OC Shad ??

swampy · 05-13-2002, 10:11 AM

I feel I have one more chance to turn my 9 year old daughter into a fisher person ...She has been once ...in the snow on Diamond Lake, which failed to "set the hook". Are there enough up there yet ?

Dan Christopher · 05-13-2002, 10:25 AM

I would not go tell it gets realy hot.That way she will catch lots of fish.keep an eye out, i will have many open seats in the sled as the season gets going.good luck and never give up trying..

Jooky · 05-13-2002, 10:25 AM

not yet, wait untill the counts over bonni are like 20,000 a day at the very least. that should give you enough to have a chance of catching something

hookem · 05-13-2002, 10:25 AM

I got one yesterday in the hog line just outside the mildrum bar boat launch. But I would give it a few more days. Also if you can avoid saturday and sunday. its a real mess out there. not because of the fisherman but those nutts on the jet skis and that stuff. wow that gets a little wild! If you have to go on a sat or sunday get out early, its ok in the morning.

Bounty Hunter · 05-13-2002, 10:29 AM

Seems early yet. I talked to one guy at Clackamette park who got 2 in 2 hours from the bank.

Drachir · 05-13-2002, 04:16 PM

My friends gave up on Salmon Sat. @ about 10 AM. They went up to Clackamette area after Shad, and got a couple dozen w/ little effort!! :grin:

Hogmaster · 05-13-2002, 07:30 PM

On Th and Friday after work I watched many many shad get reeled up while I was working for salmon.
Saturday morning we fished for salmon for about 4 hours before the urge to catch outdid the desire to fish. We left out one salmon rod and put out two shad rigs. The shad rigs saw steady action for an hour and 1/2.

I live on the Willamette across from Clackmette and can see what is going on out my window. Few boats tonight (at least where I can see) but the few that were out were dipping the shad nets with regularity.

Any nice day from here on out you should take her. I agree with Hookem though. The pleasure boaters churn the water, which seems to put the salmon bite off. The the fishermen get impatient and decide to move. Those at Meldrum run to the lake line. Lake liners go to the garbage hole. People go up and down, then the nuts in the 35' Carvers decide they really want to show their families the falls. The bumps get big, like Bouy 10 out there on a nice weekend day (like yesterday). If you do go on the weekend try to get to the inside or in a line with a couple of other boats where they can help buffer the waves. That can help.

3-4 oz and a dick nite will hammer 'em from a boat!

One other thing - While I like to fish with real light gear for shad, you might be better off for her if she uses something a little more stout like a steelhead rod. The trout gear can be tough for a youngster, especially an inexperienced one, to have as much fun with...

Have fun!

fish_on · 05-13-2002, 08:52 PM

How long of a dropper do you use for shad? I have been useing a 10" dropper and 24" leader off the chain swivel, sound about right??

Hogmaster · 05-13-2002, 09:06 PM

fish_on,

We were using a longer dropper than that - maybe 18 to 24" and a 3 to 4' leader. Seemed to work well to stay up a bit off the bottom.

We were getting a lot of hits just walking the lead back behind the boat ala back bouncing. Lots of fun too!

If we didn't get a hookup we would walk the rig back and then wait for a while. If we didn't get slammed, once in awhile we would pick the rig up and bounce it in place a couple of times. They seem to really like (hate?) the extra motion and will hit it frequently then...

We also got once really vicious takedown. I picked up the rod and line was being stripped like it was attached to Amtrack and then "boink" - 6lb couldn't handle whatever it was and my green headed Dick Nite was nowhere to be found.

Springer? Herschel? Dahl Porpoise? Champion Shad? We'll never know...

fisheromen · 05-13-2002, 09:40 PM

Dittos on that last post. I use a silver hook with a tiny piece of green yarn and backbounce it. It can be dead out there but backbouncing will get fish because you are covering water and they love the action.

Get Bent · 05-14-2002, 07:09 AM

I've never noticed shad to be too terribly leader shy personally, so I wouldn't use anything less than 10lb leader. Those nookies are notorious for hitting those small flashing lures.

Fishing freak · 05-14-2002, 07:20 AM

Get bent,

How true, netted 2 hatchery fish (11 &18 lbs.) last week in the lower M. channel while fishing for shad with a D. Nite spoon (brass and chartreuse,Orange and chartruese) lost a 3rd. one

live to fish · 05-14-2002, 07:32 AM

Where would i go to fish for shad in the St Helens area.Is there a good place to fish for them from the bank and how?