Shad run soon?

My son Kai and I caught these nice big Shad near the garbage hole last summer.


-Michael
www.KayakFishingOregon.com

That is awesome and those are some monsters! He looks like he's enjoying those french fries also!

Some historical timing data.......





Source:   http://www.cbr.washington.edu/dart/wrapper?fname=dart.hrt_000000_75676.html&type=html&dname=/crisprt/tmp/&QueryPage=

Some historical timing data.......





Source:   http://www.cbr.washington.edu/dart/wrapper?fname=dart.hrt_000000_75676.html&type=html&dname=/crisprt/tmp/&QueryPage=

Thank you for that! I guess it's hard to predict, but first week in June should be primetime.

First week in June at Bonneville will be great fishing but it will be combat fishing on the bank.  I bet they are starting to show up sooner on other river systems.  This is once they have reached Bonneville.

Well the first weekend in June is also the Bonneville Bass Bonanza which is what I will be doing, but that's good to keep in mind if there's a bunch of yahoos out there.

The shad are thick in the Gladstone / Oregon City stretch of the Willamette right now. I went 18 for 25 hookups (kept 10) last night after work for about 2.5 hours of fishing. In that same time a powerboat with 4 rods boated 40-50. The evening started out with a few small males but towards the end it was all solid, fat fish.

What vessel were you using?I don't recognize it.

*never mind. I think I know. The view is aft and it threw me off. 

The shad are thick in the Gladstone / Oregon City stretch of the Willamette right now. I went 18 for 25 hookups (kept 10) last night after work for about 2.5 hours of fishing. In that same time a powerboat with 4 rods boated 40-50. The evening started out with a few small males but towards the end it was all solid, fat fish.

Thank you for the report! Sounds like they're coming in pretty heavy! I am going to be out of town next weekend, and BBB the following. I guess I will need to find a good weekday afternoon like you did.


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What vessel were you using?I don't recognize it.

*never mind. I think I know. The view is aft and it threw me off.

Yeah the Tarpon 140.

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What kind of terminal tackle is good for catching shad? I've never caught this species and I think it would be a hoot to get some halibut bait!!

What kind of terminal tackle is good for catching shad? I've never caught this species and I think it would be a hoot to get some halibut bait!!

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shad/

What kind of terminal tackle is good for catching shad? I've never caught this species and I think it would be a hoot to get some halibut bait!!

I have had the best luck with the little Dick Nite spoons http://www.dicknite.com/descript.htm in UV
Pearl HotHead, Pearl ChartreuseHead, and metallic ones with HotHead or Chartreuse.

I too like the tiny spoons (get the smallest size available). I slightly preferred Luhr Jensen's "Lucky Knight" Dick Nite clone, because they used split rings which made changing out the hooks easier, but I don't think they make those anymore. I increase my "to the boat" percentage significantly by switching out the stock hooks with something decent.

On the Willamette a lot of people seem to use tiny panfish jigs with tiny panfish grubs usually in either chartreuse or pink. Also some people use sabiki rigs. I've never had any luck with shad darts but it must be a learned skill because some people are very effective with them. With the spoons the lure does the work for you which is nice.

Thanks for all that!   
My one and only experience with shad is that they are slimy and stinky (must be the features that make it great bait!)

Thanks for all that!   
My one and only experience with shad is that they are slimy and stinky (must be the features that make it great bait!)

Yeah, the males like to... "release"... when they die. It can get kind of messy.