Conference wahoo::fishing

    Try note # 555.93, should be what your looking for.
    
    
    
    
                                         Jeff (Captain)
                                         Team Grumman

I've heard that they are just beginning to be caught in the lower merrimack.
My brother in Spfld will inform me when they start coming up the CT.

    
    
    	Has anyone out there been thinking of any SHAD fishing? I'm 
    planning on hitting the Conn. river a couple of times next week.
    Hopefully the run will be on. I was wondering is there any campgrounds
    near Holyoke, that a group of 4 or 5 guys could campout at?
    Are the fish running at all?
    
    						Capt. Haney

    	I've got some reports that a few have been picked up in Lowell but
    that it's very spotty.
    
    	I don't know how much truth there is to this but I also heard that
    the trawlers and gill netters are taking out virtually whole schools of
    them at the mouth of the Merrimack leaving a lot less to be taken by hook 
    and line.
    
    	From what I understand it's the fish roe that's worth the big bucks
    meaning egg laden females are the prime target. I've seen where people
    have caught them, striped out the egg sacks, and threw back the rest of
    the fish.
    
    	RAYJ

    
        I fished the Conn. river on Tuesday for about 4 hrs. near the dam
      in Holyoke Ma. I got skunked and only saw about 8 shad caught in
      4 hrs. 1 from shore and 7 from boats.
       
        The river is very high. I'm not sure about further down stream but
      there just wasn't alot of fish yet.
    
        I may try in another week or two.
    
                                  Dave Campbell
    

    Shad are being taken in the Merrimack in Lawrence below the Dam. They
    started catching them the weekend of April 22.  My fishing buddy landed
    one.  Flurorescent (sp??) green and yellow darts working best.

    
    I fished just below the dam may 16th and the water was 13 feet above
    normal. Not many fisherman and I didn't see a single fish taken. I also
    fished around the RT. 391 bridge water moving to fast  and to dirty.
    My brother was down there this past weekend  and they didn't even
    bother putting the boat in . I wonder if this high water is delaying
    the run or just ruinning it. My go down memorial day but with all this 
    ran I'll problably pack the shad fishing for this year.
    
    						Captian Dave

    
    A year or two back, there was a similar problem with heavy late rains
    and the shad run was indeed delayed.  Apparently, the sex urge doesn't
    go away just because the river is inhospitable.  There will be a run,
    it will probably not be a record.  It will probably extend well into
    June.  Anyone seen a count from the Holyoke lift?
    
    I wish I was gonna be able to partake, but it looks like 1989 was my
    last year shad-fishing for the forseeable future.  I'll be back next
    weekend, but my boat, trailer, rods, etc. are here in Tenn.
    
    On a similar note, I saw "shad" here for the first time this week and
    they look just like the 6 pounders in the Connecticut river except
    they're 6 inchers instead.  They follow a lure right up to shore.  I
    imagine, with appropriate tackle, I could catch some for bait.  On the
    other hand, who needs bait.  I have fished 9 days in a row and not been
    skunked once (except saturday and that was in North Carolina and
    therefor, doesn't count).  A white spinnerbait has been the ticket to
    success and although there hasn't been a wall-mounter yet,  each 
    night yields at least 2 over 2 pounds and they've been gradually
    increasing in size.  These are post-spawn fish, skinny as all getout. 
    I can't wait until they put some meat back on their bones, these same
    fish might be close to four by mid-summer.  They are starting to get
    agressive ... I caught a couple on a topwater jointed rebel friday
    night.
    
    -SSS-

    Tim Lucia and I are considering fishing the Merrimack next Thursday for
    shad.  Probably below the Lawrence Damn.  I have never fished the
    Merrimack Below Tyngsboro (nor have I ever fished for shad).  Tim has
    fished for shad, but not in this area.  
    
    In an eariler note Ray J (who we don't hear as much from these days!)
    mentioned:
    
    >the closest ramp I know of to where I was fishing is in Haverhill
    >at the the Haverhill/Groveland line. You take a left just before
    >you leave Haverhill at the Groveland bridge. It's a place called
    >Red Slavits.
    
