bank. The water was up about 2' from my last trip, but coffee colored, muddy. The current was strong, and the surface temp was about 47ºF. Very little flotsam drifted by, just the odd branch or board here and there. It was nice and warm in the sun, but when a breeze came through, it was chilly.

I put my arm in a cast, and idled away some time jawing with my erstwhile companion. He said his father had called him earlier, and told him the Rainbow Reservoir had been drained. That was likely the reason the river was coffee colored. Our shore mom showed up to chat, but didn't fish. Shortly after her arrival, her son (who caught the first shad I've heard of this year) joined us on the bank. We all took casting practice, and by 6:pm we were done. Not so much as a nibble. No fish today.

I won't be out tomorrow, MIL has an appointment. But I may come out Friday after work, depending on the weather. This time of year I take it a day or two at a time, as the weather is so variable.

Terminal tackle: 5/8 oz drail over 3' of 10# flouro, with a white, hammered silver willow, emblazoned with a St. George's Cross.

Tight lines!

2.April: I haven't been out since last Wednesday. Too many items on the honey-do list needed to be addressed. But I spent a couple of hours behind Bart's this afternoon. Arrived about 1:30 pm, Radio was talking with Xavier. After greetings, and some 411 (not much), Xavier left to let the dog out, and I put my arm in a cast with Radio. A few more people stopped by to chat, rather than cast, but eventually Bill C showed up, and joined us on the bank. Xavier returned, and Hunter and a buddy stopped by shortly before I left at 3:30 pm.

While the sun was nice, the wind was blustering down from up river, and cold. The water was up about 1.5'-2' over last Wednesday, clear, calm, and not much current. Surface temp was ~46ºF. The wind made it tough to cast at times. Not a bite, not a nibble, just No fish today.

Terminal tackle: 5/8 oz drail, probably should have bumped up to 3/4 oz, but with the lack of current I was able to find the bottom most of the time. I trimmed the leader back to 2' due to the wind, and shallow back-cast, 10# flouro, with a white, hammered silver willow, emblazoned with a St. George's Cross.


Maybe tomorrow. Tight lines!

3.April: Only had about an hour after work to practice my casting technique. Arrived behind Bart's ~4:30 pm, to find nobody fishing. Weather was pleasantly sunny, and warm, and the bank shielded me from the blustery South wind. The water was up 8" or so, clear, with a decent current, and very little floatsam. Surface temp was just shy of 50ºF, but I subscribe that to the rocks that had been baking in the sun all day. As I finished setting up, I found a nice, new hammered silver willow in green and orange with a black dot sitting on a flat rock. Funny, but there was no way for me to miss it when I set my tackle bag down. Now I'm wondering how the H*LL I must have dropped it, because I had not yet opened my tackle bag and removed my tackle box. This getting old sh*t ain't for the faint-hearted...

I started with 5/8 oz of weight, and I could find the bottom no problem, but I just couldn't hold it there reliably in the current. So I switched to 3/4 oz, and changed the leaf while I was at it; hammered silver in pink and white with a black dot. Before I left, Dylan and Tyler, and another young'n from up the street joined me on the bank. Sissy stopped by to chat while we all took casting practice, and spun yarns. Things look promising, but it seems they're false promises.

Hopefully the scattered showers forecast over the next few days will raise the water level and current, and start the shad to moving up, as I have heard no reports of shad caught since Dylan's vitamin shad last week. Wishful thinking I suppose.

Terminal tackle: 3/4 oz drail over ~2' of 10# flouro (the back-cast area is thin, and the rocks are hungry), and a hammered silver leaf in pink and white with a black dot.

I can't make it tomorrow, so I'll be back Wednesday after work, and hopefully can spend more than a scant hour on the bank. Tight lines!

Hopefully get the boat out there this weekend. Thanks for updates.

Shad fly were out and about today, that has to mean somethin".

I heard they're getting some in Cromwell .

OH Boy! where's my stuff, WHERE'S MY STUFF, GOTTA GO!

Expect to be on The Wall in Cromwell before sunrise tomorrow to see what action if any is happening there. Last year my first shad there was April 24 so if I find/see shad that is 18 days earlier than last year.

5.April: Hey Now, cat_in_the_hat! Good luck tomorrow.
After work today, I arrived behind Bart's about 4:30 pm. Bill C, Dylan and his mother, and Tyler a local kid were already there. Dylan caught his 2nd shad of the year earlier this afternoon, and he reported somebody else landed 2 yesterday. Things seem to be starting to pick up.

The water was down a hair from Monday, clear, with a little current. The surface temp was an even 50ºF. It was a little chilly in the breeze, and threatening rain with the odd drizzle passing through. Three other gentlemen joined us, and at any one moment 3-5 of us were working the bank at once, while a few of the others rested/chatted on the street. Conversation was good, but the shad didn't contribute their $.02. No fish today. By 6 pm my hands were cold, so I rolled up my kit, and skedaddled home for supper.

Tomorrow promises to be a nice, warm day. I'm looking forward to fishing in shirtsleeves! Tight lines!

Terminal tackle: 3/4 oz. drail over 3' 10# flouro tied to a white/blue, smooth silver willow leaf with a black dot.

Arrived at The Wall 620AM, foggy windless conditions, water fast and relatively unclouded. Practiced casting two hours, two other guys came no one hooked up. At Barts nothing for an hour, one of three other guys reported taking a shad earlier. Detailed posting on my shad thread.

6.April: Bill C. was standing by his truck when I arrived behind Bart's ~4:30 pm after work. As I was setting up, Sissy and Dylan pulled up. The water was at about the same level as the day before, clear, no junk floating by, languid current, and a surface temp just a hair under 50ºF. For the next hour and a half, we all took casting practice. The only rumor of shad was that an "old guy" had caught 2 in the morning. Dylan reported that he caught his 2nd shad of the year a couple of days ago, and that was earlier in the day, about noon-ish.

