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View Full Version : Good Shad Year?



matt johnson
05-29-2009, 03:54 PM
Just curious about how you hardcore shad people out there would rate this year so far?

I have been getting continued reports from my DFG creel contact that people are catching LOTS of shad on the Sacramento River.

Simply based on anecdotal fishing statistics, do you think we seeing a larger population than the last couple years?

Thanks, Matt.

Bill Kiene semi-retired
05-29-2009, 03:57 PM
I think they are in good numbers in the Lower American and Lower Yuba Rivers too.

Have not heard on the Lower Feather yet?

Tony Buzolich
05-29-2009, 05:34 PM
After fishing for stripers in the Sac on most "early" morning trips I've been taking some of my guests over to the Feather for some late morning shad fishing to finish out the day.

The shad have been going good for over a month at Shanghai Bend falls and after this past heavy snow melt on the Yuba they shot up there as well. Now that the water has dropped the shad are piled up again below the falls. The run doesn't seem to be slowing down and last year we had shad clear in to August and September.

Here's a picture taken this morning on the Feather of Scott Hawkins and Rex White(Sturmer's son) after we fished the SAC.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/IMG_6950email.jpg

Finsane
05-29-2009, 05:35 PM
I can't remember any bad years for Shad on the American.

Jeff C.
06-01-2009, 08:43 AM
Yep, I think this year is one of those epic ones. I keep a log of my shad fishing and here's my numbers up to the end of May:

2006

Jeff C.
06-01-2009, 08:44 AM
2006 43
2007 45
2008 135
2009 195

Mrs.Finsallaround
06-01-2009, 08:44 AM
I keep a log of my shad fishing and here's my numbers up to the end of May:

2006

I guess you got your 300 mark.... :nod:=D>

Jeff C.
06-01-2009, 09:37 AM
Hi Robin,

Last year just I couldn't crack the 300 barrier. After a week of skunks, I gave up at 296. It looks like this year I'm going to have to shoot for 400.

Jeff

wasatch
06-01-2009, 10:58 AM
I don't fish for shad with any consistency. I normally catch a couple a year, and lose interest when I see lines of people all fishing the same run.

Took the boat up the lower A friday afternoon looking for stripers, and saw lots of fish on the fishfinder. Grabbed my ten year old supply of shad flies and tied one on. Within an hour, I had 15 to the boat, with probably 15 ldr'd. By twenty, I was bored so headed upstream looking for stripers (landed 5).

Best shad season I have seen so far. There were some really big shad in the river! Heading out tomorrow afternoon with a friend to try it again...

ALAN MAX
06-01-2009, 11:38 AM
Great report, congrats.

Darrin.Deel
06-01-2009, 02:21 PM
the sac has been on fire for me, more so than any other year

kbarton
06-01-2009, 02:33 PM
I don't remember a year where I caught 90% hens and only 10% males - it seems like this year everything is female ... which may make sense with all the hormones and estrogen we keep reading about ...

amoeba
06-01-2009, 07:02 PM
So far:

It is definitely a poor year - worst in recent memory. Far fewer fish are being seen, caught, or seen caught by anyone, on boat or on bank, upstream or down, anywhere and everywhere, compared to recent years. Fishing pressure is also way, way, down (fewer fishermen).

I know that is different from the other posts but that is mine.

Just not much of anything going on, yet. I wish it were different, for me and everyone else who fishes ....... but it is not.

There aren't good numbers on the Yuba either, as if anyone else has been going up there (I have).

As for what to make of this? Simple; these shad are migratory, any ocean fish + bad ocean conditions = bad return. Seen it for salmon, for steelhead, for sardines, and everything else. That includes shad.

Mik
06-02-2009, 05:20 PM
We have been tearing it up on the A. Big fish, solid numbers. We have had to use more weight on the lines than normal....higher flows I suppose. Pearl colored flies have been the hot ticket, followed up by pink, a close second.

Dabalone
06-02-2009, 05:47 PM
Amoeba, I have been fishing the Verona area off and on for three weeks. Catching shad every trip and no doubt could have done much better if I were set up correctly I just haven't got it quite right with my fly rod yet. What I have seen is lots and I mean lots of shad taken by other fishermen in the area including people fishing off the bank. Last week a guy was anchored just below us hanging flys out the back of his boat, he was hooking two at a time many times and it was funny watching him juggle from one rod to the other. Probably six or eight people casting from one small section of the bank and they were constantly hooking up with fish. They are still there, we were catching them last nite. Go get em.