No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
Paul (cat_in_the_hat), thanks for the 411 on the Wall, it's much appreciated. One of the regulars said he had gotten a call yesterday from one of the Rocky Hill/Cromwell area regulars about conditions at the Wall. He reported the water level and current was good, but the water was so turbid, and full of submerged debris that fishing was unproductive there.
On to today's report: I had taken the day off for a morning appointment, so after lunch, I headed up behind Bart's. I arrived between 12:15-12:30 pm to find 7-8 people taking casting practice on the bank. Zero (Ø) shad, and only a couple of alewives C&R prior to my arrival. The water was down about 1' from my last trip on Tuesday, the current remained strong, and the water was only slightly turbid, with a surface temp of 56ºF. Bill said that I "should have been here yesterday," of course. He reported that he had spent 4 "productive hours perfecting" his casting technique, until about 2:pm. And that's when it got busy, the shad showed up. He said they caught about 12 altogether. He personally hooked 4 and landed 2, his first of the year.
As we cast, we watched a USFWS crew treating alewives for their depression with electroshock therapy. I, of course, mean they were in fact surveying the depressed numbers of alewives in the river systems. One of the officers came up to visit our silly selves, and take pix of fishermen for a (5 year?) report they are drafting about the findings of their research for the Marine Fisheries Council. He said that the alewife count is way down over last year. I wonder if anyone is doing research on menhaden, and other forage species, and if those numbers are down, too. He didn't say it, but anecdotally, the uninformed musings of my muddled mind think the diminished numbers of alewives (and possibly other species) has something to do with the bleak striper numbers, aside from by-catch mortality. Enough of my drivel on that ...
Before I headed out at 3:30 pm, 3 shad had been C&R by 2 regulars fishing the bank a little apart from the larger crüe of reprobates ignoring personal spaces on the rock pile. I'll be back again tomorrow after work. I remain, still, no fish today.
Terminal tackle: 1 oz. drail over 4', 10# flouro leader and willow leaves in bright colors.
And I have to tip my CTFisherman's hat to CTFer, Andy C, who joined the motley crüe on said rockpile. Tight lines!
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
Today after work I pulled up behind Bart's by 4:15 pm. There were a half dozen regulars working the bank on arrival. The water was up about 8" from yesterday, about the same clarity, but the current was noticeably stiffer. Surface water temp was surprisingly 58ºF! Shortly after I arrived, one of the regulars had a solid hit, but was only able to play it for a few minutes before he got fouled by another angler downstream which allowed the shad to slip the hook. Other than a small bronze back, nothing was biting. No fish today, so I headed out for supper after 2 hours with my arm in a cast.
It was reported that about a dozen shad were caught early in the morning (6-ish?). Reports are that the CT river is still too turbid, even if the water level and temps are about right. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Tight lines!
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
Parked behind Bart's at 11:am. A dozen regulars were working the bank, a couple of shad had been caught before I arrived. Scuttlebutt was early morning was most productive. The water was up a few inches from yesterday, the current was good, but not as stiff as yesterday, clear, with a temp ~55ºF. In the 2 hours I was there, I saw 3 shad caught, and a couple more fought and lost. And all I got was . Maybe next time...
cat_in_the_hat
Member
Registered: 04/16/04
Posts: 2256
Loc: Tolland CT
Confirming via first and second hand reports significant numbers of shad now being taken at The Wall in Cromwell. Tentatively planning a run down there tomorrow morning before the expected inch of rain has a chance to discolor the water. Expect to be there between 6 and 7AM when the rain is ending. Will post early if I do not feel up for it when I get up.
Fished The Wall this morning with two friends. Three fish caught between 5:45 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. It was cold to say the least.Two other guys fishing with no luck.
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
Paul and Poppi, thanks for the Wall report. A reliable local has reported that he's been getting them over the last 3 days or so. I think he reported 8 on Sunday morning. I will probably make a trip down there later this week, or this weekend for sure.
Arrived behind Bart's at 4:15 pm after work to find seven regulars working the bank. About 4:30 2 shad were caught close to the RR bridge, and another angler showed up about then. He quickly landed 2 fat roes to my left. About 4:45 pm one of the guys to the far left landed another shad. A short run over the course of about 15-20 minutes. I had one bump, but it felt like it mouthed the weight, and still no fish today...
The water was about the same level as the last trip, 52ºF, clear with a good current. A 3/4 oz drail held the bottom pretty well. We'll see how tonight's rain will affect things tomorrow. Tight lines!
cat_in_the_hat
Member
Registered: 04/16/04
Posts: 2256
Loc: Tolland CT
I will pass on The Wall this morning, strong gusty winds and wet rocks a bit risky for a guy using a crutch because of a gimpy knee. Will instead finish prepping the boat and equipment for shad trolling, then plan a shakedown cruise soon on Coventry Lake to test out everything. First exploratory shad trolling launch will be Rocky Hill then south when shad fishing confirmed good at The Wall.
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
Parked by the RR bridge behind Bart's at 4:20 pm, to find only 3 people working the bank. Two others were leaving carrying 3 shad as I set up, and there was a shad on the bank with another regular. The water was up about 2' from yesterday, clear with a strong current, surface temp. 50ºF. It was mostly cloudy, and with the wind it was cold. Eventually several more folx arrived and put their arms in a cast. I only saw one blueback C&R, and one shad caught and kept before I left just after 6:pm. I'm getting a good workout with my casting practice, but no fish today.
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
Much as last night, I parked by the RR bridge behind Bart's at 4:15 pm, and only 3 regulars were working the bank. The water had risen another 1', and the current was ripping. I had to change to a 1 oz. weight it was so fast. It was a little turbid, but not too bad, and not much debris floating by, the water temp was a hair below 50ºF.
One of the regulars had C&R 3 shad before I got there. Shortly after I put my arm in a cast, he hooked a nice fat, if small roe, ~3#. He let her go after a Kodak Moment™. A few more joined us, and one of the recent arrivals, who like me has been on a losing streak, finally hooked up, and C&R a nice shad, I think it was a buck. I fished almost 2 hours before hunger induced me to head for home. No fish today, this is discouraging.
Ah well, I can't catch them sitting at home wishing, so I will be back again tomorrow and Friday after work. And if the water comes down, or reports confirm they are catching shad, by Saturday or Sunday I hope to hit the Wall. Tight lines!