Too cool, who would have thought
 

that the best fight of the entire year would come on 11/27. Well a fat 35 lber, with big shoulders and the strength to match. I haven't seen a bass this shape since the 80's, gave me one H*LL of a fight today. It was the icing on the cake, as I had just played with close to 45 schoolies around 2-5 lbers and then started dragging a few live hickory shad around.

Funny because I never heard the Baitrunner drag, the fish just sort of took the bait and slowly swam around under and beside the boat. I'm not even sure how long it had the bait, because I happened to look back and noticed my line almost abeam of the boat. Went back to reel in and toss it out behind the boat and suddenly the battle was on. Had two other large fish on briefly but never got them stuck well with the circle hook. These hickory shad are big, like the big bunker of the 80's, so I guess more time would have been in order, I was just too damn excited after that first one.

I had to double hand the big one up onto the gunnel, unhooked it and was reaching for my scale and didn't she flop right back into the river :). She deserved it, but man I'd have loved to see how fat she really was, plus a quick pic would have been sweet. I had one 32 lber on certified scales this summer and this fish was clearly bigger. I'm so glad I decided to fire myself and go fishing, wish I could do it the rest of the week, because those fish should be there still.

Funny thing is anyone could have caught them this morning, without a boat, because I was literally fishing in and around the empty boat slips. Schoolie you should know exactly where I hooked that big one, just a few boat lengths below where that guy released that 28 lber. You might want to call in sick yourself :).

nice going Bob !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



later,Mike

Well I guess I gotta be kickin' myself for not firing myself today and tagging along :(

Good for you Bob, That's a nice fish there. Maybe I should fire myself on Thurs. and check it out.

Well GS, you're certainly in the right spot. You were still using a relatively light rod too, not the typical boat meat stick... 'Grats...

This reminds me, I gotta make a couple hour long holdover trips up the river...


Too bad you had to fire yourself to make it happen. Do you need to file with the state when you let people go :rolleyes: ?

Ya know, just when I was about to take the last of the eels in the patio livewell out to Green Bridge for an early release on good behavior...

GS,
Excellent :D

I guess that cancels the smallie trip to Mashpee;) Godd going and we have all winter for the Cape.

John I'd have been hard pressed to land that fish on that light spinning rod, especially with that Tectan 8.8 lb test. All the smaller fish came on that setup, including a couple nicer ones in the 5-8 lb class.

I had my 7 foot GLB841M with me with 30/6 spiderwire and the Baitrunner 3500, so I had the right gear to fight her. It was too cool though, I was laughing outloud after she flopped back in, really made my day-week-month. With all the bait I marked in there, I'm definately going again this weekend.

Maybe this will get some guys interested in bringing some boats down Saturday for a little winter holdover boat fling. Even if we have too many guys to put in the boats available, these fish can be had from the docks. We could also transport a few guys to some key spots down river as well. The only thing would be everyone should know by law a freshwater license is technically required. The fish connection can be reached at 860 885-1739 and they have limited licenses left at this time, so advance notice might be required for them to bring in more from the town hall.

Now on to my next question, who has more experience with Hickory Shad? I'd like some tips on putting more in the boat quicker, because I don't want to spend half my day fishing for bait, if you know what I mean :).

nuttin better than big bass on live bait:cool: ...my best fish sucked down a 16" hick in plymouth haba two years ago...

good going Bob ! that river does give up large all winter . If your in the right place right time right tide and right bait . I havent been to the river in a while . I used to fish fort shantock (sp) cool history there .

Bob, the one thing I noticed about the shad in a couple trips down there is they seem to strike a bit higher in the water column.

Maybe slightly smaller hook, with slightly smaller plastic... I don't know, we had alot of shad hits on what we were using. Hey, maybe add a teaser?

Anyway, alot of my shad type bites and shad caught came with more of a horizontal presentation, probably not even 10 feet down.

Couldn't even make it thru the week, huh? You got it bad, man!

I may be down on saturday... with this warm weather, these fish will likely stay pretty active, especially if there's plenty of bait around.

Nice fish Gotstripers....Hickories
 

Excellent catch, maybe I will take a ride up there this weekend.

I never fished it from boat before, but if you can find a rip with a good current you should be able to load up your live well in short order.

I know guys use shad darts, but I myself when targeting h shad, I like to use little panfish tubes, gitzits. Fire and Ice color is good or just white.
But the #1 thing I have found works dynamite on them is, a 2.5" white fin s fish, on a 16 oz. bullet panfish lead head. If you can use a 32oz. and still get it down in the current I would use that, they seem to nail it on the drop, if nuttin on the drop a slow moderate retrieve will catch you some shad, you will also be catching some schoolies as well. Get your 6.6ft rod set up out with 6# test, let me know how many baits you get. Better yet how many more 35# ers you get, happy hunting I might try and bribe someone to take a ride up there early in the morning, depending on the tide and stuff.

