SHAD

RIPPLE · 05-03-2001, 03:47 PM

Hello to all IFISHERS and thankyou for over a year of great reading, (both informative & humorous) Thank you to Jennie for a great forum. This is my first post, just figured it was time to get off the sidelines. I am anxious to try some shad fishing this year and would love some helpful information. Many years ago as a kid I remember "shad darts" in yellow and white. O. City? Coon Island? what depth to anchor and fish in? what jig, etc. Thanks in advance and thanks again for all of your great posts in the past. RIPPLE

Grits · 05-03-2001, 03:57 PM

I like a red shad dart and I trim the tail to be even with the hook. Dick nites work well also. Bring a few colors of anything your using because there have been times when one color way out produces another. I always use a few three ways so that I am fishing a couple of darts at a time with a cannon ball on the bottom of the rig. In the OC area I go right off the bottom but it isn't very deep there so other areas you might have to find what depth they are at. Good luck.

David Johnson · 05-03-2001, 04:36 PM

In O.C. i fish in 12 to 20 feet of water and use a three way/ a drop line to a cannon ball.

On the Columbia I fish by the shad rack in ten to fifteen feet of water and use same set up or #20 Jet Divers.

Dick Nights are my favorite and 1 inch rubber, curly tail grubs are my second choice.

Pearl/red head, brass/red head or chartruse/pearl back in the Dick Knights.

White, yellow or chartruse in the grubs. Hook them up on 1/32 oz. jig heads.

I've also had good luck using herring/salt Smelly Jelly.

05-03-2001, 05:32 PM

Tried and true. 1/32 or 1/16 flame red
jig head. Tiny chartruese grub/twister
tail. Anchovy smelly jelly. Leave it
in the current or jig like anything
else. On non-sunny days it will outfish
anything. On sunny days, make sure the
chartruese tail is clear. Red, Pink
and White also works. OC and Columbia.

Rig like David said.

Someone tell me you used this and banged
the Shad will you? [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

RIPPLE · 05-04-2001, 09:32 AM

Thanks for the great shad info! are they in yet, or am I a few weeks early? Can you share with me where on the Columbia? "Shad Rack?" Thanks again, I will definitely report back.
Ripple

Tinman · 05-04-2001, 09:44 AM

Can anyone suggest a shad spot in the upper Multnomah Channel, or in the Willamette near the channel? Fred's Marina is so close to my house that I'd love to find a shad spot near there.

Ditto on the need to carry multiple lure colors. Last year at O.C., the fleet was using chartreuse and slaying 'em all around me, while I got skunked on every other color. The next day I fished chartreuse, and voila, fish on.

05-04-2001, 09:46 AM

I recall an afternoon of shad fishing in OC after a morning of non-productive salmon fishing where no one was catching shad anywhere but we were marking them.

There were three of us in the boat trying every dart and flickering thing we could find. Then George pulled out this chartreuse jig from the bottom of his tackle box and ties it on for the heck of it. He pulled it out a few lengths and set his rod down to find something that looked like something more productive. WHAM, he gets a shad and reals it in. Repeats, WHAM again. This went on nonstop for the remainder of the day, and the rest of us were digging for green jigs in our boxes with no success.

Next day we went back with chartreuse jigs and slayed them. Others were catching a few here and there, but we really couldn't keep them off our lines.

Yeah they aren't salmonids, but DAMN are they fun. I'll be finally getting my fishing license this weekend (birthday gift) so I'll hopefully get out and get into the action, which should be good in a couple weeks.

IAMFORELK · 05-04-2001, 10:14 AM

Can anyone tell me how to tie up a 3 way???

Grits · 05-04-2001, 10:48 AM

Get a 3 way swivel at any outdoor store.

tie main line to the top of the three way swivel.

Tie a leader (6"-10" is what I use) from the middle eye of the three way swivel. This is the leader you attach your "bait" to (in this case a shad dart or dick night)

Tie a leader on the bottom eye of the three way swivel to which you either attach a cannon ball weight or another 3 way swivel if you want to fish a couple of darts or nights.

