Sunday was the final day of the 53rd annual Holyoke Gas & Electric Shad Derby. 22News was there to see some happy people catching some big fish.
The final day of the 53rd annual Holyoke Gas and Electric Shad Derby took place Sunday. The derby kicked off last weekend.
Fishermen from all over were invited to fish the waters of the Connecticut River by the Holyoke Dam in a competition to see who can catch the largest fish.
Dan Larry, from Holyoke, told 22News, “Well winning is luck, because the fish are smart. But no I’m hoping to win.”
The first place fisherman in the senior division wins a $1,000 cash prize.
Due to recent rain the currents are higher than normal and on top of that the river is cooler than normal, this delayed the migration of the shad. But that means there a lot more shad for the fishermen to catch.
George Szala, from Connecticut, told 22News he tried shad before and it tastes good, “I’ve only had it smoked, it tastes like smoked fish.”
Even though the derby is a competition its also a place where people from all over come and fish with family and friends, and even meet some new friends.