JohnS

GS - try small bucktail jigs and FinS fish, like 1/4oz and 2" to 3" pearl FinS (or you're comparable stuff)... I've had them hit teasers before so that may be worth a shot for you, especially if you can double up a few into the livewell. They also make Shad Darts but I've never used them. They hit like hungry school bass, just more fierce. They are a lot of fun on light tackle...

for hicks i always throw a 1/4 oz beetlespin in black body/yellow stripe...this season i had then gobbling up olive/white deceivers attached as teasers...i've found that during the summer/fall, the magic window to catch them is from just before false dawn to sunrise...after that its real hit or miss, usually i hafta go deeper...

The hicks like little black red gills too.

CSK

John R, if I go, you want to meet me there? Even if you only came for a couple hours... I could bring the cellphone and you could call me from the launch... though most of the action is within sight of the ramp.

Another shot at some large...

Let me know if you're interested... If I go, it would be saturday morning thru afternoon.

OK, I've got to start digging or pouring, so who's in on Saturday. It sounds like Schoolie, myselve and maybe DaveS with boats, but I think we need to confirm this on the board. Then we can start the lottery for the lucky guests :). Actually, I can fish 3 in my boat when they are on the vertical bite without any problem. With this warm weather you actually don't need to be fishing slow and vertical. The weather looked pretty good for Saturday. http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/Norwich_CT_US_f.html

Let's set it up, who's got a boat and willing to trailer down? I'm in and can give a couple directions to my house, which will cut down on the boredom of the ride and the gas :).

ps: Called the Fish Connection and he will try to have a small handful of 3 day ($8) licenses for those that want to be legal.

You guys and your weekends !!!!!!!!!!!



GOOD LUCK , later ,Mike:(

If I was'nt hunting on Saturday I would be interested. Some guys have all the luck, good for you. I hope you best it this weekend.

Nice fish GS. Maybe try live bait hooks.

My C-Ratt award for "BAD LUCK" is still in my truck. I'm still looking at a pretty steep $/fish price on my Thames bass this fall. I figure I'm at around $4 per fish at this point, maybe at the end of winter, that will be closer to $2 and it won't be so bad.

Besides when it comes to fishing, there really is very little luck involved in the big picture. Yeah, I was in the right place at the right time, but the wealth of experience and my gut instincts put me there. It's called paying your dues, mine just happen to be more expensive than most :(.

Saltheart, I was using a large Gami Gorilla hook I think. But with a live bait that large, I think I'll fish them just like I used to rig the big bunker. That was a blast and the hook up rate was hard to beat, because of the dual trebles. The added advantage of not letting any fish run, you feel weight you set, I never gut hooked a single fish.

So we still have no firm committements. I'm in, Schoolie and John maybe but I don't know, who else is interested?

Not sure Schoolie & GS, depends if TheBetterHalf is willing to get rid of me Saturday morning for a few hours. I'd like to go ;) ...

What gear do you recommend?

GS I forgot to tell you, that award gets rid of all your bad luck. Being Sicilian I warded off the "Evil Eye" and got rid of the Meloki. I may have to do some more work on it to keep the big boys in the boat but so far...

C-ratt - You related to Father Guido Sarducci???

Greg & GS - I had previously promised this weekend to the family which I plan to do (but I'm willing to play hookey some day next week ;) :p :D )

Ooops, we must have posted at the same time... ah, I guess John is out. I was posting a plea with the better half, but will skip it at this point.

PLEA!!! PLEA!!!... Just Kidding ;)

no John you promised !!!
just thought Id say it before the better half does .

Ok, my invites to others are heading out as we speak. You guys need to get your prioities in line or get those "better" halfs "better" trained. I've had "MY SATURDAY" since God made little green apples and that's the way the world works. Ok, I'm one selfish SOB, so sue me....who's going fishing Saturday :).

Schoolie you still going? I've sent some email invites to a couple NY guys I try to get out every winter, so let me know if you will be down. Can't believe no interest, active fish, big fish too, sunny and 61 degrees forecast. Who'd of thunk it.

Just in case my invites get no response, last call any takers?

Hmmm....I dont have the boat....but you say from the docks would be productive????? I could possibly be persuaded......that is if the invite is open to all??!!!

I think our cancelled cod trip just gave me a major urge to fish...:(

You certainly don't need a boat, although it does help :). I still don't know if Schoolie's bringing his boat, or if anyone else is interested, although it's looking doubtful. With the lack of interest I sent out some invites, one is negative, the other still pending. I'm going down either way and will let you know when I plan on arriving. You know I'd be happy to set you up on the docks, shore or some other key spot, that might not normally be readily accessible. If that's something your interested in doing, then make sure you have a cell phone, so I can come get you if you need to head home, or you might be stranded on that jetty all night :). All those empty boat slips directly across from the boat ramp had fish under them all day. What I don't know is if the general public can just walk on down and fish from them. Each time I came back to them, I had no trouble jigging up a half dozen. Also the narrows just below the first bridge, was loaded with schoolies early afternoon, so a leadhed jig slowly swum or jigged back from that spot should produce.

Still nobody else interested?