Shad fishing in the Merrimack..

[LightTackle]

I was told that the "Poor Man's Salmon" start coming into the Merrimack River around Easter?? Does this sound right? Taking into the considerations of the late season, wonder how late they will be. Anybody know what the water temp should be for them to start running? Gonna go give them a shot next Friday on the 20th at rock's village on my next available day off.. Hope to put a "positive" report up after..

RF

[NormM]

Went down the Merrimack mouth on Wed. AM to check out the sandbar at low tide. Threw shad darts for an hour with no luck. Last year a few stragglers were around in early april but the bulk are probably a couple weeks away. Pretty sure +50° is the magic temp for them to enter the river in large numbers and not one of the northeast data buoys is reading above 43°. First fish through the lift in Holyoke on the Conn R last year was 4/17 and we usually lag just behind them.
Good luck

Norm

[bdowning]

Agree the magic temp is around 50, although a few will slip in below that. With any luck, you'll start hearing reports from Rocks Village in Groveland in a week but I don't think fishable quantities will arrive for another 10-14 days.

-bd


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