Shad

Anyone here fish for shad? I used to fish for them back in Maryland many years ago.

Dug around in one of my tackle boxes yesterday and found my collection of shad darts.

I'm headed down to the Columbia next Friday for 2-3 days of fishing. Gonna find a place to park my camper and then fish from shore.

Here's a link to a WDFW page on shad.

http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/outreach/fishing/shad/shad.htm

Tells all "everybody" would want to know about shad and some recipes for those daring enough to keep bony fish.

Myself, since I've smoked whitefish, also classed as bony, with good results, think that shad would also be good smoked.

The most popular bank spot is right below Bonneville Dam. Right below John Day Dam is supposed to be good too and no crowds.

I recently Shad fished with two buddies below John Day Dam. We hooked around 80 in a day and a half of fishing. We use the rock with masking tape. We then use a snap swivel and slide the leader on the mainline with a tiny dick nite. All you need to do is find the distance the fish are from the bank. Once you find it, just wait for the schools of fish to swim on by and watch the pole start dancing. Lots of fun and great action. Don't sturgeon fish, so all the shad get thrown back.


Sammy

Say Zen Leecher, there was a thread started on the other board, but since you missed it, I've been going down every weekend and been knockin e'm, or as our inner circle calls it "STUPID FISHIN". Its where you just throw anything out and something just GRABS it. Even seen one poor old Sturgeon with a few darts on its back and fins. Was down there just past weekend just wondering how you did? Notice a bunch of BIG hens in the last outting and heard that they might close down the park area due too much garbage. Hope everyone down there cleans up their act or else. And if your looking for a place to park your RV or tent it, Lewis and Clark RV park is the way to go. Hope you post and give us the scoop!!!!!!!

Robert

Hey Zen,

I'll see you below Bonneville this weekend. The counts are incredible this year! Shad are great fun.............not real good eating the way I tried to cook them........but fun to catch!

JK

I'm thinking I'm going to John Day dam. Looked at the map and it appears that the distance is about the same from Seattle area to either dam.

Did catch the thread on the other board.

Let us know how it goes Zen. I'm going to socialize with the crowd below Bonneville. Something I usually don't enjoy when fishing, but with up to 500,000 shad passing through the fish ladder a day, there should be enough to go around, even for the 200 anglers counted there last weekend by the WDFW.

Good Luck!

JK

There's plenty of water to fish. Since sturgeon is still catch and release, a lot of shore line is opened to shad fishing. Have been doing real good under the power lines and below the boat launch on down. And no its not that bad at times fishing in a crowd. Meet a lot of great people on the bank and share alot of beer.

Robert

Shad Fishing was good this weekend!! We joined a crowd of about 300 plus below Bonneville Dam on Saturday around noon. Three of us caught 26 shad.

We returned on Father's Day to much less of a crowd (about 100 anglers spread out over 1/3 of a mile) and great fishing. Dad, my best friend Rusty and I caught 48 shad in 3 1/2 hours.

Shad darts are the key, along with 1/2 to 1 oz of weight, depending upon the current levels. Morning seems to be the best time to fish. If you get a chance, check out the fish ladder on the Washington side of Bonneville Dam. Watching big chinook, ugly lamprey, and thousands upon thousands of shad is quite a sight!

...uh.... I sorta got crosswise with a honey-do yard clean up weekend and had a choice of going fishing and getting on the wrong list with my wife... or putting the trip off for two weeks.

Sniveling coward that I am...errr.. well... I did yardwork for two days.

And Zen's weakness is revealed!

Sometimes Zen..........the punishment is worth the extra chores that are sure to come on the honey-do list!

Hope you make it soon. The run should hold up well through June! The morning bite seems to be best.

BBVD, just you wait. Your time is coming.

Wimmin might be the weaker sex, but they sure know how to whip up on their guys...

Me and my dog Echo, we share the doghouse together (occasionally) and whimper around our wimmin.

I can relate to the wish list and its getting longer and longer but my wife knows that every year this time its always the same thing. Then after shad, got about 3 wks till I start Kings so I'll have to work on that list hard. This will be the last time down so I'll make the best of it. Fishing was slow Sat., but picked up on Sun. with my boy out fishing me, so, before making the drive back, figured go up in the rig and take a nap before I lose too much gear. And my 4yr. old out did me on the trout catching a huge one approx. 15" weighed about 2lbs. Jusst not my weekend.

Robert

Finally the shad trip is back on. Guess the numbers were lots better two weeks ago... but this time I got a kitchen pass and the rods are packed. We leave tomorrow morning. Stay tuned for results Monday morning.

Alright I'm a glutton for punishment. THIS will be my last trip down for the Kings are knocking at my door and gotta get all those honeydo' stuff out of the way. Called my inlaw just a few hours ago at the dam and said the weather and fishing were hot. Dang If the a/c stopped working in the van. Hope you knock e'm dead and put a post up on how you did.


Robert