What does late season snow do to the herring spawn?
 

I'm curious what snow so late in the season does to the success or failure of the herring spawn? We just started warming a little and then we get all this cold runoff from the melting snow. What does that do to the fish heading up stream and what does it do to the eggs , etc? Anybody know any facts about this stuff?

Also , if anybody knows , does it have an effect on striper reproduction in places like the Ct River or the Hudson River?

late season snow just stalls out the fish in the rivers temporarily...they'll drop back in the deeper pools/pockets and wait it out, then attack the run with a vengeance once the water warms again...these herring are pretty hardy critters...:)

i would guess the same applies for spawning bass, although i'm skeptical that the ct river has a breeding population...

I'm confident that there are locally bred fish in all of New England. I've caught 5 inch bass in the Housy, in around the Rhody ponds, and in the Boston Harbor area. We hear about local basses from parts of Maine and the Thames - why not these other rivers?

while there is no "proof" of spawning stripers on the CT river, i saw several 4" - 5" stripers at the enfield dam while snorkeling a few summers back. i'm not sure of the growth rate on the little guys, but this was in august. while they were probably not YOY, they would definately have had some trouble swimming all the way up there from the hudson, chesapeake, or even down from the penobscot!:confused:

Spent some time at G. Stuart today. Met a few guys who were looking for herring. Nothing running. They said they ran for a few days prior to the snow storm, then fell back into the bay when it got cold. I expect them to make a run next week with the warm weather coming.

Every April @ Gilbert Stuart theres a presentation about the Herring run. There are biologists present that can answer questions and some underwater footage. This year I think its April 27 in the afternoon. I'm gonna try to make it this year.

guys...there is some documentation on Spawning Striped Bass in the Ct river...as there is in some other suspicious places we all talk about from time to time...

the thing is, there is no reason to do anything about it. there are not close to enough to count them intio any kind of overall plan or regulation

I heard that there were a few running two weeks ago in Brewster but I've been twice since the snow and have yet to see one. Soon very soon :D

Makes it harder to lite a cigarette:humpty:

I'd imagine the herring that have already gone thru the run, have found some deep pools or holes to hide out in until the skinny water warms up again. As far as Bass, I doubt it...the few brave ones have probably found refuge somewhere. Overall, I doubt it effectst the spawn in a big way...as long as this cold spell don't last much longer...:af::af:


Just ask the coyotes and raccoons if any herring have surfaced during this cold spell.

..they don't just eat sheep ya know.....:D

where have you seen this documentation? i am very interested in this. it is always a source of much debate each spring on the CT river.

From the way things have developed , I'm convinced the late snow has caused the herring thing to be way late at a lot of runs. I think its the ones fed by large runoffsin areas that got hit hard by the last snow storm.

So they are late. Does that have any implications as to the success of the hatch?