American Report and Observation

[Jeff C.]

Fished all 3 days this past weekend and caught 30 shad in the lower river. All were caught with a size 10 nymph type shad fly. I've tied tons of size 6 shad flies but none seem to work. They are really only keying in smaller sized flies so far this season. Also, the bite is still sporadic. You'll get one or two then nothing for a while then another one or two. And then there is always the hot hand who is sitting in the bucket getting them on every other cast. The crowds have been getting bigger especially in the evenings. There was a large pod that moved through Sunrise on Saturday but when I tired on Sunday morning they were not there (must have gotten to Sailor Bar by then). The run this year is looking to be promising since I've caught over a hundred shad so far and May isn't even over yet. Jeff C.

[Terry Thomas]

Jeff,
Get ready for some more water on Thurs. The river should be up to 2,000 cfs. by the time you get down to your favorite place after work.
T.

[Ed Wahl]

Jeff, have you noticed a correlation between the water level fluctuating and the shad bite turning off/on? Ed

[Jeff C.]

The increased flow has definitely caused the shad to hold in different locations. I think that they are constantly seeking the right water temperature, depth and current. On top of that if they aren't moving up river, then they will be moving in a race track pattern within an area that they are holding. We really haven't seen any stacked up pods yet this season. Case in point, I down to the river about 5 p.m. yesterday and fish down low. I landed 9 in the next hour on my side of the river (LDR'ed 5-6 more). After that nada down low, so I moved up high and had got 2 in the first 3 casts. Then nothing. Go back down low for nothing. Move back up high, 2 more landed. All the fish I caught last night were small males. Some of them fought like bigger fish though. It's going to interesting to see what they are going to do at 2000 cfs. I hope that they move upriver. Jeff C.

[burl51]

Jeff ya said you were fishing down low and the up high. How high? Higher thans Sunrise? No need to be to spacific just close is good.
thanks Burl

[OceanSunfish]

I'm pretty sure he's talking about moving up a few steps and down a few steps a particular streatch of river or a 'run' on the river. Not driving from Watt then upriver to Sunrise, then back to Watt again.

Gas is $4+

Of course, I could be mistaken. :D