Sometimes the best way to catch them is to hang a light over the side of the boat and just drift in the open water. Afternoons they will move into some coves. Shad move back into the creeks and coves but cold fronts move them out into deeper water. Best bet is to try and get bait before a front hits.
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Are the shad running in the CT River?
The shad run is on in the Connecticut River. If you have never fished for shad before maybe this should be the first year. When they are on, it can be lots of fun. Shad are strong and hard fighting fish.
Where can I find shad in CT?
In Connecticut, spring runs of shad occur in all major rivers (Connecticut, Housatonic, Pawcatuck and Thames), with the largest run occurring in the Connecticut River. Minor runs also occur in the Quinnipiac, Hammonasset and East rivers.
Where are the stripers running in CT?
In Connecticut, striped bass are seasonally found along the entire coastline and in all large tidal rivers, where they are typically common to abundant. Most fish migrate south during winter, but some overwinter in Connecticut, most notably in the Thames River.
Where is the best freshwater fishing in Connecticut?
- Quinnipiac River (South Meriden)
- Connecticut River (Middletown to Hartford)
- Lake McDonough (Barkhamsted)
- Squantz Pond State Park (New Fairfield)
- Satan’s Kingdom (New Hartford)
- Stratton Brook State Park (Simsbury)
What rivers do the shad always return to spawn?
Juvenile shad spend several years in the ocean, returning to river systems to spawn when they reach sexual maturity. The fish once supported massive commercial and recreational fisheries in rivers along the Atlantic coast, especially the Delaware River.
How do you catch shad CT River?
Is shad fish good to eat?
“Shad is a great fish to eat, it’s very healthy for you, and you’re supporting a local fishery that’s sustainable.” Shad, a large member of the herring family, are famously bony fish. Cooks get around that by baking the fish to soften the bones. But for most people, the real prize is the shad roe.
What does shad taste like?
American shad has a wonderful, distinctive, sardine-like flavor that is sweet, salty, and freshly fishy. The texture of the fish—which you can really only savor when it is filleted—enhances its pronounced flavor with an oily, yet resilient, silky sensation as it melts like butter on the palate.
How far up the CT River do stripers go?
Stripers can be found throughout the 50 mile stretch of river from Hartford to the river’s mouth in Old Saybrook.
What depth do stripers swim?
Learn how to effectively target striped bass in depths from 60 to 100 feet, and you’ll be able to catch them during the middle of the day, even in the heart of summer.
What is the best bait for catching striped bass?
Bloodworms and Sandworms as Striped Bass Baits Bloodworms and sandworms are highly effective striper baits just about everywhere these fish are found, virtually any time of the year. Stripers love eating them, period.
How do you fish in the Connecticut River?
Some good choices for the Connecticut River include a nightcrawler and bobber rig, inline spinners, small soft plastic tube baits or spider jigs that imitate crayfish, lipped crankbaits, paddle tail swimbaits and stickbaits, among others.
What kind of fish are in the Quinnipiac river?
Largemouth bass can be found in the river from just above Red Bridge down to Hanover Pond and within the pond itself. Carp are plentiful downstream from Hanover Dam. North Haven: an occasional striper might be found as well as white perch.
Where can you catch crappie in Connecticut?
To catch crappie in Connecticut, try Bantam Lake, Beach Pond, Black Pond, Candlewood Lake, Crystal Lake, Gardner Lake, Lake Beseck, Lake Saltonstall, Lake Zoar, Mansfield Hollow Lake, Mashapaug Lake, Moodus Reservoir, Pachaug Pond, Quaddick Reservoir, Rogers Lake, Shenipsit Lake, Tyler Lake or Washining Lake or …
What is the best bait for shad?
The best bait for American shad are small, artificial lures including jigs, spinners, spoons and similar lures. Shiny or brightly colored lures work best, although shad also are known to bite a shiny bare hook, especially attached to a swivel to give it some swaying action.
What is the best time to fish for shad?
Shad spend their autumns and winters in the ocean, so the best time to fish them is during the spring and summer, when they return to the rivers for much easier access. Most people begin fishing shad in April and May.
How do you attract shad to bait?
How long does the shad run last?
California’s shad runs generally start in early to mid-April and last through at least June. The season really hits its stride in May, with some of the best fishing being mid-May through mid-June.
What do large shad eat?
Feeding. In the ocean, American shad feed on plankton, crustaceans and small fish. Adults stop feeding once they begin their upstream spawning migration.
Where do shad go in the fall?
In both cases, the game fish and their primary food source threadfin shad will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition).
How do you catch shad at night?
What do shad fish eat?
Like other herrings, the American shad is primarily a plankton feeder, but eats small shrimp and fish eggs. Occasionally they eat small fish, but these are only a minor item in their general diet.
How do you catch shad on a rod and reel?
How do you bleed shad?
