"Shad Rack" vs. Oregon City?

[DaleDor]

Myself and my little nephew are scheduling weekday-morning fishing trips for next year for shad. Crowds don't bother us.

We'll be fishing from a BOAT (20' boat and we have the right anchors for Columbia and Willamette.)

My question is: during their peak periods (mid-June for both of them?) where will we probably catch more shad....The "Shad Rack" off Ives Island, or at Oregon City's best spot?

So many fish, so little time.

Thanks!

P.S. Keep up the great work on this web site!

[wetaline]

I'd go with which ever is closest and easiest for you ... not going to go wrong with either....

whats the old saying, "six in one hand, a half dozen in the other"....

just dont forget a red and white wee-dick nite ...

[T-Jet]

I prefer the rack! Much more productive............not to mention if you need to take a break. You can lower one of your recent catches and lock into some gators! The shad on the columbia seem to be larger compared to the ones in O.C. It depends on travel time for you also. All in all its good fun for the younger kids!

[wetaline]

I like the salmon fishing option on the willamette while my "non fishing type" friends catch lots of shad on the other rods....

[BigWaterBigFish]

Been fishing from Shad for awhile ... gotta throw my vote for the Columbia ... the Ive's Island or those sloughs along the WA side. Agree with previous log that the Shad do seem to run bigger. This spring we actually caught shad, a couple of small mouth bass and a walleye while anchored up. Did all that in the morning, then went down river from The Fishery on the flats and used our fresh caught Shad to fish for Sturgeon in the afternoon between Beacon Rock (WA) and the falls (OR). Used to fish for Shad in the Clackamas River to the 205 bridge but unless you get there early, it's become a parking lot ... got people busting through without regard to wake, and last year we had people break loose or anchor right on top of us. I know that doesn't concern those with metal boats but us fiberglass boaters need to excerise care (watch for the careless or overconfident) in those conditions.
Had always used Dick Nites or small Triple teasers but this year we did well on just a silver swivel, "O" ring and a hook.

[Tagster]

BWBF:

"O" ring?

Iam guessing that you aren't talking about the plumbing kind...how do you rig it?

Thanks,

Tag

[DaleDor]

Tagster, one thing else that works GREAT for shad is a 6mm chartreuse bead threaded on the line, in front of a brass swivel with a #6 silver-colored siwash hook attached to the swivel....that's it.

Back-bounce it (keep it moving slowly dowstream and keep bouncing the rod tip, don't put it in the rod holder!) Did as well as Dick Nites for us.

If you use a siwash open-eye hook you don't need the "O" ring...which is just a "split-ring" used to connect the swivel to a hook (a hook that doesn't have an open-eye that can then be clamped down to make it a "closed-eye" hook...if this makes sense.)

[ 12-13-2002, 03:59 PM: Message edited by: DaleDor ]

[brshooter]

DaleDor is all over it. I became a convert to the chart. bead/brass swivel/#6 siwash hook myself this year. I was up fishing a couple of time this year and out fished most everyone else using other rigs.
Hard to beat the rack. Did much better than at O.C.

[Wood Shampoo]

I too use to be a firm believer in the red/white dick nite until this year. I switched to a #6 Red colored siwash hook with 2 small read beads on the main line. I out fished the dick nite 4 to 1.

WTB