No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
12.April: After doing my morning chores, I headed up behind Bart's for about 12:noon. It was overcast but not raining, and only 2 others were on the bank on arrival. The water was up a lot from yesterday, and still rising, surface temp 51ºF. The current was good, some sticks were in the water column, and more than one of us caught wooden eels. Kieran on his lunch break joined us around 12:30, Brandon joined us after 1:pm, and Radio passed by, but didn't fish. Along about 2-ish, Brandon landed a nice buck. Harry stopped by, set up, and started fishing the hole just upstream from the rest of us on the rocks.
About 2:30, it started to rain and the radar didn't look pretty, so I packed up to go get a late lunch. As I left, a young guy walked up, and took my place on the bank. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Tight lines!
Terminal Tackle: despite the rising water, I was still able to find the bottom with a 3/4 oz drail over a 2-1/2'-3', 10# flouro leader, over a hammered silver leaf, in white with silver glitter, and a red dot. After I lost that leaf, I switched to hammered silver in pink with a black dot.
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
13.April: I finished my chores, and pulled in behind Bart's by 10:am. Only a couple of people were trying their luck. The river was WAY up from yesterday, by several feet, and rising. The water was turbid, not as much debris and flotsam as I expected, and the current was slower than anticipated, too. The river was so high, the water was 1/2 way up the boat ramp, there was a pool under the RR bridge where the water was backing up from the storm drains, and percolating through the sidewalk. We stood just to the river side of the guardrail, and cast from the top of the bank. People came in by ones and twos, joining us on the bank, or beating their gums on the sidewalk behind us. We weren't catching, but the chatter was good. And the weather was cooperating, being partly sunny, and only a little breezy to start.
About 10:45 my retrieve came to an abrupt halt. A couple of head shakes gave it away, and it was game on. After a brief skirmish, a middlin' buck was brought into the net, maybe 2 whole lbs. Shad! I am finally on the board. After a Kodak™ moment, I released him. A few of the other shadaholics hooked up throughout the day,mostly shad, but included a couple of schoolies. All were C&R, and a couple were lost at the bank. Things seem to be picking up. About 3:15, I had a solid hit, and it was reluctantly drawn closer to the bank. As soon as the water got skinny, we were off to the races. She put her head down and ran deep, then made some short, shallow runs, but never breached. I had to give her enough rope to proverbially hang herself, before I could get her to the net. A nice, early season roe, close to 3#. After a Kodak™ moment, she was released, too. By this time, the intermittent breeze, was freshening and getting colder.
All this time the river was rising, about an inch an hour. I almost got my feet wet getting into my Jeep at 4:pm, the pool had spread up Pleasant St, the water was lapping at the sidewalk at the low spot under the RR bridge, and had crept up to the top of the ramp. We were all surprised that the road wasn't blocked off with cones by this point. It was amusing watching people drive up to the edge of the pool, stop, and decide discretion was the better part of valor. Then turn around and drive back the way they came down. And then there was the entertainer: a kid on a dirt bike came down the street, stopped at the edge, and decided to send it. He made it about 1/2 way before the bike aspirated, and died. Yep, he got his feet wet, and had to do the walk of shame to get out of the puddle. He was able to eventually restart it, and with effort, he putted away. ROTFLMAO!
Terminal Tackle: I started with a 3/4 oz drail over a 3-12', 10# flouro leader, over a hammered silver leaf in pink with a black dot, and eventually lost it. With the rising water, 3/4 oz wasn't holding the bottom, so I switched to a 1 oz drail, over a 3-12' leader, and a hammered silver leaf in pale yellow leaf with blue and white stripes-I got the buck on it. When I lost that leaf, I finished with a hammered silver in blue with a red dot, which garnered the roe.
All in all, it was a great day to be out on the water! The consensus among the liars' club is the shad should start moving, and things will pick up next week. We'll see, but today was promising. Tight lines!
MikeV
Member
Registered: 07/07/03
Posts: 2468
Loc: Tolland
Great Day! Glad you connected with some nice fish. You might want to share the pictures as they motivate the rest of us to get out there. Were there were some, others will follow.
No Fish Today
Member
Registered: 09/04/03
Posts: 1376
15.April: I pulled in behind Bart's about 4:45 pm. There were a 1/2 dozen shadaholics throwing lead and willow leaves at the river. The river had fallen about 4' from yesterday morning when I did a distant drive-by. The road was closed and blocked off, and under plenty of water. The water was clear, with not much debris in the current, such as there was of it. Not much current, sums it up. Surface water temp was up to 56º F. It was fish-able. No shad on the bank, but someone had C&R one earlier in the day.
We all took casting practice over the next hour. Practice being the operative word. The only thing we caught was the bottom. I packed it in about 5:45 when my belly was getting past grumbling for its supper. No matter, it was a beautiful afternoon to be out. So nice, air temp about 70ºF. I could get used to this...
Whether I get out tomorrow is "iffy". My MIL has a couple of afternoon appointments, so I probably won't get out. Wednesday looks good, so far. Tight lines!
Terminal Tackle: a 1 oz drail, over a 3-1/2' leader, and a hammered silver leaf in blue with a red dot, until I lost it. I finished with a hammered silver leaf in yellow/white w/silver glitter and a black dot.
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