Conference wahoo::fishing

	I can't wait to get out either.  The asabet, concord, and (I think)
the Nashua all have open water.  Would one have any luck going out this early.
What would one use?  I was thinking of going and just fishing deeps spots with
jig-and-pigs or worms fished slow (I;d fish deep structure but with no
finder it's tough to locate.)  

Mike

    
    SPRING FEVER.......'aint it great!
    
    Ever seen what floating ice-chunks can do to a boat?   Gives a new
    meaning to the terms 'turning-over' and ice-out!
    
    Putting a boat in a river that's still partially clogged MIGHT not be
    prudent, if you get the drift of my previous comments.
    
    My suggestion is that you work those openings from the shoreline.....
    examples would be Hopkinton Reservoir had 100 yards of open water the
    other day.... and lotsa 'confused fish' to work.
    
    Just my concerns about venturing out into dangerous waters!
    
    
    Dick
    

    
    Hey Bill, that wasn't my boat you were thinking of putting out there
    was it ???
    
    You know, now that you mention it I don't know of anybody catching
    trout in the CT river. I agree with Dick, it's still too early to take
    a chance  on drowning, even worse sinking the boat.
    
    Don
    

    Are the fish in the Connecticut edible?  I'm not planning on fishing it
    this week, but I understand there are some nice chad to be caught.   I
    am also always looking for a good place to catch some hornpout.  I know
    rivers are frequently good for catching them, but I always wonder about
    pollution.  
    
    Comments?
    Rich

I grew up on the CT in springfield.  Most definitely DO NOT eat any fish caught
below the Holyoke dam.  Above Turner's Falls, I've heard that people do eat
some fish, and I ate a Shad once caught under the Sunderland bridge (between
Holyoke and TF) and I'm still alive.  Shad won't be there until May.

	Concering the Connecticut River, I just got a call the night 
	before last from MASSPIRG, who were soliciting members for
	donations towards some kind of battle against water polluters.
	The rep went on to give some examples, and one of them was 	
	about a (paper?) company that dumps TONS of waste into the
	Connecticut River every day!  I really don't remember the details,
	but whatever it is that they dump sucks all the oxygen out of
	the water, till eventually no life can exist (without oxygen). :-(

	I assume that the stuff is toxic...

	Too bad huh ? 

	Some other company dumps so much waste/animal fat into Boston
	Harbor that the Coast Guard has to frequently treat it as an
	oil slick.

	/Ken

    
    Hi, I've fished the CT river for the last few years and have found that
    its been cleaned up considerably. I would and do eat the fish without
    hesitation. I appreciate the work that Org's like MASSPIRG does but I
    think they tend to magnify & exploit situations to keep the funds
    coming in.
    
           Don

    I agree that MASSPIRG tends to exagerate.  I've caught too many fish
    from the Ct river to believe the line about tons of waste resulting in
    no oxygen.  Don't eat 'em!  There have been for real studies that have
    shown elevated levels of mercury, pcb's etc.
    
    RE: species found in the river - in addition to Shad, LMB and SMB,
    there are Walleye (if ya knowe where to find them), channel cats, pike,
    sturgeon (not legal to catch/keep), Blueback Herring, Atlantic Salmon
    (not legal to keep), Eels, and lots of other interesting water
    creatures.
    
    The river is a great place to fish.  Just watch out for rocks,
    shallows, currents, other boaters, etc.  Best bet is above the Holyoke
    dam - there's too much untreated sewage entering the river between
    Holyoke and Enfield.
    
    Good luck,
    
    -SSS-

    I am not familiar with the various landmarks along the Connecticut
    river, except for a bridge named (I think) the French King bridge.
    Once, years ago (before I did any fishing) I went on a day long canoe
    trip down the river starting a little north of Deerfield. It seemed like
    such a nice place I have always thought I should go back someday. I'd
    love to plan a trip this year, in fact, and get in some good fishing 
    along the way.
    
    Question: I have a Coleman crawdad and access to a 17' Coleman canoe.
    Could the Crawdad be used along that stretch of the river or do I need
    a canoe? My preference is for the Crawdad since I'd like to fish along 
    the way and it's just more comfortable and better for fishing. I do
    have a trolling motor for navigation.
    
    Also, are there bass most of the way along the river, or only in certain 
    areas? How about trout?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Ed
    

    
    
    Hi Ed, I think you could manuever the river with either the crawdad or
    a canoe, I'd suggest the crawdad if you have a motor and if the water
    isn't running too fast on the day your going (ie not after a major rain
    storm). There is a pretty large launching area about a mile or so past
    the French King bridge, its called Barton's cove. The water there is
    almost pond-ish until you start getting near the Bridge again, though
    there tends to be a lot of boat traffic near there so watch out for
    wakes. I usually go up the river to Northfield its a longer drive but
    there is relatively little boat traffic and tons of parking space. I
    usually fish down-river because the NH & VT borders are only about 3/4
    of a mile upstream. I've never heard of trout in the CT although if you
    fish the mouth of the Millers river (right at the FK bridge) I'm sure
    there could be some there. I've caught Walleyes above the Northfield
    launch where the water runs deep against some of the rock shoals. I'd
    guess that pattern would work elsewhere. 

    Hey Wildman, we could go check the river out Sunday if your planning to
    head West for the day. It would be a perfect excuse to get out of the
    house.
    
