shad on the columbia?

[cavdad45]

I catch them in the Willamette River, but I don't use shad darts. I use small maribou crappie jigs 1/32oz or smaller. I trim the hair to the hook point and also reduce the bulk of the feathers to about 1/4 of its original. It is sparse and deadly. I don't keep them. Its all sport and C&R for me. Average is 2-4 pounds, rarely see any bigger.

[KurtO]

Around where do you fish cavdad? I've got lucky around oaks bottom if you know where thats at.

[cavdad45]

Usually fish near Clackamette or Meldrum Bar for shad.

[fisherhall]

When does the shad season start?

[Fisherman_max]

i went to Joes today and only found two different colors of darts, red/white and red/yellow. hopefully they will work.

[colton]

When does the shad season start?

it usually starts about late april and goes through june.

[KurtO]

Peaks in may. Cavdad did you go to clackamas highschool too? I went to Milwaukie High

[the1fishingpro]

Ya I would recommend using DICK NITES, just go out to ur favorite place...or where every1 is fishing, and chuck out a huge 6 or 8oz weight(all depends on the current condition) and have a small 1/4 dick nite attached to a threeway swivel such as drop shotting for bass. Just let it sit out there and the current will do the rest. Make sure ur lead weight is heavy enough so that the current doesnt drag it along the bottom, you want a good still weight. Plus depending on how deep the spot is, theres no need to cast very far. I have caught plenty from 10 feet off bank. Also, any color works for dick nites.

[lskiles]

why can you not use them for sturgeon bait lskiles? i hear when people have there fish on a stringer while there fishing below the dam you can actually see sturgeon coming up to your stringer to try and get an easy meal.

You can and folks do, but I thought that was a lot of fish to keep.

It dosen't say that I kept them. Think logically.

I did not consider the catch and release...sorry just jumped the gun alittle. Did not mean to insult anyone.

[KurtO]

Haha dont sweat Iskiles. I was kidding.
But I'm very excited for the shad run.

[cavdad45]

Peaks in may. Cavdad did you go to clackamas highschool too? I went to Milwaukie High

My son went to Clackamas. I went to Seaside High School. The mighty Seagulls.

[Gisteppo]

Shad are easy to find on the Willamette river just below OC falls. Oregon city seems to have a substantial number of fish get clogged up behind the falls. Milwaukee has a good crop too.

If someone is going to hit them this year, please PM me. They make the BEST dungie bait, and I would like to take a bunch off your hands. Hell, I might even come with, add a limit, and split gas if you are coming from the eastside!

E

[A9]

Yep if anyone does want to keep a few extra Shad, I'd be willing to buy them off you or return the favor with smoked trout or salmon...Indeed they do make good crab bait.

[Fisherman_max]

yea ill be happy to save some fish for you guys, i mean if you want to drive down to vancouver washington. haha maybe a little out of reach for you guys. i mean if you guys still want some fish in about a year then i can meet ya half way from here to you guys.

[Gisteppo]

Max, my crabbing partner's kids live in the 'Couv, and on top of that, we drive through Portland on our way to Tillamook to crab. We would be able to pick them up as a fly-by or sometime when he is down there with the kids, he could get them. Definitely something we are interested in.

This year we are going to beta-test shad and northern pikeminnow side by side in test pots to see which is more productive. Current-year shad would help that experiment.

E

[Fisherman_max]

okay. ill make sure and keep some in the freezer for ya.

[Shad_Eating_Grin]

I fish on the WA shoreline below Bonneville dam. First two weeks of June is usually the best time for me.

I use nothing but shad darts in 1/16 ounce in chartreuse. Rig it on a 2-3 foot leader, with about 1/2 ounce weight off a swivel above it. Cast and retrieve slowly.

Darts are expensive if you buy them for 75 cents each from the store. Go to Ebay or other online seller, and look for the best prices, and buy in bulk (100 or more darts per purchase), and you'll spend about 10 cents a piece. It's really snaggy at Bonny and it's not unusual to lose 20-25 or more darts in a day of fishing. I made most of mine (I have a lead melter and borrowed a shad dart mold from a fellow fisherman), and so now have a lifetime supply (a couple thousand darts).

My all time best was 55 shad, fishing all day. Usually I will catch 25-40 on an average day. And lose almost as much as I actually land.

I land about 60% of the ones I hook. If I can land a higher percentage, I feel pretty good. They have very soft mouths and are easy to lose.

It's a long tiring drive (3.5 hours) from the Seattle area to Bonny, and so I generally make only 1 trip a year in June when the fish are running thick and I know that I have a chance of catching decent numbers.

If you look at the iFish website, there is a wealth of info on shad fishing lures and techniques.

[CraigVM62]

I have also found that I have my best luck with the wedge head Shad Darts fishing from both Oregon and Washington banks.

I rig up almost identical to what Shad_Eating_Grin noted. My best day was 37 fish in 4 hours, only keeping a few for Sturgeon Bait.

I noted a few people mentioning using very light tackle. This is also what I prefer the few times I have fished for them from a boat, and when the number of other bank fisherman are low. For those thinking of bank fishing for the first time when the crowds are there, which they are during peak run, you may wish to use something heavy enough to avoid having to fight the fish for along time.
Most other anglers around you will not cast out to avoid tangling with your line as a courtesy. As a courtesy to them, you should not shut down their fun longer than is reasonable.

Another thing to consider is a net. Due to the rise and fall of water levers as they release water through the Dam, the rocks right along the waters edge will be slippery. The Columbia is one of those river where you don't just fall in and then jump back out because of the fast current. Most anglers bring nets with longer handles to avoid having to get right to the waters edge to land fish.

[lskiles]

I was reading about a fishing dock in Washougal near Cottonwood Beach Park and the author was saying that it was good for shad (when they run). Has anyone been there and fished that spot? I was just trying to avoid driving to Bonneville.

I looked on Google maps and I do not see the dock that I read about. There is a nice looking dock/pier at Steamboat Landing Park. Maybe that is the one he was writing about.

[Fisherman_max]

lskiles, there is a nice dock at steamboat landing and if you drive towards camas you can see a big FORD retailer and right behind that there is a nice boat launch/dock that i hear people fish all the time for shad, you have to get there early or else you cant find a good spot to fish.