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Shad run on the Columbia River 6/8/2018

10K views 105 replies 28 participants last post by  Carter Burke 
#1 ·
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Anyone else watching the shad count over Bonneville Dam? Looks like the shad run is early this year (red line) compared to last year (blue line) or the 10 year averages (dark gray line). Anyone been fishing for shad yet? Looks like now is the time to go...

Here is what a typical shad looks like (photo from last year):

Organism Fish Body of water Salmon-like fish Bedrock


They are good fighters for their size and fun to catch on a 5 weight rod. You can see that I use a sink tip line with a krill fly pattern, but shad aren't very selective and seem to take most any small fly that I've tried.

Rex
 
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#52 ·
Yeah I don’t care what anyone says. This guy did not go there and fly fish. I went yesterday absolutely no room for someone to fly fish at the dam without getting into a fist fight. Second the wind down there at the dam was very persistent and strong too. Not even my commando head could break through it with a double haul. So I was the net guy cause when I became a fly fisherman I made an oath to never pick up a gear rod again. I didn’t plan on breaking that oath for the “poor man’s” salmon game. If you are going to fly fish I recommend staying away from the dam and finding a spot off one of the islands In the river. You’d be much better off than at the north Bonneville Dam.
 
#59 ·
Hey, Nick... Just wanted to make sure everyone noted my emoticons in my poking a little fun at the use of gear and scent, as I sure don't look down on gear fishermen. It just struck me as kind of funny to have a gear guy posting on a fly fishing forum; but I don't have any problems with that at all. I often say that a good gear fisherman will outfish a good fly fisherman 10 to 1 on average (but not always), whether we're talking about shad, trout, bass, walleye, salmon or steelhead, as gear in the right hands is so much more effective, especially when used with bait or scent. Apologies to @veilside180sx if you were offended by my comments.
 
#76 ·
I haven't considered using my T-Waterboatman pattern, mainly because I don't think water boatmen exist out in the ocean, but I'm sure it would work because most any fly I've tried for shad seemed to work. Now you make me want to go back down there to the John Day Dam to try it out. :) Now, I know that your honking big bass flies wouldn't work because the shad wouldn't be able to get their little mouths around it.
 
#68 · (Edited)
Our "other" kid who lived with us for 3 years was in town with his 6yo son so I took them up to the dam today. We caught a couple dozen, mostly on flies and LDR'ed at least as many. Didn't have much time to prep but Shane did great using an intermediate line on a 7wt. Apparently fly fishing at home in Nevada prepared him well for the CR Gorge wind.
Jeans Sky Water Tree Bedrock
Water Liquid Fluid Lake Wind wave
Organism Seafood Fish Ray-finned fish Fin
 
#70 ·
I've caught them in a salt pond years ago on the Rhode Island coast. They fought well.

We released the ones we caught. I'm curious if they're edible and how you'd prepare them.
50 years ago there was a small meat locker/butcher/cannery in NE Portland that we took our shad in to; they'd smoke and can them which removes the bones, of which they are full of. Delicious. Roe is good also.
 
#71 · (Edited)
Couple notes from yesterday for anyone headed up to Bonnie. For starters, I'd definitely try to fish it during the week, and get there early. We were well downstream from the dam and managed to find a spot with plenty of room around 10AM. By noon we had a few folks fairly close but not rubbing elbows. A couple that came down from Seattle watched for a while and ended up fishing next to us. After seeing us land several on flies he said he regretted not bringing his fly rod. He didn't look too disappointed though since he was catching them like crazy on light spin gear.

Previous notes about swinging are dead on. Most of the takes came between 45 degrees downstream to the hangdown. Often surprisingly close to the bank. I was hucking a 300 grain head on my 10wt which worked well for getting down and punching through the wind. Even with the 10wt, the large female shad still put up a respectable fight in the heavy current, so I didn't really feel over-gunned.

Shane was using a 7wt I had rigged with a type I intermediate. Less than the ideal rig for this fishery but he was keeping up with me numbers wise, so I suspect the fish can be pretty shallow. Almost all our fish were on a simple chartreuse crazy charlie thing I whipped up yesterday morning (tie a bunch of whatever you use). Fishing was good for us the first few hours then slowed down a bit after 1PM, but the gear fishers were still hooking up regularly. We got a few more after switching to a weighted pattern in orange so it seems like they went deeper in the afternoon, and/or changed color preference.

As far as selecting a spot, anywhere there is strong current within casting range of the bank should produce. At the spot we fished, the main current splits away from the bank with a well defined seam. No surprise, the fish were stacking in the seam. Especially right behind a large, fly-eating rock near the head of the seam.

Oh yeah, one more thing. CHECK YOUR FLY REGULARLY. I had a dry spell that lasted over an hour, missing a number of takes. Checked the fly and found the point had broken off, probably on a backcast.
 
#73 ·
we have a huge run of shad on the American River here in Sacramento, and we swing for them regularly with 5-6wt spey and switch rods. we use a fly called the Bloody Maria with lots of success.

http://www.kiene.com/forums/showthread.php?27132-Jeff-Ching-s-quot-Bloody-Maria-quot-shad-fly

i swung up about 30 grabs the other night in the last hour of daylight, including 5 casts in a row.

at dusk, you can also get them on top using caddis emerger patterns (stoplight caddis being a favorite). you'll also get into some hatch brat steelhead at the same time, which is nice.

Jeff Ching, the guy who "invented" that fly for the American River, has caught over 1400 shad so far this year in our run (or so he claims). he fishes all day every day, but still, that's a staggering number.
 
#88 ·
I honestly think a two hand rod is the key to casting in heavy wind. It's much easier to keep your line low to the water and add additional line speed if desired. Casts don't usually look good but if the jig turns over it doesn't matter. Two hand rods are useful while fishing shad...no need to duck as you chuck.
 
#93 ·
Hate? Nah, I tend to make the most of whatever choices I make. I would have just made a different choice is all and I certainly don't begrudge those who enjoy their fishing the way they enjoy their fishing. I do begrudge those who judge me for the way I enjoy mine though.
 
#97 ·
Echo OHS 7wt with a scout head and a T10 tip with a 1/32 oz jig head on a gold hook with a couple wraps of chartreuse chenille around the lead.

I’d cast and get hooked up then hand the rod to her. Fish pulled hard enough that I couldn’t just give her the rod. Started out with the 7wt Spey and a FIST line and it was a fish every cast. String enough to take line off a English salmon 2 with the heavy springs.
Once I found the fish were only about 20’ out but also 10’ deep it just took a upstream cast and lots of mending.

I will say I outfished the gear guys 10-1 except for one guy just above me who was doing slightly better than I was.
 
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