No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
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.
Edited by No Fish Today (03/29/2308:03 PM) Edit Reason: Add: terminal tackle
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
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.
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
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.
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
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!
Edited by No Fish Today (04/03/2307:42 PM) Edit Reason: Whoops, change of plans...
"Politically correct" was initially coined by Leon Trotsky to refer favorably to those whose views remained in sync with the ever-shifting Bolshevik Party line. This was important, as "not PC" people risked prison or death.
cat_in_the_hat
Member
Registered: 04/16/04
Posts: 2256
Loc: Tolland CT
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.
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
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.