The shad are here already!

[boberdown]

IVE Noticed that the shad are comming over bonnieville dam and already good numbers that will grow greater! time to go out and have some fun catchin these critters...also heard a rumor that they are in the willy too!!!

 

[natro]

Do they still run in the millions? I can remember when I was little fishing for them at the dam and catching them like crazy, it was quite a blast.

 

[the_intimidator03]

yes they still do run in the millions.

 

[Ifishforfood]

hey, i bank fish along the columbia all over from the i-205 bridge to fairview. do any of you guys know any spots i could get some shad? also, any tips on rigs to use from the shore? i've fished for them at cascade locks with my dad, and i know they fight like the devil! any tips would be great, thanks.

 

[Moe]

Yeah I would also like to learn some spots close to portland.

 

[fishnquest]

hey, i bank fish along the columbia all over from the i-205 bridge to fairview. do any of you guys know any spots i could get some shad? also, any tips on rigs to use from the shore? i've fished for them at cascade locks with my dad, and i know they fight like the devil! any tips would be great, thanks.

I watched a whole group of people fishing from the bank. We were anchored in the river. We were fishing with small sinking flies (little barbells, jigheads) and flyline on a light baitcaster rod and reel. Since we were in a boat, we didn't need to cast, we just let the line out in the river and worked the fly. Just more fun and easier to play them that way. The folks on the bank were raking 'em in. They were all using spinning rods with some weight to sling it out there. Those guys were casting 40-50 yards and just letting it work downriver, but I think they were getting their fish right when it hit the water. They had to have a some weight to be slinging it like they were. You need a small fly, smalll jig, with a small plastic grub (green seems to be the goto color), on a light leader. Maybe a sliding sinker on the line to get it out there. Good luck.

 

[Fishtopher]

8200 over Bonneville, close to a thousand a day. Gettin' close...

 

[natro]

When we fished for them it was always from the bank. What we would use was a little bit of weight, and the lure was just an unpainted, bare lead crappie jig. Throw it upstream, let it drift, and it would only take a few seconds til you had a fish on. And they do put the fight on, lots of fun to catch.

 

[boberdown]

off the bankup by bonnieville i love to use lite steelhead rod 6 to 12 and 8 lb leader and just use white with red head shad dart and rig up the same i do for steelhead with 3' of leader with some pincil lead or use a green jig. its a blast when there really runnin and last year i hooked into an early summer chinook that spooled me! lol. also u have a chance at hooik a steelhead or have also caught some jacks this way. out of the boat i like to go right in front of camas above the power lines washington side just in front of the island about a hundred yards using a little dick night or chad spinner crome 4' leader triple swivle 3 to 4' dropper with 4 to 6 oz lead and thats pretty effective but i would say is not near the fight cause the lead takes that away much funner from the bank up by the dam using lite gear!

 

[Moe]

Would inbetween the I205 bridge and the mouth of the sandy be any good banking it?

 

[Ifishforfood]

so, if i put on a small jighead with a few split shot and cast into the current, and let the current take it I will catch some? when we fished for them at the locks, we put on a cannonball on the bottom with two dropper hooks with neon yarn and simply dropped it down, let it go a few feet and repeated. do you think I should tip the jig with anything? thanks

 

[mainman]

has anyone been down to clackamette park to catch any shad yet? if so how did you do?

 

[OnTheFly]

so, if i put on a small jighead with a few split shot and cast into the current, and let the current take it I will catch some? when we fished for them at the locks, we put on a cannonball on the bottom with two dropper hooks with neon yarn and simply dropped it down, let it go a few feet and repeated. do you think I should tip the jig with anything? thanks

Coming from someone who has targeted shad in the Willamette at Oregon City, I wouldn't change your method from what you did at the locks. Back bounce down and let it sit.

 

[mainman]

ttt

 

[Fishtopher]

14000 over the dam

 

[Ifishforfood]

i was also wondering, what does the bite feel like? is it a tap, or a slam? thanks

 

[OnTheFly]

i was also wondering, what does the bite feel like? is it a tap, or a slam? thanks

definitely a tap but a fish-on will bend any rod. They tend to use thier broad bodies with the current, planer like, so it feels like a larger fish. My 8 to 12lb steelhead rod even groans a little with a good size shad.

 

[bassman503]

I remember I went shad fishing at Bonneville last year. NObody was catching anything. It was late June so probably too late. I was using a shad dart and 1 oz ball weight. I felt a slam and a jerk; breaking off my line :O. Never knew what it was.

 

[ian1816]

Broken line

Broken line

Sounds like a Steelhead. It could have been one of the over sized sturgeon but the usually wont slam it.