The action seems to be best, what little there is, earlier in the day, when I am at work. With the temps rising to the 80's next week, things should heat up. (I know, get thee to a punnery...)
Tight lines!

Terminal tackle: 3/4 oz drail over ~3' of 10# flouro, and a hammered silver leaf in chartreuse with a black dot, blue and white.

CT River now in full spring flood,Thomsonville gauge height 12.3 feet up 0.6 feet from yesterday and rising fast, flow 48100 cu ft/sec and climbing, both the highest so far of the spring season. River too fast to troll for shad in a boat, will wait for river to drop to 35,000 cu ft/sec.

BillShu here: Just for something to do today, took a drive to river at RT291 bridge area. Barber Street. Arrived 1:40, no one fishing. Two boats on trailers leaving area. To me, looked like water level was about 6-8 feet above end of concrete section of ramp. Fishing conditions tough from shore. WX: very cloudy with wind ripping.
Hope all you guy's keep posting SHAD REPORTS.
Thanks.
Bill

This morning CT River up to 12.78 feet, flow now 53,800 cu ft/sec and still rising fast. Farmington will be higher and current slower from water backing upstream. Watch out for floating trees, houses and restored VW Micro-busses if you choose to launch on the CT River. I will bide my time.

I was wondering, for you die hard Shad fishermen who are able to get out so often......Wouldn't it be wise to first fish the lower rivwer at DEEP area?? Am thinking that the Shad have to come past that area heading up to Windsor. So when fish are caught in lower river, it will give indication as to when they will arrive at various spots up river......Or are there certain water conditions to be met.
Just checking, I have only caught two shad in my life and they were near BARTS. HICKORY SHAD, different story, year before the pandemic, was a hot summer day at DEEP when I caught/released 39.

I thought the same thing the same thing years ago Bill . I had a buddy (RIP Fish) who netted shad for years in Saybrook and he told me once that they don't get within casting distance from the fishing pier. If you see were they set nets it's out near the channel . They net at night.

CT River water level is dropping like a stone, flow now a fish-able 36,900 cu ft/sec, may reach the below 30,000 by tomorrow. Time to head out if you can. Thia week's heat wave will help. The wife has reserved today and tomorrow for honey dew jobs, maybe I can make it Wednesday morning at The Wall.

Shad staying beyond casting distance.. Ummmmm Verry interesting. Thank you.
Bill

Shad migrate upriver close to The Wall in Cromwell, I hook 80% of my shad there within 10 feet of the rocks. Water is very deep close to The Wall as this used to be big ship mooring dock in the old days, wooden dock and pilings long gone. This has the best and easiest shore shad fishing in Connecticut.

Friday-Monday, 7-10.April: I did not fish behind Bart's. In fact, I didn't even get out on Saturday and Sunday with all the Easter preps, and dinner. As reported by cat_in_the_hat, the water was just too high. Notably, there was also little current, and surface temps were in the mid to upper 40sºF. Very few anglers, and not much dangling due to conditions.

11.April: arrived behind Bart's just after 4:pm to find that the water level fell about 2' from yesterday. It was a little turbid, but mostly clear, with little floatsam. Still very little current, and temp ~52ºF. Due to the sunny and mild, mid-70ºF weather, I saw the largest crowd I've seen on the bank to date, from 6 to 10 at different times throughout the 2 hours I had my arm in a cast. By the time I left a little after 6:pm, nobody had gotten anything but a few snags. Rumors of shad were reported, mostly early in the day. Dylan reports he caught one just after dawn this morning before he went to school.

I switched tackle up a bit today. I started with the U/L set up I've been using, but switched for a while to my 6' one-piece Ugly Stik Elite, mated to a Penn 4400SS spooled with 15# Power Pro. Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz drail over 2.5' flouro leader, and hammered silver willow leaf in chartreuse/blue and white with red and green dots (I think Bill C calls it his traffic light pattern).

No fish today, but it was really good to get out for a couple of hours. Tight lines!

Not going to The Wall as planned this morning, wife has recruited me to help her spread 8 cubic yards of cedar mulch she had delivered. CT River water flow stable around a fish-able 37,000 cu ft/sec, should be nice and clear. Hope to make it down there Saturday when I expect to find fish.

12.April: Arrived behind Bart's at 4:30 pm, 5 folx working the bank, and no shad. However, several shad were reportedly hooked, played, and lost around 3:pm or so. Maybe 2 or 3 were landed out of a half dozen hooksets. The water was only down a couple of inches from yesterday, clear, and the current was a little better than it has been lately. Surface temp was ~54ºF, so I put my arm in a cast for the next 2+ hours.

A few more people came and went, maybe 10 altogether, and rarely more than about 7 working the water at one time. I threw the rainbow for willow leaves, as did most of the others, but all for naught. No fish today, at least while I was there. Again. Still, it was a beautiful day to be out, with air temps in the mid-70sºF, and a nice breeze.

Well, maybe tomorrow I'll get on the board. Tight lines!

Late report, Thursday, 13.April: I arrived at Bart's 4:15 pm. The afternoon was bright, sunny, and warm, with a nice light breeze. Only 2 folx working the rock pile, and no shad. One reported a few fish were caught earlier, around noon-ish, a bronze back, a schoolie, and a shad. The river was up 1' from yesterday, which floated off some leaf litter, and sticks, but nothing "big". The water was a little turbid, with very little current, and a surface temp just a hair over 60ºF around the rocks that had been baking in the sun all day.

The 2 who preceded me left as I put my arm in a cast, but I wasn't alone for long. Soon enough there were 6 of us settled into a casting cadence. By the time I left at 6:pm, it had remained an exercise in patience, unrewarded. No fish today. However, it was the first REALLY nice day to be out.

Terminal tackle: 3/4 oz drail, over 3'+ of 10' flouro, and the traffic light willow.

I'm not going to make it out this afternoon (Friday, 14 April). Some shopping needs attention, and then I'm going to see Chicago (Transit Authority) at Mohegan Sun. I hope they have kept the horns, and I'm curious to hear some of the newer material. Tight lines!

