Hey Shad Wizard !

[Fish Chris]

Please tell me more ! Where can I launch a boat. Can you tell me some good spots ? Micro-light gear and little crappie jigs, right ? Regular mini tubes, or curl tails ? Chartreuse, white ?

I've only caught a couple Shad in my life, and those were accidental...... But I really want to go smoke them ! ......and I would love to stick a 4.0 or better

Peace,
Fish

PS, You can reply here, or in a PM.... Either way would be great. Thank you.

[Sacto John]

I sent you a PM. I think the Shad Wizard is more of a Thredfin Wiz than an American Shad Wizard

[NaCl]

Was he talking about "Threadfin" shad or "American" shad? Some of the best American Shad fishing in California is right here in the American River in Sacramento. Take a red/white darter and throw it into the riffles wherever the river narrows or there is good current. Cast it upstream...not too far upstream because you want to keep a tight line as it bounces along the bottom. If you allow the line to go limp the lure will drop down into the rocks and it's a goner. Anyway, most of my strikes come at the end of the drift as the line starts pulling in the current back towards the bank.

The average size of those American Shad are in the 3-4 pound range and they will occasionally go over 5 pounds. They are nicknames "poor-man's Tarpon" because they fight awesome and look like a little tarpon. Smoked, they taste a lot like smoked salmon. They are a super boney fish so you have to smoke them a long time to turn the bones soft and edible.

My favorite place to shad fish in the American River is the riffle at the end of Kingsford Drive (off Arden Way). My daughter caught a 5 pound American Shad there when she was 7 years old. It almost pulled her in the water! She was using a Zebco with 10 pound test line and those cheap little shad-darters. She couldn't cast very far and the fish came within 30 feet of the shore...she almost got spooled before that fish finally tired out!

.....NaCl

[Fish Chris]

Doh ! And even if he was talking about American Shad, I posted in the wrong place..... Then was attempting to correct it.... Then had PC problems... Then get that straight, and come back to find responses to my "out of place post".... I'm a goofball.
But anyway....

Thanks Dean. I've been waiting to hear from my buddy Nico, as he does this Shad thing every year. He had only been once this year, and didn't do anything, but we all know how things can change overnight !

Off to work now, but will dig into this a deeper tonight. Maybe I'll be trying the Shad thing next week.

Peace,
Fish

[Sacto John]

I have a buddy who goes out almost every night and he tells me they are starting to show but not in the huge schools yet.

[Shad*Wizard]

Hey Fish Chris, those were threadfin in Stockton...The nearest place I've found from the bank to fish for American shad closest to Rio Vista is Freeport, right near the Freeport bridge...No boat, I just fished from the bank...Check if you go up there with the Freeport bait shops if you can still fish the bank...I believe so, but not positive on that...

Do like NaCl said and use the darts with nothing on them...They throw teeny-rounders too, a small round dart head with little Mister Twister curly tails.
(Small)


...2 ft. leader or so and 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce egg sinker...I use around 6lb. test or so...Watch the guys who are catching them, and use their exact weight...Usually 1/2.

Verona above Sacramento is good, too...Then you have to go through Sac and follow the map where the Sac and the Feather merge...Check the Fish Sniffer for shad reports and call shops, too...If it's not hot fishing, look elsewhere...They are always on the move...It changes by the day...My favorite color was a chartruese, orange, and white dart with gold sparkle, hand painted...Bring some marking pens if you have to, if they're nailing a particular color, slap some on...

No better fishing in the world!!!...Good luck, Chris...

P.S. Get the small darts!!!...Keep a loose drag!!!

[DeltaDan]

Used to fly fish for them on the upper sac up past Red Bluff with an 8 weight using darts. Just walk out onto a gravel bar and find a good eddy to cast up and into.

40+ fish a day with the Last two hours before sunset as the extream blast !

Tried to bake a few -- Not extreamly edible that way.......


Rule of thumb is "When the Cherries on the tree's are a poppin' -- The shad bite is a hoppin' "

[NaCl]

Chris,

The shad are like salmon...they only "run" up into fresh water once each year to spawn. The run is usually in summer and most local bait/tackle shops get reports when it starts. Call Alan at Fishermens Warehouse before you make a trip to hunt shad. He will let you know the hot darter color and the best locations.

.....NaCl

[Shad*Wizard]

Met Bill Adelman, the best shad fishing guide ever up at Verona one year and asked him how and why he caught so many... He would go out on the river real early and graph the water with his depth finder and locate where the school was coming through at...He said they will follow a line, if you catch one, you'll probably catch more...Try to find the line...

Sometimes from the bank, you may be just a few feet off...I always watch who's catching them, and when in Rome, do as the Romans do...If you catch one, try and match what you did the next cast out...They're like a herd, following the leader...Adelman was flat amazing up there at Verona...He used small bubble eyed flies he tied himself...Not very big flies either...He'd just anchor and sit there and smoke them..Line out the back of the boat and I believe just twitching the line by hand...My best at Verona was 28...That was more than enough... 6 casts, 6 fish...It was real low that year and great fishing because it concentrated the fish...

Good luck...