    Don

    
    
    Yo Donnie,
    
    
           You are so damn smooth! That is the best idea I have heard
    in a long time. Seeing we will be in Athol- the Conn. River is right
    down the road we should really take advantage of the situation.
    Besides I really dont want to have try and control myself around
    all of your wonderful nieces!
    
    see ya Sunday
    
    Wild

    Don,
    
    Do you know if that stretch of river between Northfield and the French
    King bridge holds any bass?
    
    Also, is that little campsite alnog the river still there?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Ed

    Hi Ed, I've found the EAST bank between Northfield and the FK bridge to
    be most productive (smallies). I usually look for little points and inlets.
    The inside of the island near the camping area is also usually pretty good
    because there are usually a lot of submerged logs. The camping area is
    still open though they've removed the dock, I think it was an attempt to
    reduce the usage, most people with the bigger boats don't want to
    ground them to get off. I haven't been able to figure out the dock on
    the Island, it seems like some people have built their own and
    "claimed" it for themselves. I usually have good luck with a white
    spinner bait and/or rattlin raps. Rubber worms always seem to work too.
    
         Don

    Hay Don the camp ground will put the dock back in around the middle of
    may or so.  Once the water has calmed down and the logs stop flowing!
    
    Bassin Bob..
    

    Thanks Bob that's good to know, its a nice place to stop for a rest
    even if you don't camp there. Your right it really is a nice place and
    well kept. When I discovered it about 7 or 8 years ago, we used to be
    able to go there on a weekend and have the campground to ourselves but
    its pretty well used now. I don't remember seeing the dock there at all
    last year, that's why I assumed they took it down permanently.
    
    Don

    I expect that since we are talking about a river, the current will be a
    bit on the swift side in the spring what with all the snow up there in
    the mountains...
    
    Just how rough is it in the spring? Is it better to wait until early 
    summer to make a fishing trip along the stretch from Northfield to just
    past the French King bridge?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Ed
    

    Well, it depends. It's not as bad as you might expect because of the
    dam in Vernon Vt. which is only about a mile and a half up stream but it
    is stronger than in summer. If you have a gas powered motor I think
    you'd be ok but if you have an electric motor I'd say you'd want to
    wait a while. I've travelled from Northfield to the camping area which
    about a mile or so up stream from the bridge with an electric motor
    with the battery saving feature (MinnKota maximizer)& crawdad and really 
    just made it back to Northfield. The battery was pretty well drained and 
    we didn't have a strong current that day. The camping area is about half
    way from the Barton's Cove launch and the Northfield launch so your
    fighting just about an equal amount of current going or coming.
       

    >> last year the dock was not in at the campground..
    
    which camp ground are you talking about.  The picknick area with the
    tables and all the grass or the campground with only six sites and
    built off the side of the hill?
    
    I went camping there to times last year and the dock is there.
    
    bassin Bob.  
    
    p.s. If yo uhave anouther place to fish this time of year I would
    avoid the river.  But if thats all thats open good luck!!
    
    

    Hi Bob, I am referring to the camp ground on top of the hill, I think
    it's much more near the island (up stream) than the FK bridge. I think the 
    area you are referring to is almost across the street from the Power
    Company,that is another really great picknicking area. They usually have 
    somesort of tour that leaves there every hour or so, sponsored by the Power
    Company. I don't think its a public launch, in fact I didn't know that
    a boater could land there, even temporarily. You are definately right
    about the current under and near the FK bridge. The river narrows
    there, gets deep and really runs !  Up farther north its a little wider
    and slower but still worth taking notice of.
    
     Don

    NO I know about the power company place and the camp ground, I was just
    trying to see if you know the difference :^).  The dock was in at the
    camp ground last year!!  In case you did not know the campground
    belongs to the power company as well.  It is part of thier "give
    something back to the people since we use there water each day!!"
    
    Bassin Bob.

    I guess, I just missed it last year. Yeah I did know the PC owns the
    area I was there one day when one of their "rangers" stopped by and he
    explained the details to me. He was quite friendly and asked for inputs
    on improving the area as well. I guess I missed the dock last year
    because I was Zooming by too fast. In years gone by I had my crawdad
    and an electric motor but last year I had my new boat and must have
    been carried away with myself. I am looking forward to hitting it again
    this year. I've pretty well decided that the CT is about the best all
    around bass fishing spot I know, at least from a productivity and
    boating standpoint.
    
    Don
    standpoint

    >> Must have zoomed by it!
    
    You said it!!  I have missed it and had to turn around when I was
    looking for it!  You really don't see it until you are about even with
    it!
    
    Bob
    

    Has anyone been out to the CT. river recently?  I was thinking about 
    going there this w/e, and I was wondering what the conditions are?
    Any info is appreciated!
    
    -Dave A.
    

    The stretch in VT/NH has gotta be super high. We've got a ton of rain.
    
    Mark

    I tried the river yesterday 4/16, and it was *very* high, indeed.  I
    fished from the power plant, down to the first boat launch, and had
    no luck at all. As I said, the water was high, and the current and wind
    were very strong.  Looks like it will be a few more weeks before we'll
    have any luck here.  It was still nice to be on the water, tho!
    -
    Dave A.
    

    Hi Dave, I was there all day yesterday myself with another guy. We
    launched from Northfield and found the same conditions. In fact in got
    worse as the day went on. When we launched about 6:30 am the "dock" was
    still above water, when we return about 3:00 it was completely
    submerged. We didnt even get a bite, I think the fish were too busy
    fending for their lives against the current to think about eating. We
    also fished from the dam (VT) to the dam at Millers falls. I agree I
    think it'll take a couple of weeks to make the river worth hitting
    again.
    
    Don