It must have rained a lot up north, CT River back above 50,000 cu ft/sec, too much for me to take a trip to The Wall tomorrow. I will take things day by day watching river levels, may try Sunday up at the Chicopee River.

17.April: I arrived behind Bart's at 4:20 pm. Only 3 people were working the bank, Bill C being one of them. And there were scales and blood all around the rocks. Bill had a shad on the rocks slated for his supper, and while I was setting up he landed another. He had caught and released a few more earlier in the afternoon, prior to my arrival. Bill and one of the others left about 4:30, leaving a young guy fishing the hole just upstream from me. The water was about the same level as the other day, maybe down a hair, clear, almost no current, and the temp a touch over 60ºF. Once the other fella left, I was alone for maybe 10 minutes when Dylan showed up around 5-ish.

We put our arms in a cast, but there were no takers. Although Dylan thought he had a couple of bites, but nothing stuck. By 6:pm, I got a rumbly in my tumbly, plausibly due to the pan of lasagna that was sitting in the back of the car, and smelled so good driving to Bart's. So I packed it in and headed for home. No fish today. Dylan planned to stay until 7, and I'm sure he will give me an AAR tomorrow along the lines of "you should have stayed, they started hitting..."

Terminal tackle: 3/4 oz. drail over 3'10# flouro leader, lengthened to 4'. Willows: hammered silver in white w/4 red dots until I lost it, followed by a "Jamaican", and finally glittered silver with pink, and a black dot.

Tomorrow is another day. Tight lines!

The CT River flow has dropped from Saturday's 55,000 to a fish-able 37,000 cu ft/sec this morning. I would be down at The Wall except currently under the weather, hope to make it there before the end of the week, shad should be there now.

Good Morning!

Wanted to give a late report from Monday 4/17/23. It was 58-60 degrees and raining a bit. I drove to Bart's on my lunch break and probably took about ten casts before heading back to work. Bill was there of course! Landed a nice bucky on my 5th cast. First shad of the 2023 season. No other shad had been caught that morning according to Bill - I'm not sure on the rest of the day.

Terminal tackle: 1 oz. drail weight, 4 foot 8# fluorocarbon leader, with a Steve's UV Leaves willow leaf in white, blue and purple with a black eye (called Icey C-19).

Seems like things have been getting better since Monday by the reports

Tight lines!

Rebecca

Late report--Tuesday, 18.Apr: Arrived at Bart's ~4:15 pm. Only Bill C was working the rock pile, and he had a couple of shad on a stringer. He had been there since 10:am, the man puts in his time! The wind was cold, sweeping down from up-river, a bit uncomfortable. The water was down ~1' from Monday, clear, with little current, surface temp. a "RCH" (thin hair) over 60ºF. By the time Bill left ~6:45 pm, he had added another shad to his stringer, and Dylan had joined me taking casting practice.

And that's what it remained, practice. The bite, such as it was, ended with Bill; we got the stinky kitty.
Terminal tackle: 3/4 oz drail over ~3' 10# flouro, and a hammered silver willow in glittered silver with pink, and a black dot, until I lost it, then hammered copper in green/orange w/black dot, and finally one of Bill's stoplight/traffic light patterns on hammered silver. No fish today.


And today, 19.Apr: Arrived at Bart's ~4:40 pm, Bill C and 5 others were working the rock pile. Bill had 3 shad on his stringer, but he had been there since noon. The water really had not receded much, if any, from yesterday. It was clear, the current was fairly mild, and the breeze blew down from up-river as it had yesterday, but it wasn't as cold. The surface temp had fallen a couple of degrees, to 58ºF.

By 5:30 there were 9 of us working the rock pile. Hunter fought a nice long, fat roe to the net after a hellacious tussle. She breached at least twice, and once netted proved to be over 21" long, and IIRC weighed 4.5#! She was released, by all accounts to go make more shad. Bill landed another, and had a couple more added to his take for a limit.

We were all packed up, and began to head for home by 6:30. And again, I got the

Terminal tackle: 3/4 oz drail, willows in hammered copper, green/orange with black dot, and Bill's stoplight in hammered silver.

Maybe tomorrow I can get a divorce from the stinky kitty. Tight lines!

20.Apr: Arrived at Bart's at 4:20. Bill C, Dylan, a kid, and another guy were working the rock pile, while a couple of other regulars worked the hole just upstream from the rocks. Bill had caught a nice bronze-back before I got there, and soon landed a middlin' buck as I commenced casting practice. Sissy joined us on the rocks, and within a few casts fought, and landed a nice fat Walleye, ~3.5#. The water was down almost another 1' from yesterday, mostly clear, and with a decent current. I didn't grab a surface temp, sorry I was slacking...

Long story short, no fish today. I've lost my mojo.

Terminal tackle: 3/4 oz drail, willows in hammered copper, green/orange with black dot, Bill's stoplight in hammered silver, and the French flag (red/white w/black dot, and blue), also hammered silver.

Things are picking up (except for me), get out there, and tight lines!

I expect the CT River will reach flood stage by tomorrow after being a nice 24,000 cu ft/sec yesterday when I got my first shad of the year at The Wall in Cromwell. Shad fishing may be tough the next 2-3 days in the CT River.

Two shad derbies upcoming:

Windsor Shad Derby 6:00 am, Friday May 5th through 2:00 pm, Sunday May 7th, 2023
entry fee $20, download entry form:

http://www.windsorshadderby.org/shad-masters-fishing-derby.html

Enter in person, between 12pm and 3pm on MOST Saturdays in April at the tournament headquarters at the boat launch on 159 in Windsor, CT. All mailed entries must be postmarked no later than May 1, 2023, and received by May 5, 2023. Shad may be caught anywhere in the Connecticut River or its tributaries.