They make some wire set ups that you can by that work like a 3 way swivel. You attach your main line to the top end, then there is usually 2 spots to tie on leaders to attach your "bait" and then you tie a leader of the bottom to attach your cannon ball.

Hope this helps

RIPPLE · 05-04-2001, 02:29 PM

Thanks again for the great quality of information. I'm sure that this exchange has saved me hours of fumbling around, not that fumbling around in a boat is necessarily a bad thing........I definitly appreciate it.
Ripple

FishinMission · 05-04-2001, 02:51 PM

Well here's some more info for you. Here's what I use...I use a slider dropper (about 30") and more often than not a silver Dick nite (next size up from the smallest). The depth info you've read is correct. If the waters a bit murky...the orange with white back is good. Chartruese also works well. Now...are you ready to buy out the tackle store?? Also..I just use my steelie rods...with 12 lb. mainline and leader..works fine for me. And like ****** says....watch out for the occasional springer!!! Good luck....it's alot of fun!!

RIPPLE · 05-04-2001, 02:56 PM

Thanks again! I'm assuming the slider or small rubber snubber is for the hard hits with soft mouths? I went to Fisherman's on my lunch hour, but they always give me that look like - "We know you'll be back"

Grits · 05-04-2001, 03:24 PM

I would say a steel head rod is to heavy. I prefer a medium weight trout rod. I would use an ultra light but it cant handle the cannonball weight. I see guys out there with salmon rods and don't understand why they want such a heavy rod. You can't eat them so you might as well have some fun catching them.

WaterDog · 05-04-2001, 03:33 PM

Who says you can't eat them? If it's done right, pickled shad is really good. Great snack with your favorite crackers and beer. And no, there are no bones to worry about.

RJ · 05-04-2001, 04:10 PM

if your fishing a congested area you will be better off with the medium weight salmon/steelhead rods in my opinion heck my medium 8ft lamiglass rods are a hoot but still enough bone to keep them out of others anchor lines.hey waterdog got a question for you on the weatland ferry ramp.I am right the west side ramp is owned by the ferry if so is there any hope they could be convinced to keep it deep enough to launch hassle free.

FEAR NO FISH! · 05-04-2001, 04:27 PM

When the shad hit McNary Dam, we like to use a mag-wart with no hooks and use a 18" leader tied back to the same small jighead and grub, and slowly power troll upstream. We use our steelhead rods with the drag set light. Put your clicker on and wait for that baby to scream. Too much fun, the kids really dig it. At any given moment you have reels screaming and kids squeeling, me too!! I can't wait!

[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

05-04-2001, 04:43 PM

FEAR! You ARE alive and kickin'! Either you slep like Rip Van Winkle after all those trips or working no doubt. Knowing you, more fishing than working! Could have used you up at Bonneville recently to roll out the amphibs from your drop down bow. LOL [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[ 05-04-2001: Message edited by: ****** ]

05-04-2001, 11:05 PM

"Shad Rack" is the Oregon side of Ives Island above the Fishery at Bonneville. You will see all the rest of the boats, and you can ask as well. Be careful up there where you anchor and how you pull your anchor. Just common sense water. Leave it in the holder, backbounce/jig. Soft mouths, easy on the drag.

Go here for Shad counts. Enter the date, Shad are all the way to the right. Not too many going over yet at Bonneville.
http://www.cqs.washington.edu/dart/adult.html

They have to go through Mult. Channel to get to Oregon City, so they must be there
as well, since they are showing at OC

Coon Island Marina area or between Coon Island (where all the big weekend boats tie up) is a good SHAD area, and this
time of year, Chinook are still coming
through as well. Can't count how many Chinook have hit shad darts. They just
don't last long on it. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[ 05-04-2001: Message edited by: ****** ]

fisheromen · 05-06-2001, 02:03 PM

You don't need to spend any money on tackle for these things. Simply put a little bit of chartreuse yarn on a no 2 or 4 silver salmon hook and it works every bit as good as any spoon or jig out there. Use a 3' leader off a 3 way with a 1' weight line and back bounce the thing. You'll slaughter 'em at OC.

Also, they aren't great pressure cooked or baked but it does deal with the bones and they taste okay. Shad varieties are found world wide and used extensively as a food fish.