Conference wahoo::fishing

    Ed, 
    
    	What do you mean by darts?  How do you fish for shad with 
    	darts?, sounds interesting.
    
    						Erik

    Sorry about that. The aforementioned staff meeting was on May 5th. 
    Must be wishful thinking. Oh well, back to the bar with the darts
    for now.
    
    Keith I was refering to what is commonly called shad darts. They
    are a type of jig, lead head with maribou tail and usually a gold 
    hook. Not being a jig designer, I do not know all the particulars.
    But they are designed to stay close to the bottom in fast moving
    water. They have a bevel shaped head. Come in all kinds of bright
    colors and usually are between 1/16 and 1/2 oz. Other lures work
    on shad like small willow spoons or even gold hooks. But the dart
    and at times with the help of split-shot keep the lure down close
    to the bottom. Past notes on the last few shad runs can fill you
    in on more of the exciting details. 
    
    You can try bar darts. They are shaped something like a jig, feathers
    are attached. I'll bet they would sink to the bottom. The come in
    gold colors. Hey, maybe you're on to something. Give it a try. We
    all would like to know how you make out.
    
    Just wait a few weeks until they "really" start there run.
    
    Ed 
    
         

    
      I have a little bit of bad news for you folks who used to do you
    shad fishing in Manchester N.H.. I went down to the power Co. dam
    on the Merrimack to see how the fish ladder looked and I was greeted
    by a 7 foot fence topped with barbed wire. There was also a sign
    warning trespassers to keep out or be prosecuted. It looks like
    they mean business because they've extended the fence right out
    into the river with one of those barb wire endings to it that are
    pretty tough to get around. 
      Used to be some good fishin there. I guess they want to protect
    the shad/salmon run. I hope they at least let us over to see the
    fish ladder in action, I've never seen one with fish in it before.
      If anyone is familiar with the area maybe you can tell me why
    they have a pipe with raw sewage running right into the river next
    to the fence, its disgusting !! all the cleanup efforts and they
    let that go. People don't seem to care, last year I watched a guy
    fish for bass right next to the stinkin pipe, it didn't seem to
    bother him. To tell ya the truth I don't think he knew what it was.
      Who do you complain to about that stuff ?? I figure by the direction
    of the pipe it comes from the Holiday Inn. Thats not the only one
    I have seen will fishing in that are. There is another one thats
    even worse down river about 500 yds, +/- a few,  directly across
    from the Coke plant. This kinda stuff makes me mad, just when I'm
    enjoying catching smallmouths, I have to see this effluent pipe poluting
    the next bend in the river.  If I knew who to call I would do it
    today cause I'm getting more pissed while I type this. 

    Kevin

       Just for the hell of it, give the EPA a call. Should be under
    US Government in the phone book. Probably won't do any good, but
    who knows...
                                                  Denny

    I heard the shad have started in the merrimac. 
    Any word on the Conn. river yet?
    
    Shawn

    I don't know if the fish are running yet, but we have fished as
    early as may 5th before.  The first fish tend to be big..  but not
    as many!
    
    Bassin Bob

    
    I just drove over the bridge into Hadley Falls this afternoon and
    you oughta see the water pouring over the dam.  There may be fish,
    but I wouldn't launch my boat just yet.  I think I'll wait until
    this rainy spell stops and the river drops a couple of feet.  So
    far I haven't read or heard locally that the shad have arrived ...
    the only clue was a couple of bridge fishermen sighted in Warehouse
    Point Ct. this morning and who's to say what they were fishing for.
    
    Hey Texican, RR, TBDW, Mike Loewe, et al ... when do we begin the
    annual futile search for the ever-elusive shad?
    
    -SSS-_back_from_NC_but_on_the_DL_with_a_bad_back_!

    	Over a week ago the Springfield Union reported a few Shad and
    Harring(sp) at (and lifted over) the Holyoke Damn. 
    
        The annual Shad derby runs from May 10th to Jun 10th.
    
                       Joe Whittemore - From where the Westfield
                                             meets the Westfield
                                                by the Westfield
                                                   In Huntington (MA)

 

    
    
    
    I'm ready......who's going?
    
    TBDW
    

    
>    Hey Texican, RR, TBDW, Mike Loewe, et al ... when do we begin the
>    annual futile search for the ever-elusive shad?
    
I just talked to Gary (TEXICAN) Watt, and we're ready to try it again.
Only problem is, I have to wait to get my prop refurb, or buy a new one.
I did quite a number on it getting blown around at yesterday's tournament
at Quabog.

Gary just got back from Japan, I think he's ready to catch some raw fish
rather than eating it.  :^)

Mike_L

    
    Well, despite past results, I'd like to time our escapades to coincide
    with the derby.  Unfortunately, my availability is limited to sundays
    through midJune (unless anyone wants to go on a "work" day) ...
    I won't be making the Manchaug tourney because of multiple conflicting
    commitments.  Are you guys gonna burn out after the 20th or how
    does the 21st sound?  The 28th is doable too.                  
    
    SplitShot

    
    Oh yeah .... I'll have a new anchor this year; ought to leave more
    time for fishing :-)
    
    -SSS-

>    Oh yeah .... I'll have a new anchor this year; ought to leave more
>    time for fishing :-)
    
Great!  I think everyone knew us by the end of the day.  :^)

Mike_L

I grew up in Springfield, went to school in Amherst.  In plain English,
I spent many years shad fishing on the CT river and I'd love to go back there.
Holler if you're going (MAIL is the best way to holler)

Tim

    Shad on Memorial Day Weekend...........GREAT!!!!!
    
    My son and I went to the Conn. on Sat and did super. Except for the
    2 1/2 hours of downpours ( we finally went in under the bridge) the
    weather was pretty good. Got cool in the late afternoon and the wind
    came up to a mild to fresh breeze. 
    
    Everyone was catching. Smaller ones seemed to be running nearer the
    shore, with the bigger ones out in the middle of the river. The
    smallest one we caught was 4 1/2 with the largest coming in at 6 1/2.
    One of the best fishing days I've had on the river in years. The color
    was HOT PINK with a WHITE bucktail. At least that was the color for us.
    Others around were using Yellow, Green and some were using Orange.
    
    I'm going back this weekend (maybe before...;^) and see if I can't
    scare up a few more.
    
    Any word on the fish count yet????
    
    Tight lines, Ranger Ron

    I went fishing at the mouth of the Merrimack Sun. night, by the old
    Coast Guard Station. In about one hour, I had landed 3 shad and
    lost two others. I did not have any shad darts, so I used a one
    ounce bucktail. The shad that I land were all hooked through the
    back, not the mouth. Is this normal , Or was I just very lucky to
    have accidently snagged them. Luck or not, I had an exceptionly
    good time as the shad put up a good fight.
       The people around me did not seem to be having any success. Does
    anybody know if this is the beginning,middle or end of the shad
    run. I hope it is not the end, as I could easily get hooked on this
    type of fishing.
                                                        Stan