HG&E Shad Derby Dates: May 13, 14, 20, 21 Time: 9 am – 5 pm (weigh-in hours)

https://www.hged.com/community-environment/recreation/shad-derby.aspx

Shad must be caught by hook and line on “Derby Days” anywhere in the Holyoke, South Hadley, and Chicopee area, no entry fee or preregistration, fishing license must be shown with entry.

Late report, Tuesday 25.April: Arrived at Bart's a little after 4:pm, and fished until 6:30. There were about 8 or 9 of us all together working the bank. The water was very high, and not nearly as muddy as Monday. One fella was casting from just inside the guardrail at the top of the bank. The current was strong, the surface temp was ~55ºF. Some flotsam, but not enough to trouble anyone. I switched to a 1 oz drail to get and keep at depth with the strong current. Altogether about 5 shad were caught, a couple before I arrived, and three while I was there. The three were C&R by one guy who had a nice corner spot with a couple of trees in the water, forming a choke or pinch point. The 3 shad were hooked close to the bank in about a 40 min period. Nobody else caught a thing. C'est la guerre.

Today, 26.April: I arrived at Bart's about 4:20 pm. The water was down about 2', and much clearer. The current remained stiff, surface temp had dropped to ~52ºF from all the rain, and a couple of chilly nights. The bank was crowded, a couple of more folx around than yesterday. And there were about a 1/2 dozen shad on the bank! About a 1/2 hour later, I FINALLY got the off me! After a nice little fight, I landed my vitamin shad, a decent roe at 3# 8oz. After the weigh-in, and a Kodak Moment™, I released her. The action was pretty consistent up until about 5:45 pm, when it fell off. About 6:15 pm I headed for the grocery store, and some supper.

Terminal tackle: 1 oz. drail over 2.5' of 10# flouro, Bill's spotty leaf (hammered silver, with white and 4 red dots) did the trick for my vitamin shad. After I lost it, I tossed a Jamaican, but it didn't get more than a look; certainly no takers.

Shad! They are here in the rivers, and starting to show up in numbers, and many are roes! And, we saw the first alewife caught today. It's go time--tight lines!

Yes - now keep it going.

27.April: I arrived behind Bart's about 4:30 pm to a crowd of 9 or 10. There were no shad on the bank, but several had been C&R before I got there. The water was down at least 2' from yesterday, clear, and the current was strong. The bite was slow, but I saw 3 or 4 C&R, and a couple kept. Some of the hook ups were "soft", several of us got the grab and run, and after a few head shakes, they were gone. I had 2 hooksets, but lost them when the water got skinny. One was nice, long and fat, and it felt good to feel the weight tugging back. Two alewives were C&R, fat bastids they were, too. I headed out after 2 hours on the rocks.

411 seems to indicate the CT river is too fast and muddy. If we don't get too much rain Saturday into Sunday, I'm hoping it clears up enough to head to Rocky Hill, or Cromwell. I may take a drive down on Saturday morning before the rain to see if conditions are improving. It's go time, tight lines!

Terminal tackle: 1 oz. drail (3/4 wouldn't hold the bottom if you could get it down there), over 2.5' 10# flouro leader, and a Spotty hammered willow. I noticed a couple of other shadaholics tossing Spottys to some effect, and pink seemed to draw a couple of hits.

28.April: At Bart's from 5:pm-7:pm. While it was overcast, the weather was mild, so I expected more than the 4 or 5 people who I joined on the rocks. The Farm'y had fallen another 2' or so, it was clear, and had a nice current. The surface temp was ~56ºF. There were no shad on the bank to start, but I was assured that a few had been C&R before I arrived. It was a slow afternoon, 3 shad were caught, 2 released, and 4 or 5 alewives made an appearance. A couple of times I thought I had a bump or two, but salad on the hook, or weight belied that fallacy. No fish today.

Terminal tackle: 1 oz. drail over 2.5'-3' 10# flouro and a couple of hammered silver willows, a spotty, Jamaican, and a pink w/black dot. When the current slowed a little after 6:pm, I switched to a 3/4 oz. drail.

Many years ago, when we fished at the former Enfield Dam, and occasionally near Bart’s, we used shad darts. That is all that was used. We had a mold, would make the darts, and paint them. Also, after the season was over, and the water receded, we would go and pick up the snagged darts by the handful. Actually, I believe that I still have some.
Are the darts not used any more?

The general thought is willow leaves over soft bottom , darts over hard bottom . That said I've caught plenty in the reverse sense . Good to have an assortment anywhere you are .

29.April: Today I ran down to Cromwell to look over the Wall, arriving about 10:am. Dylan, surprise, surprise, was already working the Wall, and had a bleeder shad on the bank. He said he had C&R another one before I arrived. There were a few other people there, but had not begun fishing, yet. The water level was ~3' below the top of the wall, and flowing pretty well. It was raining lightly to moderately, and there was a lot of flotsam on and in the water, forcing us to choose carefully when, and where to cast. I C&R a middling buck by 10:30 am. After that I had a few hits and head shakes, but no firm hooksets. At noon I had to step out to get some groceries for supper. By that time, another half dozen folx had their arms in a cast with Dylan and I. A few more shad were C&R, and a couple of bleeders were kept for tables.

By 2:30 pm I was able to return for an hour before having to head home to cook for company. On returning, there were 10 people stacked up on the Wall near the North corner (left side facing the water). I made it 11. And a few striper guys headed to the southern corner (right side) of the Wall to chunk bait, or throw lures; what they threw I didn't see, I was too busy watching shad get landed (most were released). About 3:pm I had a solid hookset. He put his head down, and ran deep, using the current to gain any advantage he could get. It took me a few minutes to get him in close to the Wall because he wanted to stay deep, and ran down river to keep the advantage of the current. It took another minute or so to get him to the net. At first glance it looked like a roe, long and fat, but a little milt betrayed him. My guesstimate is 2.5#, maybe a little more. He was bleeding, so he was donated to someone who wanted to smoke shad. Other than a couple of bumps, I didn't set another hook before I had to head out. Pretty much every shadaholic caught one in that hour, and a couple of them hooked 2 or more. Most were bucks, but they were all middling to decent, with good color.

