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Jeff C.
04-22-2009, 07:43 AM
Went out on the upper river to try for some shad after work yesterday. I was using my switch rod, skagit head, a Type 8 sink tip and a Surf Candy fly. At the bottom of a swing I had a hard grab and some violent tugs. Anyway, I reeled him in fast thinking I got my first shad of the season. Not!! It was a 21" steelie buck (must have thought my Surf Candy was an alevin). I know the shad are starting to enter the river. I guess I'm going to have to move areound to find them. Hopefully, they'll be stacked up like cordwood in a couple of weeks.

Scott V
04-22-2009, 08:43 AM
That is a nice fish Jeff. I'll be out staring next week. Probably where we park on the rocks.

Jeff C.
04-22-2009, 09:05 AM
They might be up there by then. I think they are being caught at Rossmore right now based on what I've "sniffed" out on another board. They are not stacked up anywhere. I think there are small pods that made the right turn off the Sac and are heading staright up river. I know of a spot on the lower river where they might hold in these higher flows. I'll call you if it gets red hot down there. If not I'll see you at the old spot.

SHigSpeed
04-22-2009, 10:27 AM
Went out on the upper river to try for some shad after work yesterday. I was using my switch rod, skagit head, a Type 8 sink tip and a Surf Candy fly. At the bottom of a swing I had a hard grab and some violent tugs. Anyway, I reeled him in fast thinking I got my first shad of the season. Not!! It was a 21" steelie buck (must have thought my Surf Candy was an alevin). I know the shad are starting to enter the river. I guess I'm going to have to move areound to find them. Hopefully, they'll be stacked up like cordwood in a couple of weeks.

Man, dontcha just HATE it when you accidentally catch a steelhead? ;^)

Can't wait for shad though.

_SHig

Mrs.Finsallaround
04-22-2009, 01:56 PM
Went out on the upper river to try for some shad after work yesterday. I was using my switch rod, skagit head, a Type 8 sink tip and a Surf Candy fly. At the bottom of a swing I had a hard grab and some violent tugs. Anyway, I reeled him in fast thinking I got my first shad of the season. Not!! It was a 21" steelie buck (must have thought my Surf Candy was an alevin). I know the shad are starting to enter the river. I guess I'm going to have to move areound to find them. Hopefully, they'll be stacked up like cordwood in a couple of weeks.

Damn! I was REALLY excited till I read "NOT!"......

Not that I'd mind catchin' that beautiful buck, 'specially since I have yet to land a steelie. But, I'm just WAITING for those shad to show up... can't wait to give it another go this year!

I caught one each of the two times I tried it last year, and I'm HOOKED! Hubby's even helping me to figure out how to go out there on my own....\\:D/ (he's not impressed with catchin' "baitfish" like I am... LOL.)

Now I just gotta to tie up some flies.... :unibrow:

Hairstacker
04-22-2009, 02:02 PM
Robin, your enthusiasm is infectious. I hope you run into the mother of all shad schools. :D

Jeff C.
04-22-2009, 02:13 PM
Hey Robin! When they are in just come down to the ole' spot any evening. I know you were stoked when you caught your first one last year.

Jet
04-22-2009, 03:16 PM
Joey and I are getting ready to start again for the season. He is currently trying to work a deal on a 6/7 wt spey rod from Kienes. He sold some of his flies today to earn some of the money. We only had a small taste last year so we are looking to get some numbers this year.

Joe

Jeff C.
04-23-2009, 09:03 AM
Hey Jet & Joey! Looking forward to seeing both of you getting into them. They are definitely in the American but not in the upper river yet. The secret is to find the right kind of holding water with these higher flows. Last year the river was at 1500 cfs for almost the whole month of May and the Log Hole was great. Probably not this year.

Jeff C.
04-23-2009, 09:37 AM
The location I guessed about from the other board was wrong. They are being caught at Howe Ave and not at Rossmore. You just have to find the right kind of holding water.

erhetta
04-23-2009, 09:55 AM
AR Shad is something I have never tried for. Strange seeing as I am on the AR for steelies...

If anybody wants some company, gimme a shout.

Mrs.Finsallaround
04-23-2009, 10:13 AM
My toughest challenge is the wading part... I'm not the most graceful fly in the box.:rolleyes:

I hope these flows don't stay up like they are.... :(

Jeff C.
04-23-2009, 10:21 AM
The higher flows are good for bringing fish into the American. The shad runs are great during high water years. I got 20+ one evening when the flows were at 25K. They were 3-4 feet from the bank

Mrs.Finsallaround
04-23-2009, 10:28 AM
Last year the river was at 1500 cfs for almost the whole month of May and the Log Hole was great. Probably not this year.

I would've thought the opposite based you your previous statement... I guess I better get graceful real quick... I don't want to stay on the porch! LOL:paranoid:

Jeff C.
04-23-2009, 10:48 AM
When the flows are low the ones that do come in hang out in the lower river longer so the Log Hole is good. With higher flows, more enter the river but they tend to head upstream so the upper river is better.

OceanSunfish
04-23-2009, 03:37 PM
My toughest challenge is the wading part... I'm not the most graceful fly in the box.:rolleyes:
:(

Well, you did pretty darn good staying on your feet while we were all out there on Prospect Island chasing stripers around in the muck!

Nonetheless, the American has some pretty slippery rocks.

Mrs.Finsallaround
04-24-2009, 08:38 AM
Well, you did pretty darn good staying on your feet while we were all out there on Prospect Island chasing stripers around in the muck!

LOL... thank you for the compliment... I did get stuck a few times there, but the advantage was that the water wasn't moving.... :D

Jgoding
04-24-2009, 02:55 PM
I find the talk of these "high" flows funny... I started fishing for shad about the time we had those two high water years back to back. If I remember correctly, I think flows would hit something like 60,000cfs early in the year. I know my favorite steelhead run and side channel got restructured pretty nicely. Anyways, the flows would come down to about 6000 cfs by the time shad got in and they sure love those high flows. I did figure out my go to spot wasn't fishable until about 4400 cfs though as any higher you cannot wade out safely to the fish.

Right now, I would consider the current flows kind of regular.... a little on the low side. I do like fishing the river when it's low though... Not so great for shad as the spot I like hasn't had a school of shad holding there in 2 or 3 years since the flows were so low but I find it makes striper and steelhead fishing a lot easier.

OceanSunfish
04-24-2009, 09:14 PM
Before the river was "rearranged" during the 'floods' of January 1997, Sailor Bar used to be great for wading and shad fishing at 3,500 cfs. That whole run has changed since as has Goethe if I'm not mistaken.

60K CFS?! That's when you can hear the freestone rocks moving under the water as the river is being rearranged. January 1997 was something else!