Conference wahoo::fishing

    KHAM;
    
    Yes, the Connecticut River, which is out in the western part of Mass.
    is excellent for small-mouth bass, walleye, and pan fish.  I try to get
    out there whenever I have the opportunity.  If you look in the Keyword
    directory, you will find some notes there.  It's a grea place to fish!
    
    -Dave A.
    

    Kham, as Dave mentioned, take a look in the Keyword Dirtectory (555).
    
    Look at the notes associated with the MASS-SPOTS keyword in note 555.65
    
    Also check out CONN-RIVER and MERRIMACK-RIVER keyword listings.
    
    tight lines, donmac

I grew up in Spfld, went to school in Amherst and so I was never more than 10-15
minutes away from the CT river.  It also has some largemouth action as well as
fantastic catfishing.  Use 3-day-old chicken livers and a 3oz pyramid sinker
and hang on to the rod -- those river cats can fight like hell.  I might also
mention that it has a fantastic shad run in May and June and I've caught an
infrequent white bass in the feeder creek mouths.

Tim

    Hey Tim;
    
    I have been fishing the CT for the first time this year, and I have
    spotted some of those cruising river cats!  They are huge!!, and I 
    was wondering if you could give a little more of the details about
    fishing for them with chicken livers.  IE:  when you say 3-day old,
    do you mean leaving them un-refrigerated?  What type of hook set-up
    do you use? What is the cast/retrieve technique? ect.  I thank you
    in advance for your tips; I would love to catch a couple of those
    big boys!!
    
    -Dave A.
    

    
Kham;

	I live along, and love to fish, the Westfield River. It's a tributary
of the Conn. river. It's easiest access is via Rt. 20 west out of Westfield
(Mass Pike x-it 3 South on 10/202 3+ miles then right onto 20). The river
forks twice in Huntington with one branch continuing alone Rt 20 and the
two other branches accessable via Rt 112 east from Huntington Ctr.

	Nice river. Well stocked all branches. Great, at times, in the spring.
Summer interfearance in spots from baithers. River run smallies. Catch and
release/Artificials only section in Army Corp. land. The middle branch is
interupted by Littleville Lake (Army Copr. DAMn) - Popular for trolling (no
swimming/H2O skiing/etc. etc.) and itself well stocked.



	There's also the Manhan in Westhampton/Southampton/Easthampton. It's
another Conn. river tributary but harder to direct you to.

	And the Farmington River in Western Mass.

	And the Green River in the Greenfield area (north western Mass.)

				Joe Whittemore - From where the Westfield
						      Meets the Westfield
							 By the Westfield
							    In Huntington (MA)

    Dave:
    
    Here's the way I get those cats (biggest yet is about 16 pounds):
    1) Buy some chicken liver in your local supermarket.
    2) Punch a few holes in the cover to assist in them spoiling, but not
       allowing animals/bugs/etc. to eat them
    3) Leave outside in the sun for 3-5 days.
    4) Go to the CT river, best after dark.  Bring nose plugs (optional)
    5) 12-15 lb line (lots of snags in that there river)
    6) I use a one oz pyramid sinker in the summer and fall when the river
       is low and a three oz in the spring.
    7) Leader a 1/0 or 2/0 hook about 18" from the sinker.
    8) Hook the liver through the tough part and bury the point/barb in the
       soft fleshy part (of the chicken liver, not of yourself)
    9) Throw that sucker out there as far as you can.  Alternately, fish
       near feeder streams/rivers like the Westfield and the Chicopee. 
       Put a shiner or your favorite lure on another pole for the smallies.
    10)[important]  Leave the drag as light as possible to offset the river
       current.  Wait for the drag to start singing, set it, set the hook
       and keep the rod tip high!
    
    
    The 1/0 or larger hook helps cut down on the eels. I've found eels only
    take a bite out of the liver and then pursue other things, leaving most
    of the bait intact.
    
    I suppose you could also use those stinkbaits, but for $.69/lb, chicken
    livers work just great.  Night crawlers are okay also, but yield more
    eels.
    
    Enjoy, I used to!!
    Tim
    
    P.S.  DON'T MISS THE SHAD RUN IN THE SPRING!!
    Shad are a blast on 8lb bass tackle, and during the peak of the run,
    you can get one on almost every cast.
    
    Get a shad dart, tie it to your line.  Get a BIG split shot (1/8 to 1/4
    oz) and put it about 12-18" up the line.  The split shot bounces off
    the shad and they turn and see the dart swim past and hit it.
    

    Tim;
    
    Thanks a lot for your step-by-step directions!  I *should* be able to
    land a few of those big cats now!  Aprreciate the time you took to show
    me how...
    
    -Dave A.
    

    Your welcome.  My parents still live in Springfield, but I don't get
    down there much.  Maybe in September...  If so, I'll look you up
    
    Tim