Terminal tackle: 1 oz. drail, over 3.5' of 10# flouro, and hammered silver willows in pink w/black stripe and dot, white glitter and chartreuse w/2 black dots, and "candy corn" (yellow/orange). The first 2 leaves each garnered me one shad, the last one attracted a couple of bumps. If I haven't mentioned it in this thread, I really love the 15# braid (Power Pro) I use for my main line. It has great abrasion resistance, and I can feel every bump from fish, the bottom, and today everything drifting submerged in the current that hit the line. Every. Thing. And, with no stretch, unlike mono, a hookset is a flick of the wrist away.

I'll be heading back to Cromwell tomorrow. The shad are here, and the numbers should improve over the coming week or so. Git ya some, tight lines!

Friday April 28th I shad fished for the first time. I want to thank everyone at the wall who showed me the ropes. I was really unprepared never having done this before and they were nice enough to show me the rig and how to use it. I was throwing a spoon and no one was catching. I decided to try my luck elsewhere. I put everything away and was in my truck ready to leave had it started when Dylan (I think that was his name) gets one on. Shut off the truck and went out to see it landed. After that, instead of bringing out the same worthless spoon I ran up to ZAH's knowing where it was from previous adventures and he had a few willows. Got back to the wall and Bill was there telling me a little more about how to rig and what weight to use. Again being unprepared I didn't have the right line on the rod so I lost one rig as the line snapped during a cast. That was the only line lost however. Didn't catch anything but had a great time.

Had an hour to spare on the way home from Cabela's on Saturday the 29th so I stopped back by the wall. This time I was prepared. Had to try out the new rod I just bought right? Didn't catch anything but the rod worked well.

30.April: I arrived at the Wall about noon time. The weather was overcast, no breeze, and no rain, yet. The water was down a couple of feet, ~5'-6' below the top course the Wall. The current was a little stiffer than yesterday. There were about a dozen regulars already working the water, and lots of reports of shad having been caught, and most released before I got there. I fell into casting practice, and had a few hits, but after a head shake, or two, or three, they were gone. That was pretty much the pattern of my day. About 2:pm, I had a solid hookset. After a tussle, where he ran deep, and often, I fought a decent buck to the net. Where he promptly threw the hook. C'est la guerre...

A little while later, it began to rain, lightly at first, but it picked up, with the wind. Within 20 minutes, it died down, and had stopped by the 30 min. mark. By 3:30 it started to rain lightly again, and I called it a day. Most of the other regulars lit up the shad, fairly consistently throughout the day. I didn't even try to keep count of the shad caught, with most having been released.

I picked up a 7' one piece Bass Pro Graphite series Medium action rod. Mated to my Penn 4400 SS, it is a nice set up, especially throwing a 1.5 oz drail. Anything over an ounce was a bit taxing on my 6' UglyStik.

Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz. drail, over 3'-4' 10# flouro leader, and I threw the rainbow of willow leaves at them today. Hammered silver, in white and pink w/black dot got me the hookset today.

Tomorrow is another day, and I will be heading back to the Wall after work. Even with the rain we've had, the shad are hitting in Cromwell. Tight lines!

Heading for The Wall before sunrise today, penciling in The Chicopee River tomorrow, trolling the Farmington Wednesday. CT River yesterday at 26,000 cu ft/sec current too fast to troll at Thompsonville, came back off in 20 minutes as I was going downstream trying to troll upstream.

1.May: I arrived at the Wall before 4:30 pm, traffic out of Hartford was surprisingly light. Only 3 other regulars were there, and all had their arms in a cast. Not one had caught a shad recently, but 2 said that they had caught at least one earlier in the day. The river had risen to about 3' below the top course of stones, the current was fairly stiff, and coffee colored. It was overcast, and the wind was blowing fresh from Middletown, making the water choppy, at least there wasn't much flotsam drifting through. By the time I left at 6:pm, the sun had popped out, and no one had so much as a bump from shad, including about a half dozen others who had joined us in casting practice. No fish today.

Terminal tackle: the 1.5 oz drail held it's own, given enough time to drift to the bottom; 3.5' of 10# flouro, and the brightest, flashiest willows in my box.

If we don't get too much rain tonight, maybe the water will clear some by tomorrow. One can hope. Tight lines!

2.May: I arrived at the Wall about 4:15 pm to find only 2 souls, serious shadaholics working the river. And boy-o was the river up, and rising. By the time I left at 6:pm, it had risen about an inch or so, which I believe was on a falling tide. The water lapped at the top course of stones, with some of the lower courses at the water level, and wet. The water remained coffee colored, the current was stiffer than yesterday, and a surface temp was 52ºF. Normally from the top of the Wall I cannot reach the water to take a temp reading, for instance yesterday the water was ~3' below the wall, out of my arm's reach. And no one else joined us on the bank. Sure, it was a fool's errand, but I had made the trip, so I decided casting practice was worth the gas. To the point: no fish today; not for nobody.

Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz drail over 3.5' 10# flouro, and a couple of bright, flashy hammered silver willows. With patience, I was able to work the drail to feel it bump the bottom in spite of the higher water, and stiff current.

If I stop after work tomorrow, which is doubtful due to the forecast, I'll probably head over to Bart's to survey the Farm'y. I don't think that will be much, if any better. We'll see just what the weather brings tonight, and tomorrow. Tight lines!

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!

Took today off after Thursday's single hookup in the crowd at the Chicopee main pool and a skunk trolling the lower Chicopee yesterday and the CT River being unfishably high and muddy. But the CT River flow is now dropping like a stone and although still high should be clear and fish-able everywhere tomorrow. Plan to launch South Hadley and anchor along good mid river flows away from the shore crowds. Hoping shad will cooperate, I'm due.

