Wanted: Columbia Shad

[huntbow]

Looking at the Bonneville Dam fish count and it looks like I missed the shad run.  I have never done it before but was hoping to get in on the action.  Last season I watched a boat pull in multiple oversized fish, there were no other boats around and as we pulled over there I asked him if he minded us anchoring by him.  He said "have at it".  His boat pulled in probably 4 more oversized in the next two hours.  All we were catching were the little shakers.  He asked what we were using, I told him and he said "you need shad".  So since it looks like I missed the run and I live 6 hours away, does anyone know where I can find a few shad? Maybe someone you know that has more than they need or anyone on here that would spare a few.  I will be coming down the I-5 corridor next weekend from Bellingham.  Thanks guys

[Gringo31]

You haven't missed the run.   Just a few odd days.

[Timberstalker]

You haven't missed the run.   Just a few odd days.

Gringo's right.  We've only just begun.  Wait 2 weeks or so.  It'll get nuts!

[huntbow]

Im liking that.  I do know the returns of most species have been down but it seemed kinda odd having a total of only 400,000+ shad over the dam and then over two days it dropped to 3,000 a day.  I have always heard of it being at least a million. 

[Timberstalker]

Hear you go - the runs vary each year,  2012, 2013 and 2014 were unbelievable.

DAM YEAR SHAD
BON 2010 1,042,471

BON 2011 948,070

BON 2012 2,432,394

BON 2013 3,751,375

BON 2014 2,603,269

BON 2015 1,815,001

BON 2016 1,770,303

[huntbow]

thanks guys, I may still have a chance after all 

[Gringo31]

Wonder if yesterday was a typo...

Almost 500K?

[dwils233]

Not a typo. Check out the graph!
http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2017/jun/20/columbia-river-shad-run-explode-near-record-burst-over-bonneville-dam/

[Hilltophustler]

Dad went down yesterday and put 150+ over the rail in an afternoon.

[Timberstalker]

497K in one day over Bonneville!
@Gringo31 - when are we going??

[92xj]

I'll be out Sunday

[Brushcrawler]

The count was definitely for real yesterday. It was non stop schools all day.

[bearpaw]

I know they make good bait, are these any good for eating or smoking?

[carpsniperg2]

Some guys smoke them. When I use to go fish for them, there was a guy with a 5 gallon bucket there. He only wanted the females. He would give the males to the other guys around and the female he would take the eggs out. I watched him suck down more then a few globs of eggs right out the fish I like susi but dang

[Timberstalker]

 
 

[h2ofowlr]

I am heading down this weekend to fish them.  I saw that half a million of them went over the dam on Tuesday.  I poured up and coated 50 shad darts last night.  They work great on crab as I brought back a 55 qt cooler full last year. 

[WSU]

I'd like some if anyone is driving through Olympia with some extras. 

[Timberstalker]

The fish counts are ridiculously good!  Wow.

http://www.fpc.org/currentdaily/HistFishTwo_7day-ytd_Adults.htm

Over 150K/day for the last week, with several days over 240K!  Crazy.

[huntbow]

Well i made the trip down last weekend.  Fished Sturgeon on friday and shad on saturday.  We didn't catch as many shad as i was hoping but for being my first time i wasn't sure what to expect.  It was a lot of fun and we even saw a couple Chinook get caught.