Help me get some shad?

[montym]

Let me confess, I'd prefer to eat shad over salmon! I can imagine some of you chocking when you read this, but have you actually tried shad? Too many bones?

In a scale of 1 - 10, I'd put shad at 5-6 for boniness, and I can handle it just fine. In case you are curious, check this link on Ilish, I'd give it 10/10 for boniness among fish I have eaten and it's the tastiest fish I've ever tried. Apparently related to shad too! I don't eat it any more, takes me too long to pick the bones and embarrasses me in front of others back home. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilish. Salmon in my scale of boniness? 0 or 1.

I am looking for a couple of guided trips in the big C this summer for shad, which guide would you recommend? To be honest, I'd love it if someone offers me a place in his boat. I am useless with a boat but won't mind sponsoring all the gas,food,beer and I have gear to share if needed.

I know the hot spots near Bonneville, but I suffer from vertigo and just could not make it down to the waterline. I went there last summer, drank my beer at the parking lot and came back home.

I will try banking this time somewhere else, hopefully with an OFF member I am in touch with already; but I do want to see one of those 50+ fish days and I reckon a guide gives me the best chance at that.

Won't mind taking some fish too from you if you are inclined to share, with a kid on the way towards the end of June my fishing time is very very limited this year :-(. There, I never said that about salmon, did I?

From Wikipedia: There is a popular saying in one part of India that "Machha khaaiba Ilishii, chakiri kariba polisi", which means that eating ilish and getting a job in police department are of equal status, meaning that eating ilish is respectable...

This sure is making me homesick, hope I'll get into some blue gills on Saturday at Hagg!

Cheers
Monty

 

[OnTheDrop]

Monty, my buddy. Come on out on the Willamette with you and Dunn again. Would love to get you both out for a day. Can target Salmon for a bonus with the 2 rod license. Hope alls well !

 

[montym]

You bet Tanner, I'll call you to fix a date.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[Fishpdx]

Let me confess, I'd prefer to eat shad over salmon! I can imagine some of you chocking when you read this, but have you actually tried shad? Too many bones?

I'm guessing that you are very sick or out of your mind, please get some sleep and rest. LOL just kiddin Shad are tasty fish their meat is really oily and tasty but the fact that there's bones I usually don't eat it, some people throw them in pressure cooker with vegetables and keep it in there until the bones are soft, pretty tasty but I'm a fan of pan fried fish. A couple years ago I would fillet the shad and cut out only the belly which has no bones and deep fried them. really good stuff. as of the other parts of the fish I would use it for crab bait or crayfish bait.

 

[DrTheopolis]

I've never done it, but I've seen people fishing (and catching) shad at Clackamette Park from the bank.

 

[espencer757]

Shad is also a good canning fish. Canning softens the bones that remain in the fish so much the don't have to be picked out.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[montym]

Yes Dr T, [MENTION=3618]Modest_Man[/MENTION] told me that he's got them by dozens there and I'll surely try that place this year.

We don't really do anything special about the bones, just pick them out by hand while eating. Probably it helps that we don't try to eat our rice and curry with a knife and a fork

 

[Aervax]

Here in the northwest we are way too snobby about what fish we are willing to eat. Let'em turn their noses up at perfectly healthy and tasty wild natural protein. Leaves more for the rest of us. Almost all fish taste good if prepared well. My family and I filleted, breaded, and fried several shad last year just to try them out. Everyone agreed that they were delicious. There is talk about canning a bunch for winter this year.

 

[espencer757]

I met an older gentleman several years ago that, if it bit his hook, it went into the frying pan or Stockport. He said he grew up skipping too many meals to think he was too good to turn his nose up at what God provided him. He said, from bullhead to chub (aka pikeminow), he never had a meal he didn't like. I guess we are all too "rich" and get to be more choosy. Yeah, right.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[eugene1]

montym,

Can you suggest a couple of good recipes to cook the shad?

I've been C&Ring some lately, but I'm ready to try to cook some up. My thought is to smoke them and then can them in jars to defeat the bones.

Thanks,

ps. maybe I asked you this last year? seems like a familiar topic!

 

[osmosis]

Can't eat good bait, unless we're talking about calamari!

