Other 2023 shad reports besides Jeff

[amoeba]

Big water,continues cold...low 50s...no shad. or shad fisherman seen.

[Luckee]

I've been wondering if guys in boats might get the first shad pulls. One year a buddy and I anchored up near Discovery Park with a bit of a crowd; the water was deep and fast and the terminal gear guys were getting some fish, but we couldn't get our heaviest heads down to them, it seemed.

Sometimes catching starts pretty early at Verona Marina and nearby. If anyone hears of news, please post, thanks!

[amoeba]

I saw a couple fishermen drifting between Watt and Howe yesterday. No caught fish seen.

[amoeba]

Tried Yuba at 8K cfs, no dice, 53 degrees, good green color

[Luckee]

Amoeba, were you (or anyone!) able to get a look at the Feather as well?

The report on the Kiene web site mentions the first shad showing up at Verona, but I'm wondering what the turbidity situation is looking like at the confluence. Often there's a noticeable mud line where the Sac is a lot dirtier, but as long as the Feather is green or clear there's a chance of some catching.

[Luckee]

Went and had a look for myself, and found the following:

-- The Feather at Verona doesn't look too bad. It was a greenish hue that could be cleaner but did look fishable.

-- Two hours fishing a clear mud line (the Sacto at the confluence was quite brown and turbid) did not produce a single bump.

Studied a handful of other boats present and only saw only one striper caught.

[Luckee]

Inspired by Jeff's success, I went back out again on Monday night and got into fish. Second cast got hit -- always a good sign -- but it was a couple of hours before a nice hen got on the line. Not epic, but a very solid night of shad fishing.

So I'm back in the same spot Wednesday, same techniques, same places, and got a total of 2 verifiable hits, and one fish to hand (a big hen it was, thankfully). Maybe the barometer? Or just the ebb and flow of shad? Or of luck?

I heard a theory voiced that more shad that usual will go into the American due to the high flows, and that makes sense. Mid-June up there might be the winning ticket this year.

[Greg Vinci]

You should enter Kiene's Shad Derby and win a Sage rod.

[Smitty Fish]

Flows are dropping. Just above 5000 cfs now. Should open up some more bank access.