delaware river shad

[Mike]

the run this year is nothing like the past three years...so far. We are between strong year classes.

 

[poopdeck]

I've been out three times and we hammered them on two of the trips. The third trip was a terrible combination of current and wind that send us home early. For me it was a great year but I don't have the time to get out any more then I did to provide a better picture of the run.

What are you basing your opinion of the strength of the run on?

 

[afishinado]

Mike wrote:
the run this year is nothing like the past three years...so far. We are between strong year classes.

Mike,

The fishing reports for shad on the D from most anglers has been very good this year, if not excellent.

Below is a recent report from a commercial netter on the D at Lambertville. Perhaps a better indicator of the shad run numbers this season:

Steve Meserve operates the Lewis Fishery, the last commercial shad fishery on the Delaware River. While the sale of American shad is no longer the lucrative business it once was, the Lewis Fishery serves an important purpose in providing the state with catch numbers that help them estimate the strength of the fishery. You can see these almost daily reports at the NJDEP site, HERE.

This year, Meserve has caught more than 600 shad, the most in 10 years. Last year’s number was 197, though that could be due to low water conditions in the Delaware. This year, the water levels are much better, and according to Meserve, the river is in great shape.

Link to source: http://www.onthewater.com/counting-the-delaware-river-shad-run/

If you have any inclination to fish for shad, this is the year and now is the time. Have fun, they are great fish to catch on a fly rod.

Really cool video:

 

[Mike]

Basis: The Raubsville standardized Shad electrofishing index site.

 

[sandfly]

I never trusted that for shad amounts, and I have chased them since 1970 with the fly rod.

 

[afishinado]

Mike wrote:
Basis: The Raubsville standardized Shad electrofishing index site.

Perhaps the fishing conditions / flow is more favorable this year and fishing success is up, while the actual shad run numbers are down. Don't know.