Should pick up any time here, but I don't know any guides that advertise trips for em.

 

[Gulfstream]

They smoke well.They are great pickled.Just use a pickled herring recipe and its really tasty!

 

[eugene1]

They smoke well.They are great pickled.Just use a pickled herring recipe and its really tasty!

Looks pretty straightforward.

http://honest-food.net/fish-and-seafood-recipes/how-to-smoke-shad/

 

[Modest_Man]

Appreciate it. I may have to try some soon. I usually turn my shad into crab. I did a shakedown trip Saturday and didn't touch a thing. I take that back, I snagged someone's line who had broken off about 50 feet of mono on a 9" smallmouth, who was still hooked.

 

[Aervax]

That sounds awesome Monty. Thanks for putting so much effort into your recipe post. I will definitely try it on some shad this season.

 

[montym]

No worries my friend, just trying to convert the heathens...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[eugene1]

No worries my friend, just trying to convert the heathens...

Thanks much, that sounds killer!

Hope you get into some this season. I got skunked today!

 

[montym]

Yipee!

Yipee!

I've never done it, but I've seen people fishing (and catching) shad at Clackamette Park from the bank.

Finally, I managed to get to Clackamette park to try my luck. Started at 5ish, horrible start to the day I have to say. Probably broke my fish finder when I cast it at 90 degrees to where I wanted tp and right on some rocks. I have not dared to check it properly yet. Didn't connect the next time I got it to water, so I fear the worst.

Spent the next hour and a bit donating lots of lead and expensive Dick Nites and shad darts to the river. Not a bite. Managed to eliminate the snags though when I switched to slinky style weights. I was able to keep it nicely ticking along the bottom, but could not get a bite.

Saw some people a 100 yards downstream and looked like they were catching some, so wandered over there looking for tips. Saw one gentleman with a mile long stringer of shad, mind you this was just after 6:30 am I think; and talked to him. He showed me his rig, and offered to give me some fish. I’ve had that offer before for bass, carp and trout and had always declined. This time, I accepted and I sure am glad I did that! Over the next few hours that gentleman and his son gave me a mile long stringer. I got a few too, but I was so badly out fished that it was mildly embarrassing. Greed won, I stuck it out, and came home with 27 shad.

That kid, may be around 18 or so, was like a magician! There were 4 of us using the same rig spread about 20 yards, and he got more than the rest of us combined. Once I was tying on a new jig, stopped in between to put a fish he caught on my stringer, and he had another one for me before I could tie the dang thing.

Rig? Now, don’t call me a liar. The kid had a Carolina rig, egg sinker, 4-5 feet leader and a very small jig at the business end. 1/8 or 1/16 may be. It probably started chartreuse, but had lost all color when I got a chance to look at it. I reckon I am not taking any liberties here as they were very open about showing me their set-ups.

The trick apparently was to have the sinker move just above the bottom. I think I spent my time either getting snagged or drifting too high up, I do need to get out more.

Took me a heck of a time to scale and clean all those fish, but I reckon my Karma would be better for it. Spread half of it among friends, froze most of the rest.

If you have read so far, please do try shad once. The few Americans I know who eat shad actually like them. If you ask me, they are tastier and more flavorful than salmon. Forget the knives and forks, imagine crawdads and get cracking with your hands. The bony parts usually taste the best.
I have posted a good recipe earlier in this thread, happy to help if you have more questions about eating these absolutely delicious fish.
And if you have a weak stomach, stop now. Some pics of the dinner tonight below. For roe, think caviar. I am not a connoisseur of caviar, but I have tried it a few times and I will take had roe over it any given day. Liver and intestines? Love them. And if you do feel like sending a snarky remark, think about the last time you ate a sausage, or foie grass. For those with Scottish forefathers, think Haggis! I love Haggis too!

I plan to be out at Clackamette again on Sunday 6/19; let me know if you plan to be there too.



Cheers
M

 

[espencer757]

Cold smoked shad caviar. Mmmmmmm.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Fishpdx]

I was there on saturday using the sliding rig like him but I had a shad dart, no luck but other people had a couple . Some guys plunked with dik nites and caught like 7 and that was the most fish I saw caught. Also saw a guy catch a 3 pound smallie