bdowning
05-01-2000, 09:15 PM
6 or 7 days ago, this area had high, racing water and was unfishable. Since then, the water level has dropped to just about normal levels for this time of year. The shad bite at the Chicopee River this AM was good with a dozen taken in an hour before they turned off. Surprising number of hen fish (4-6 lbs). Usually it's all 2-3 lb males at this stage.
The Connecticut R. shad run at Holyoke Dam is just starting and not currently as hot as the Chicopee. South Hadley side is a bit more consistent than Holyoke side, but a lot of the fish are swiping at the lures/flies and foul-hooking rather than in the mouth.
Schoolies are now in evidence at the dam and guys bucktail jigging the fast water are connecting at dawn and dusk especially. One guy next to me jigged up a 25-incher. This is just the start with much larger linesides to come, chasing herring right up to the base of the dam.
-bd
<img src="http://world.std.com/~bdowning/fishing_lg_wte.gif">
The Connecticut R. shad run at Holyoke Dam is just starting and not currently as hot as the Chicopee. South Hadley side is a bit more consistent than Holyoke side, but a lot of the fish are swiping at the lures/flies and foul-hooking rather than in the mouth.
Schoolies are now in evidence at the dam and guys bucktail jigging the fast water are connecting at dawn and dusk especially. One guy next to me jigged up a 25-incher. This is just the start with much larger linesides to come, chasing herring right up to the base of the dam.
-bd
<img src="http://world.std.com/~bdowning/fishing_lg_wte.gif">