7.May: I arrived at the Wall just before noon. The river had fallen over the last couple of days to about 4' below the top course of the Wall. The water was clear, occasional flotsam dislodged by passing water craft was sporadic, and the current was good. Many of the usual suspects were plying the river, as I expected on such a nice day. They reported shad were being caught with regularity. Schweet! And there were a few shad on the bank, or in coolers.

About 12:30 or so I thought I got snagged in some line. I pulled, it gave a little, but didn't budge, then I pulled harder. It gave a little more, but it still didn't budge. I thought I was snagged, so I figured to break it off, and pulled harder still, gripping the reel to stay the drag. A head shake or two, and the fight was on! It was out there, deep, and used the current to strip line off the drag, headed to Middletown or Portland; and it sang my favorite song. After 4-5 minutes, I was able to turn it's head upstream, and I figured it was foul-hooked from the weight and trouble it gave me. It made a few more short runs, but eventually she got into water skinny enough to get a few glimpses, and into a net. Sure enough, she was foul-hooked in the bony, joint area of a pectoral fin. Little wonder she had so much leverage. She was a nice fatty, and I wanted to get a weight on her so I kept her in the net in the water as Bill set up his scale. She came in at 3.4#. In my haste to release her, I forgot to get my obligatory Kodak Moment™. Ah, well--I have the witnesses, and memory. About 1:30 pm I C&R a little buck. You can be sure I got my Kodak Moment™, LOL.

Things slowed down after 1:30, and the last of the folx fishing the Derby had left for their last call weigh-ins before they shuttered the doors. A few more folx showed up, but the catching was slow, and sporadic. I C&R one more small buck, and after another dozen--just one more cast!--I headed out at about 4:pm. Three for the day, my PB this year. And that roe! Today was a good day for me.

Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz drail, over 3'-4'of 10# flouro. A hammered silver willow "Spotty" got my first 2 shad, a pink w/black dot and white stripe got nada, and my last shad was taken with a hammered silver "Candy Corn" willow.

I'll be back to the Wall tomorrow after work. Whatever you're chasing, tight lines!

8.May: I got out of work a little early, and was at the Wall just past 4:pm. There were about 10 regulars working the water, and reports of a few shad being caught throughout the day. The water was down almost another foot, turbid, but with little flotsam, and the current was less strong than it was yesterday. I started off with my 7' Bass Pro Graphite series Medium action rod/Penn 4400 SS reel set up, with a 1.5 oz drail over 4' of 10# flouro, but the drail was a little too much for the diminished current. I was too lazy to change it to a 1 oz drail, as my U/L set up (4'6" Ugly Stik Pro/Penn 4200 SS) was handy, rigged with a 3/4 oz drail, and ready to go. I had no problem finding and keeping the bottom with the lighter set up.

I was there almost 2 1/2 hours before supper called, and I saw a half dozen or so shad caught. I think all were bucks, except for maybe one lone roe. We also saw a few alewives, a white perch, and a little dinky bronze back landed. I managed to hook a couple of alewives to keep the stinky-kitty off, but no shad for moi. As I found out yesterday, the bulk of the action is earlier in the day. It has been pretty slow in the afternoon when I typically get out of work. They're in there, but the pods are scattered, and small.

Congratulations to the Shad Derby winners, and I know a couple of them, nice work! I can't believer we are already approaching the end of the season. But, while the shad are here for the next couple of weeks, I'll be getting out as often as I can manage. Tight lines!

I haven't been able to get out but once since my last report. It was a short trip to the Wall, and unremarkable. No fish that day...

12.May: I stopped at the rock pile by the RR bridge at Bart's after work, arriving about 4:15 pm. No one was there, surprisingly for such a nice summer-like day. The air temp was the low 80sºF, but it was slightly overcast, so it remained very nice. The water was way down from last week, but not the lowest I've seen it this year. The current was good, the water clear, but there were a lot of maple seeds ("helicopters") floating by, but they didn't trouble the line. The water temp was mid-60sºF.

I was still setting up when another shadaholic showed up, and we began the ritual casting together. Neither of us caught anything but snags, 'though he claimed a hit or two. My buddy Bill showed up about an hour after we started casting practice. I guess the other guy decided he had enough casting practice, and since the shad weren't cooperating, he beat feet. Bill mated his new Stradic reel to his pole, and we got him rigged up with terminal tackle. As he had not been out for shad for about 4 years, and had none of his own tackle, we called the Guy with the Fish Hat to stock his larder. After Jerry took care of us, we got to fishing, or I should say, casting practice. About 15 minutes after we started, Bill C&R a fat blueback herring, then we fell back into practicing our casts. And, being dedicated, or stubborn (probably both) kept at it until a little before 8:pm, when Bill caught a small buck shad. His first shad in 4 years, it pretty much made his day. Even though I got the stinky kitty , it was worth seeing him light up fighting that shad, and holding it up for his Kodak Moment™. By this time, the 'skeeters were getting thick, so we packed up, and headed to our respective homes for Afterbite, and supper.

I used my U/L setup today. Terminal tackle: 3/4 oz drail over 1.5'-2' 10# flouro, and hammered silver willows in yellow w/red dot, Spotty, green/yellow w/black dot, candy corn, and a couple of other flashy colors. A 5/8 oz drail would have been better, but I was too lazy to swap out the weights.

Tomorrow Bill and I plan to hit the Wall in Cromwell before noon. With the lower water level in the Farm'y, I think the CT River will be more productive. That, and standing on the grassy landing is a whole lot more comfortable than on the rock pile. YMMV, and invariably will...

Where ever you fish this weekend, tight lines!

Great trip. You are enjoying yourself getting fresh air and sunshine. Keep at it. Persistence pays. You will catch a lot of shad on one of these trips.

MikeV

Thanks for the encouragement, MikeV. As a dedicated Shadaholic, the dearth of shad doesn't phase me (I'm not a quitter). I liken it to a DRL schedule of reinforcement. When the numbers of shad are low, and hookups far between, that one outlier that does hit becomes, (whether it's landed or lost is not mutually exclusive) my reinforcer. And I need that hit, LOL!

