cat_in_the_hat
Member
Registered: 04/16/04
Posts: 2292
Loc: Tolland CT
Report just heard at the South Hadley boat launch. HG&E just cancelled the first weekend of the 2025 Holyoke Shad Derby May 10 & 11 due to expected near catastrophic flooding from heavy rain Thursday night and Friday that will add to current very high water. There would be few places to fish and safety concerns for inexperienced anglers and children.
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1392
Hi Paul, I was talking to Dylan at Bart's this afternoon. He told me exactly that about the Holyoke Derby.
The water at Bart's was just about 4' below Pleasant St in Windsor. The current was excellent, but the water was coffee colored. I spent a half hour taking casting practice, but nobody was catching anything.
I'll try again at Bart's tomorrow, hopefully the water clears up over night. With the forecasted rain tomorrow night into Saturday, we probably won't see conditions improve until late Sunday at the earliest. C'est la vive.
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1392
8.May: I skipped out of work early for an appointment, which allowed me to get to Bart's by 3:15 pm. Four regulars were set up, 3 casting. One expired shad lay at their feet, and Dylan was bringing in his 6th shad of the day, a big roe (he started at 1:30). The water was down about 2' from yesterday, clear, with a good stiff current. Cissy hooked up next, and landed a nice fat roe. I had a couple of soft hits, but they didn't stick for more than a few head shakes.
About 4:30 I had a solid hook set, that immediately put it's back into it. It hit far out, past mid-stream, and in the current it fought hard. When the water got skinny, it really dug in, and jumped clear of the water. When it saw the net, it really gave my drag a work out. It turned out to be a large, fat buck, not the roe we expected. 20 minutes later, and I was into another shad. Not as big as the first, but Dylan was on at the same time. It's been a long while since we saw a double at Bart's. Radio showed up about then, and Keegan. Radio hooked up, his first at Bart's this year (not his first shad, he has done well at Bissell, and the Wall.)
With the rumble of thunder in the distance, and darkening skies, we packed it in about 5:45. Dylan scored 10 landed for the day, and I counted about 10 shad landed by our crew during the time I was there. Most were large bucks, but a couple of roes were in the mix for good measure.
Tackle: I tried, but the U/L didn't do it with the high, fast water at Bart's. That big buck would have really challenged me if it had hit the U/L set up. The big boy rig worked like a charm. Rod: 7' one-piece Ugly Stik GX2, med-heavy action Reel: Penn 4400SS spooled with 15# hi-viz yellow Power Pro.
Terminal tackle: 1.5 oz drail over a 4' flouro 10# leader, and a hammered silver leaf in Bill C's Jamaican pattern. Dylan and Ernie found success with one of Dylan's creations with purple, and both threw 1 oz drails.
The forecast looks like tomorrow will be a washout. I'll see what Saturday, and Sunday bring. Tight lines!
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