shad fishing

[Mike]

The shad are current seekers, so the edge of strong and slower current, known as seams are points to target. Unfortunately, as the flows come down ( like now) the shad move more toward center channel and in many areas that are productive for shore anglers under higher flows fizzle out under lower flow conditions. The outsides of bends are better than the insides too, as the outsides are deeper and have better water velocity. Pinch points are good, especially under higher flows as the fish move closer to shore at the pinch points when flows are up. Some of this may not hold true in wide, shallow, featureless areas of the river…the types of habitat that are common from Upper Black Eddy down to Trenton/Morrisville. Lars may be a better source of info for such areas. This early in the season rising water temps are good. Steady is good too, but as with many species in spring falling water temps are show stoppers. Much of shad fishing from shore involves timing, temp, depth, and water velocity, plus finding a place where you can cast (tree branch, shrub branch free).

 

[bringthepain]

Thanks Mike, thats great info. If i decide to go down to the river and give it a shot i'll report back

 

[poopdeck]

boats just anchor right over the seam, drop downriggers with flutter spoons in the fishes face and then "catch" one right after another. not really skilled fishing, but the guides make out well putting fish in the boat for folks who couldn't catch them otherwise. boat caught fish don't count as far as i'm concerned.

Yes you are far more skilled because you catch fewer fish with a fly rod, but who’s counting. I’ve been unskillfully shad fishing the bucks county area from a boat for 35 or more years and I haven’t seen a downrigger used in years. Yes, at one time they were used by a very small minority of boat anglers and I assume there’s probably a few people who still use them but they were never the norm. There are much better and less clunky ways to quickly catch them one after another. They are not difficult to catch by any method so I prefer catching 60 to 10 any day of the week.

 

[lars]

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[sandflyx]

I have found shad in the shallows along the river daisey chaining moving upriver in the evenings. center bridge is a good place to find them on the pa side. a floating line or intermiate line and wet flys in bright colors always worked.

 

[lars]

Yes you are far more skilled because you catch fewer fish with a fly rod, but who’s counting. I’ve been unskillfully shad fishing the bucks county area from a boat for 35 or more years and I haven’t seen a downrigger used in years. Yes, at one time they were used by a very small minority of boat anglers and I assume there’s probably a few people who still use them but they were never the norm. There are much better and less clunky ways to quickly catch them one after another. They are not difficult to catch by any method so I prefer catching 60 to 10 any day of the week

not to get in a pissing contest with ya, but downriggers with flutter spoons is pretty much the norm for boats shad fishing. especially by the guides. i'd contest your opinion of how much skill is required to sit in a boat, anchored over a stream of thousands of fish, put a shiny flashy spoon right in they're face at the depth they're swimming, the shad hooks itself and then the rod is picked up from the holder (by the guide if you're out with one) and you get to reel in fish after fish. you do need knowledge as to where to anchor, because if you are not in the path of the schools you won't catch squat. today's fish finders make that part pretty easy too.
not all boats use downriggers. some use poor man's downriggers where they take a shad rap lure, remove the hooks, tie a leader to the plug with a spoon trailing and allow the lure to dive the spoon down to the fish. some guys flat lines spoons too. i'm sure in your 35 years you must've at least once checked out the fleet of boats lined up at the "hot spots" or happened to view the Facebook Delaware River Shad page. you'll see most use downriggers.

to each their own. i'm happy for you that your happy catching shad you're way. i enjoy all the skills and knowledge required to wade, locate, cast to and land a fish that my actions made happen as opposed to the boat taking all of those skills out of the equation and just have a rod handed to me with a fish on it.

as far as numbers go, i had ten the other day in 44.5 degree water temp. as an experienced shad fisherman you are certainly aware that at those water temps that's damn good. if the water was five degrees warmer the catch would have at least tripled.

enough verbiage, go catch a shad!

 

[poopdeck]

not to get in a pissing contest with ya, but downriggers with flutter spoons is pretty much the norm for boats shad fishing. especially by the guides. i'd contest your opinion of how much skill is required to sit in a boat, anchored over a stream of thousands of fish, put a shiny flashy spoon right in they're face at the depth they're swimming, the shad hooks itself and then the rod is picked up from the holder (by the guide if you're out with one) and you get to reel in fish after fish. you do need knowledge as to where to anchor, because if you are not in the path of the schools you won't catch squat. today's fish finders make that part pretty easy too.
not all boats use downriggers. some use poor man's downriggers where they take a shad rap lure, remove the hooks, tie a leader to the plug with a spoon trailing and allow the lure to dive the spoon down to the fish. some guys flat lines spoons too. i'm sure in your 35 years you must've at least once checked out the fleet of boats lined up at the "hot spots" or happened to view the Facebook Delaware River Shad page. you'll see most use downriggers.

to each their own. i'm happy for you that your happy catching shad you're way. i enjoy all the skills and knowledge required to wade, locate, cast to and land a fish that my actions made happen as opposed to the boat taking all of those skills out of the equation and just have a rod handed to me with a fish on it.

as far as numbers go, i had ten the other day in 44.5 degree water temp. as an experienced shad fisherman you are certainly aware that at those water temps that's damn good. if the water was five degrees warmer the catch would have at least tripled.

enough verbiage, go catch a shad!

No pissing contest, just a friendly discussion.I fish Lambertville and yes I fish right in the thick of things and always enjoy it. So close to other boats that you can share sandwiches. Unlike trout fishermen, shad fishermen enjoy the company. Downriggers are no way the norm in Lambertville. Not even close. I fish from my own boat and have never fished with a guide. While I know most of the few shad guides who frequent Lambertville I can also attest to the fact that they do not use downriggers either.

Shad fishing from foot is much the same as from a boat. You go where everybody else goes, stand in a line and take turns casting to the exact same seams. Again, not difficult. To each there own but one side is not more skillful then the other. It’s all easy.