I want to go down to Bonneville later this month when the Shad really get running. I hear they are like hooking a fighter jet on light tackle. I have never fished for them before. I have heard jigs work, but that leaves alot open for interpretation Anyone have any successful experience. Thanks

I spent an afternoon last spring on the Willamette fishing for these torpedos they were a kick we used small spoons i.e. dick nites behind a drop leader with a 1 ounce ball and just back bounced them in to the fish, the strikes are not too much but the fight is great ..careful their mouths are very soft. I used my noodle rod and got so tired I had to switch to my steelhead set up we landed 45 fish in 3 hrs tons of funnn goood luck..

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Row Quietly and fish a Catraft( formerly Steelheader boy)
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Shad are a blast on light tackle. You can fish from shore below the dam, from mainland or the island toward Oregon side, though it is all very rocky/snaggy so take lots of terminal tackle.
Locally, those fish seem to prefer small shad darts, chartreuse with gold hooks but no hair or feathers for a tail. (Visit the general store in Stevenson if you can't find these near home.) Shouldn't need much weight to get to them. They'll take flies too, in a variety of colors but usually with a shiney component of gold or silver.

Hi, if you've never been there you've got to gooo,its a blast.I use the smallest dart never more then the medium size dart with no feathers.The store in stevenson has a real good selection there as do most of the stores on the way up.I don't know where you live but you might check in your sporting goods store,get a varity of colors.Get a bunch of darts and you'll need some 1/2 ounce sinkers thats plenty big but you might need a handful untill you get things figured out it is very snaggy there.Once you get it figured out its really easy.I open the gap a little and twist the point to the side just a little bit !!!.I use a two ft. leader on a snap swivel and 1/2 ounce sinker on the snap. You can catch fish till it feels like your arm is going to fall off.I don't go untill the dam count is over 50 thousand a day.I mean its really a blast.I don't keep any if someone there wants them I'll give it to them.Don't use heavy gear I use 6 lb. line if you give them a chance they'll fight just as hard (it seems) as a steelhead.Have a good time and try to ignore the crowd it does get verrryyy crowded.It reall is fun!!!.GO

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Bob Dawson

Use a sliding egg weight and use a very sensitive rod, like a noodle rod (the 1141s is an excellent stick). You'll feel more bites. Bring lots of different color combinations of shad darts. They'll key on certain colors during different times of the day. Green has been hot the last couple of years, both green/white and green/chartreuse. But don't forget to bring the old standbys: red/white, hot pink/white and orange/chartreuse. Throw in a couple wee dick nites (switch out hooks and put on a Gammy #10 siwash) in orange/white and nickle/green head. These will elicit reactionary strikes during the slowest parts of the day. Use the countdown method. The shad come in in waves. The count you caught your last fish on will catch you two or three more. Have fun!

[This message has been edited by Hohwaiian (edited 05-09-2000).]

A favorite pass time... my son and I love the month of June.. for two reasons, Teeball and SHAD not in that order.

We used 7' rods (SJR 842-2) rated 6-12... we use six pound test line, we fish red/white darts, the smaller ones, a few split shot. Cast count to 5 and retrieve. Lots of action.

We fish the larger deeper holes, usually the tailouts, that have a little water movement. We usually anchor at the bottom and almost drift fish the darts through the holes. Our rivers are smaller and easier to find the holding water. We have better success when the water temp. rises a bit... these prespawn weeks are awesome if you can find holding fish.

Shad fishing is a blast..... better than smallie fishing in our book.

Every June I hear about this and wonder if I should take the long trek (for me) to the Columbia. Do these fish at least smoke well, or is it strictly C&R&R&R&R&R&R&R. Be honest and don't laugh at me. Thanks.

Howdy,
My friend's and I were fishing the deadline below Bonneville. Mid-June, and it was smoking! the bite came in waves up the line of anglers, time after time. The Asian fellow next to me inquired why we let ours go and wondered if he could have ours. I explained we just liked fighting them. He then offered to pay .25 each, so we started fishing for beer money. You should have seen the stringer of fish! I asked him what his recipe for Shad was, bury one year and presto! fish sauce. Before we left, a guy decided to start casting over my head. I told him to stop, to which he replied "this is a public place". I said I had got here early to get my spot. Anyway he cast over my head again, I turned around and told him he was about to go swimming in a public place, everybody laughed(but him), and he went back down the line. You will find it interesting to handle your Shad after getting used to the feel of a salmonid, rock hard body's. Great fun fish.

Obsessed - some of the best smoked fish I've ever had is shad. The secret is to can them after you've smoked them. I used to catch and smoke them, and my mother would then can them in jars. She would put an 1/8 teaspoon of vinegar in the jar before she sealed it. The acid in the vinegar would dissolve all of the bones, and what you got out was a great tasting filet - without the slightest hint of a bone and no vinegar taste. But you need to know how to properly can meat. If you don't, it can get you...

Shad roe is also a delicacy if you can get past the appearance and texture. I've tried it and thought it tasted great. It's extremely rich tasting - but I couldn't deal with the look and texture.

...AND they are a blast to catch!

A friend of mine use to smoke shad and can it,it was really good.He died before ,I started to get serious about trying it so, I never got his recipe,I do know that canning it cooks the bones out,but I'm telling you there is a gazillion bones in that fish and there a real bear to fillet.I might still try it if I can find a recipe.
NO MATTER YOU"VE GOT TO GO IT IS GREAT TIME
Good Luck

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Bob Dawson

Having never fished shad on the Columbia, I cannot vouch for that fishery. I have however fished for them on the Umpqua River in Oregon and they are a blast to catch on light tackle and fly rods. For terminal gear we always used a 2 inch chartruse crappie grub (similar to a plastic worm) on a small pink jig head. Have fun.

Tim

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"Walk softly, but carry a big steelhead"

what is the average size of these fish? is there goos spots to get them from a drift boat on the Columbia, without the crowded bank?

The average size is 2 to 5lbs, and unlimited fun. See Ya There.

I used to launch my drift boat at Beacon Rock, just below Bonneville Dam to fish for sturgeon. I've never fished for shad in that area, but when they're going over the dam by the millions, it would have to be good. I would find a spot next to shore in 15' to 20' of water, anchor, and drop a crappie spreader
to the bottom. I would run a shad dart and a small spoon like a triple teaser or dick nite off of the spreader...and hang on. Shad are strange though. I've found that moving the boat a few feet, or even changing the side of the boat you are fishing out of, can make all the difference in the world in your catch rate. They tend to follow a set path, and if you're in it, you hammer them. If you're not, you don't.

Take your sturgeon gear with you. A lot of people catch the shad only to use them as bait for the sturgeon.

Be sure you know what your doing when you anchor there. This is wicked water and boats are lost there every year. Have plenty of anchor rope, and don't tie it off directly to your boat. Most boaters use anchor pulling systems in this water and a line length of 7 to 10 times the depth they are anchoring in.