    How far is this from the damn?  Are the shad in this area?  Are there
    any other launches closer the the damn/shad?  
    
    Any reports from there lately?  
    
    donmac
    
    ps: how is the bass fishing in that area

    Don, if you go down the river toward Merrimack I am told that the bass
    fishing is better than up North. I've got some one who wants to show
    me some good areas in that stretch of the river but we can't get
    our schedules together. 

You mean Merrimac(MA)? or Merrimack(NH)?  (not the "k")

>    How far is this from the damn? 

 The damn what? The damn dam?!! :-)

 The Doctah

    re.-1, sorry 8^)
    
From:	11SRUS::LUCIA        "Worm fishermen have stiffer rods" 23-MAY-1990 13:44:09.33
To:	RANGER::MACINTYRE
CC:	
Subj:	RE: Notefile FISHING Note 1399.9

495 to 28N in Lawrence.  1/4 mile down 28N, bear to left at split.  Go over the
river.  Ramp is near Lawton's hot dog stand (stand on right just over bridge).

This is second hand.  This guy will drive by on his way home and let me know
any additional details.


This launch is a bit steep, but should be no problem w/ the truck.  The damn is
apparently visible from the launch.  He claims people have been getting big shad 
right below the dam.

Me.

    

    response to .11
    I don't think you can go down the river from Haverhill and get to 
    Merrimack N.H. So (not the K) is right.

    Any reports on the Conn river, Is it still high? are the Shad hitting?
    Does anyone  have a phone number I can call to check river conditions?
    I'd like to go somtime within the next few days, but if the river is
    anything like last week I won't waist my time. Thanks in advance.
    
    
    						Capt. Haney

I talked to my brother in Spfld just the other day.  He says the river is still
10' above normal.  The annual Holyoke Power Company Shad Derby was moved back
(he didn't say to when).  Infer from this that it would be tough to catch fish
right now.  Better to wait until next week.

    Thanks for the info. I also called the Power company and the water is
    still running four feet over the dam. I also called the conn river
    wild life division and they said the run right know is at a stand
    still. They informed me that the derby has been postponed to this week-
    end  and next. The ranger says the water is still High, dirty and cold.
    He said that it would be a good idea to put off the fishing for another
    week. Guess I'll wait another week. Hope the weather cooperates and
    stays try and the air warms up. Sure miss fighting those shad on my
    ultralight. Well I wish everyone tightlines no matter way you fish
    this weekend and have a save one.
    
    						Capt Haney

    Re:9
    
    	I'm still out here. Just a bit busier lately between work and
    school. I'm usually in R/O mode most of the time now.
    
    	BTW - The amount of notes I enter is usually tied to the amount of
    times I get to go fishing. Pretty sad state of affairs until the end
    of this semester (taking the summer off).
    
    	At least I can come in here once in awhile and read about fishing.
    Keep up the good stories. Isn't it about time for another trip to 
    Florida ;-)
    
    	To relate this back to shad fishing, in talking to someone that fished 
    Lawrence for shad, they were surprised when we mentioned they're aerobatic 
    ability. He said he never had one jump at Lawrence. Seems strange. Can 
    anyone who fishes Lawrence comment on this ???
    
    	The other obvious thing is that aside from smallmouths you can also
    get stripers further downstream (using shad darts).
    
    	Let me know how you make out in Lawrence.
    
    	RAYJ_who's_in_the_literal_terminal_anglers_mode_only

    I spent all day yesterday (5/24/90) shad fishing at Holyoke. We were on
    the Holyoke side of the river very near the route 116 bridge, almost
    directly across from one of the areas where you can launch boats (South
    Hadley). The river was quite high and moving well. In the morning we
    saw most of the action from boats. After about 10:00 we started to pick
    up some shad, all the ones we caught were in the 3 to 5 pound class and
    were hitting purple darts with white streamer/feathers cut very short.
    All in all it was a good day.
    
    Dan