13.May: I arrived at the Wall about 10:am this morning, early for me, but reports consistently indicated the shad were around earlier in the day. I found a half dozen reprobates taking casting practice. No reports of shad, but plenty of alewives being caught. And in fact, several Bluebacks were caught in short order. For the day, I C&R at least a half dozen, and lost about as many. It seemed like they were grabbing the weight, giving it a few headshakes, and then gone. The river was way down, making long handled landing nets the order of the day to reach the water. Other than Alewives and Bluebacks, nothing was caught except the occasional snag, or a fellow shadaholic's line. Until about 11:30 am. A couple of shad were C&R on either side of me a few minutes apart. Just before noon I had a solid hit close to the Wall. It felt heavy, and stayed deep. When the water got skinny, and it almost bumped the Wall, it made a couple of short runs. As Dylan manned the net, he had just barely gotten under her, and the leaf came flying back at us. I thought she was gone, but Dylan has net skills, and saved it. Thanks, Dylan! She was long, fat, and full of eggs. I thought it was over 3#, and maybe closer to 3.5#. Dylan thought it was about 3.8#, the same size as one he weighed yesterday. About 12:30 pm I set the hook in another shad, but it was much smaller, a long, but skinny buck that might have weighed a little over 2#. Things slowed down after that, but by the time I left a little after 2:pm, 9 shad had been caught, and all but 2 bleeders were released.

Today was a good day. And tomorrow promises to be one, too. Happy Mothers' Day to all you mothers, and tight lines to everyone--especially if you're fishing the Holyoke Shad Derby! And if you are, good luck.

Terminal tackle: 1 oz drail over 3' 10# flouro. I got the roe on the Jamaican pattern, and the buck hit a willow in hot pink/yellow w/pink dot, all in hammered silver.

YES!!

14.May: I arrived at the Wall about 11:45 am, a handful of regulars were plying the water. No reports of shad, and only a few alewives. The river was down still more, and when the tide changed later in the afternoon, an old piling was exposed at the far left of the Wall. The current, such as it was, was lackluster. I lasted until 4:pm, and a few alewives mouthing the weights, was all the action I could muster. I saw only 4 shad caught today. Scuttlebutt from the cast of regulars is that the shad moved north quickly with the high water we had following the rains, and snowmelt. IDK if there is any credence to the speculation, but the season seems to be about played out. I'll keep at it until the cotton fouls the rivers, line, and tackle.

Terminal tackle, same-same as the last couple of trips out. Tight lines!

15.May: I wasn't feeling well leaving work late. I arrived at the Wall just before 5:pm. Half a dozen or 8 people, about half regulars, were taking casting practice. John, one of the regulars hooked a nice buck as I was setting up, so I netted it for him. The water is down still more, and as it keeps falling, pretty soon my 118" landing net ain't gonna cut the muster. I toughed out an hour feeling progressively worse, and saw a couple of Alewives, and 3 more shad landed, including another by John before I left at 6:pm.

At home I checked my temp, 99.8ºF. Meh. :-/ Yepper, I'm under the weather. We'll see how I feel tomorrow, maybe, maybe not...

Terminal tackle, same-same. Tight lines!

Hope you're feeling better. I enjoy your reports.

Hi Bob, yes I'm certainly feeling better. Glad you enjoy the reports.

16.May: I got out of work a little early, and arrived at Rocky Hill just after 4:pm. I figured they would have the docks in at Ferry Park, and most of them were in. There were only 2 shadaholics working the docks on arrival. Miguel C&R a shad as I set up on the fire boat dock, and a little while later a guy across from us landed a nice long roe. She was spawned out, had dropped her eggs, and she was pretty beat up.

A little while later, a couple of more regulars showed up, and we had a half dozen with arms in casts. A couple of guys pulled up to the docks in a boat, saying they had struck out, nothing but . They joined us on the docks, LOL. Just before 5:pm I scored a middling white perch, and other than a couple of taps and bumps, that was all she wrote for me today. Miguel caught a second shad, and Bill C also hooked up. Sissy managed 2 herself, and Dylan was crushing the crappie, LOL. By 6:pm, my supper was calling, so I packed it in. The shad didn't cooperate, for me, but the company, and laughs made up for the lack of action.

I started with my U/L set up: 3/4 oz drail over 3' 10# flouro, and a hammered silver "one-eyed jack" pattern. That garnered the white perch, and some interested bumps and taps. As the current picked up, I switched to my med action set up: 1 oz drail over 3' flouro, and a hammered silver "Jamaican" pattern. No takers for me, but it seemed to work for Bill.

Tomorrow I'll head back to RH after work. No matter what you're pursuing, tight lines!

Late reports:
17 & 21.May: I went to Rocky Hill and Cromwell for nada.

22.May: I stopped by Cromwell just before 4:pm after work, but the one shadaholic fishing hadn't gotten so much as an alewife. So..off to Rocky Hill, arriving shortly after 4:pm. The cotton was on the water, but despite the rain on Saturday, the river was mostly clear of debris, except for the damned cotton. I started out fishing alone on the boating dock (fisherman's dock still wasn't in), except for a couple of kids soaking chicken livers for cats, across the way on the RH Fire Dept. boat dock.

About an hour after I started casting practice, Bill and Miguel showed up. We fished together for another hour, before supper called me off the dock. Dylan showed up as I left. We all got nuthin' for our efforts. Well not all of us, Bill and Dylan targeted Crappy and were doing pretty well with the panfish. By then the cotton was starting to float by in mats.

23.May: I arrived at Cromwell (didn't want to deal with the cotton in RH) about 4:25 pm. There were a few shadaholics at work, and as I parked, one was playing a shad, and the another was wandering in circles looking for a landing net, LOL! I grabbed my net and landed a middlin' buck shad, maybe 2#; his 3rd shad of the day. Within a few minutes a 3rd regular also hooked up. Blessedly, the cotton was scarce.

About an hour later 3 of us hooked up at the same time. While I was fighting mine, I helped net shadaholic #1's 4th shad. Shadaholic #2 landed a nice big white perch. Eventually one of them assisted me with the net to land a nice long, but spawned out roe. About a half-hour later I landed a small schoolie striper. All in all, about 6 shad were landed, most released, but a couple went to a guy who wanted to smoke them. I hope he remembers my contribution...

24.May: I arrived at Cromwell about 4:15 pm. The river hadn't fallen much since Sunday, and remained relatively clear of cotton, and other flotsam. A few alewives made an appearance, and a regular down towards the middle of the wall landed a middlin' shad. I had one short hit with 3 solid headshakes before the line went slack, and C&R a few alewives. Until about 5:45 pm when I had a hard grab that set it's own hook. It gave my drag a work out (love that sound!), but we got him in the net. A long, thin buck, at about 2# maybe a bit more. I had been talking fishing with one of our security guards at work, and she asked me to remember her. Today I did, and will bring her the fillets tomorrow.

Terminal tackle: 1 oz drail over 3' 12# flouro (I went up from 10# due to too many fouled leaders in the windy, of late, conditions), and a hammered silver in candy corn colors. To be fair, I threw a few other patterns, but candy corn seemed to be the most successful. YMMV, and invariably will...

The season is winding down, but there is still a little life left in it. Get 'em while we can, and tight lines!

Thanks for all your great reports. Love reading them.

25.May: I was on the Wall by about 4:15 pm. One lone regular had his usual spot staked out, and no one else in sight. He reported there was virtually no current, but that he had caught a shad earlier in the afternoon, but none since. Not even an alewife. On my 2nd cast I had a short hit and a couple of headshakes. A few casts later, I was bringing a small buck to the net by 4:30 pm. Sweet! After a Kodak Moment™, he went back in the drink. About 5:pm, I had a good hookset, but it was too light to be shad, and too heavy to be an alewife. It turned out to be a little bronze back, not the white perch I was expecting.

By the time I left at 5:30 pm, the regular had left, and been replaced by another. He was soaking sandworms about 1/2 way down the Wall, and casting for shad up near me. He C&R a 23" schoolie, but that was it for the short time I was there.

Terminal tackle, same-same. I'll be out again today after work, chasing whatever shad are remaining. Tight lines!

One Shad, one Smallie in just over an hour is good shooting. As the Great Gretzky told us,"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. ..."

Keep getting out there and be ready for that double digit fish with your name on it. You can get him to show up sooner by eating a large sandwich that requires two hands or taking a phone call from someone that you can't hang up on.

The best is yet to come,

MikeV

I went to Barts upstream from the RR bridge with a friend of mine, caught 7 or 8 in a few hours!This was about 2 weeks ago using Willow leafs
The water was clear and dropping

Thanks Don D for the encouragement. I'm glad you like the content, and follow the thread. MikeV, you're absolutely correct. I've never caught anything from the couch or the keyboard--except, maybe, a buzz...

Codking, the action was better just a couple of weeks ago. It hasn't ceased, but it sure has slowed down. Congrats on your success by Bart's!

26.May: Arrived after work a little after 4:pm to find 4-5 folx scattered along the Wall drowning worms, or soaking chunks, but no shadaholics. The water was way down, I'd have to lay prone with my long-handled (118") landing net to reach it if I had needed it. I didn't. :shrug: There was a lot of cotton on the water when I arrived, and I was thinking it would be a short trip. I hate picking cotton off the line, and out of the tackle. It actually didn't stick too bad--surprise, surprise. By the time I left after 6:pm, the cotton had all but disappeared, and I had been joined by 2 shadaholics.

Other than a few short hits, I got nuthin'. There was almost no action on the Wall. The 2 worm-drowners to my left each caught a schoolie or a white perch, and one to my right C&R a 19" schoolie. I did see one shad almost caught down on the far end of the Wall. They definitely needed a much longer landing net; even lying prone, and trying to climb down the wall without falling in, the guy couldn't reach the water, and the shad dropped the hook at the wall. At least the shad are still around, even if the numbers are few. I'll stop by the Wall again tomorrow and Sunday for a while. If the shad aren't cooperating, maybe I'll stop down at Ferry Park, and watch the Googans' boat launching/landing shenanigans. Good times...

Have a great weekend, and remember what the holiday really is about (it ain't picnics, Beers & BBQ, boating, fishing, or any of that other nonsense). Stay safe, and tight lines!

Man when I had my boat and the cotton showed up heavy I stayed off the river till it was gone. A real pain.

Well, the season is over. On my last 3 outings I only saw 2 shad caught. One each on the 27th and 28th. Today, 31 May, nada. For now, I've put the shad tackle away until next year, it's time to target other species. Thanks for following this year's thread.

Whatever you're chasing over the summer, and throughout the rest of the year, tight lines!

As a former shad fisherman I enjoy your posts each spring.

No Fish Today,

Great shad season and thanks for all your posts. I am a a fairweather shad fisherman meaning I only chase them when they are in thick. This season they seemed to sneak up river in small to medium numbers. I fished them once early at the wall in Cromwell and got nothing. I did see one small buck come up that day.

It is very enjoyable to read about your trips because you cover all the bases. You appreciate just getting out there. You have a game plan and a plan B. You are tenacious in that you will try until you are thoroughly convinced that additional time/effort on that particular day is very unlikely to be fruitful. You do catch fish.

The reports are enjoyable, informative, and helpful. The stripers follow the shad so knowing shad timing helps with that. Not sure what you will chase next; but whatever it is; I am certain you will do it well and enjoy it.

Hope to see you out there soon.

MikeV

Earl bird, and MikeV, thanks for the kind words. I'm happy to share some relevant content that others might be able to use to their advantage. If I encourage only one person to give it a try, whether it's shad, or stripers, then I've contributed to this community. Over the years I've had the pleasure and privilege to meet some of the members of this community. It's always a pleasure.

Tight lines, all!