Shad Run

[The Marquis]

I have fished for Shad at Bonneville Dam a couple different times now.  Contrary to what most are posting on here, I found it to be anything BUT a slam-dunk.  I struggled. 

First, there is the general awkwardness of "combat" fishing. Just finding a place to squeeze in was a challenge.

Then, it took me a long time to "feel" the bites.  I'm not sure if I had the wrong rod, or the wrong line, was casting in at too acute an angle, or what.  I think people who've mastered drift fishing for steelhead have an easier time.  That is most assuredly not me!

The shad, to me, seem to just pick up the lure, and I never felt anything I could call a "bite".  Just a VERY subtle pickup and that's it. Of course I only felt this (or maybe I should say did not feel) two or three times over the course of two days, so what do I know?

I spent big money buying the latest and greatest darts from the locals down there, but all to no avail.  People all around me were catching fish and I tried to copy the gear they were using and their technique, but it never worked out for me.  Which is doubly frustrating, because everyone talks about "how EASY it is".  Yah.....no!

I will admit that, when you hook one, it's a very entertaining fight.  I also vouch that they are hands down the BEST crab bait out there.

Some day I will try again.  Not this year.

Did you just use the darts?  Strangely having caught many Shad, I've never been able to catch any on a Shad Dart.  My worst day of Shad fishing (when about 60k ran the dam) I got just 6 fish, all after I switched out my dart for a crappie jig.

Good luck next go though.  There is a bit of an art to where to cast your lure, how fast to reel and WHEN to give up those slow reels and reel in.  It's also important to adjust the time you let it sink before reeling depending on if you're getting bites or not.  When you miss em, you can miss for a while, but as soon as you find the spot, you're in for the rest of the day.

[Smossy]

I have fished for Shad at Bonneville Dam a couple different times now.  Contrary to what most are posting on here, I found it to be anything BUT a slam-dunk.  I struggled. 

First, there is the general awkwardness of "combat" fishing. Just finding a place to squeeze in was a challenge.

Then, it took me a long time to "feel" the bites.  I'm not sure if I had the wrong rod, or the wrong line, was casting in at too acute an angle, or what.  I think people who've mastered drift fishing for steelhead have an easier time.  That is most assuredly not me!

The shad, to me, seem to just pick up the lure, and I never felt anything I could call a "bite".  Just a VERY subtle pickup and that's it. Of course I only felt this (or maybe I should say did not feel) two or three times over the course of two days, so what do I know?

I spent big money buying the latest and greatest darts from the locals down there, but all to no avail.  People all around me were catching fish and I tried to copy the gear they were using and their technique, but it never worked out for me.  Which is doubly frustrating, because everyone talks about "how EASY it is".  Yah.....no!

I will admit that, when you hook one, it's a very entertaining fight.  I also vouch that they are hands down the BEST crab bait out there.

Some day I will try again.  Not this year.

This year was my first time fishing for shad and Ill admit to being right there with ya in all departments. Seen old dudes bringin them in all around me and I only had 2 hookups. I know now I was setting hooks too hard, paper thin mouths, lost lots of setups (let it drift too long, STICK STRICTLY 10-2 casting, reel in. Repeat.
I went down just before memorial day weekend and seen lots of fish caught all day, however when I checked fish counts YTD it only said 44k.....
Well as days progress, the fish numbers increase tenfold. As of 2 days ago count was at 1.4 mill with 200k + averaging a day. Much better odds then when I was dealing with. Gonna be out there myself on monday/tuesday.

[carpsniperg2]

These are the ones. I have caught them on dick nites grubs regular darts. All kinds

These out fish then 10-1

[carpsniperg2]

its the little sparkly tape on these ones that drive them wild.

[WSU]

I tie that stuff into my steelhead and salmon jigs. Lots of store have it. Check anywhere that has fly tying stuff.

[carpsniperg2]

I suggest it for anyone going! If you can rig a few up with it they might help fill the cooler 

[GBoyd]

I have fished for Shad at Bonneville Dam a couple different times now.  Contrary to what most are posting on here, I found it to be anything BUT a slam-dunk.  I struggled. 

First, there is the general awkwardness of "combat" fishing. Just finding a place to squeeze in was a challenge.

Then, it took me a long time to "feel" the bites.  I'm not sure if I had the wrong rod, or the wrong line, was casting in at too acute an angle, or what.  I think people who've mastered drift fishing for steelhead have an easier time.  That is most assuredly not me!

The shad, to me, seem to just pick up the lure, and I never felt anything I could call a "bite".  Just a VERY subtle pickup and that's it. Of course I only felt this (or maybe I should say did not feel) two or three times over the course of two days, so what do I know?

I spent big money buying the latest and greatest darts from the locals down there, but all to no avail.  People all around me were catching fish and I tried to copy the gear they were using and their technique, but it never worked out for me.  Which is doubly frustrating, because everyone talks about "how EASY it is".  Yah.....no!

I will admit that, when you hook one, it's a very entertaining fight.  I also vouch that they are hands down the BEST crab bait out there.

Some day I will try again.  Not this year.

This year was my first time fishing for shad and Ill admit to being right there with ya in all departments. Seen old dudes bringin them in all around me and I only had 2 hookups. I know now I was setting hooks too hard, paper thin mouths, lost lots of setups (let it drift too long, STICK STRICTLY 10-2 casting, reel in. Repeat.
I went down just before memorial day weekend and seen lots of fish caught all day, however when I checked fish counts YTD it only said 44k.....
Well as days progress, the fish numbers increase tenfold. As of 2 days ago count was at 1.4 mill with 200k + averaging a day. Much better odds then when I was dealing with. Gonna be out there myself on monday/tuesday.

It sounds to me that both of you might be reeling too slow. I seem to have good luck casting out, letting it sink for 5-10 seconds and then reeling back at a moderate pace. The line is tight the whole time, so there's no problem feeling bites. Also, I do just a really soft hook set.

Another strategy I saw a couple weeks ago:
There was a guy with a really stout pole with a large hunk of lead cast out about 30 yards. He stuck it in the bank to keep tension. He had a second smaller pole that he clipped onto the line from the big one with 2 ounces of lead and three droppers with shad darts. He let that run down to the end of his bigger line, left it for a minute and pulled his three shad back up. He was catching so many that he had a buddy there just running buckets of fish back to the rig. I admire the invention, but don't see any reason to catch more fish than I do normally.

[doyourtime89]

I am always up to try new ways to fish for what ever.  This year was the first time my dad and I tried dick nite, we did good with those but I ended up.going back to the same old shad dart I have been using for years and was getting them left and right.  Like someone said earlier it does take a bit to figure out how far out to cast, how long to let sink before starting your slow reeling, how much weight to use on a given day and it does take getting used to on knowing a bite.  And lighter more sensitive rods help too.  Here are the ones in have been using for ever.  I only had a package of the small ones left so if they are 1/32 the bigger ones most be 1/16.  I did better on the bugger ones but my dad standing right next to me did better on the smallers ones.

[HntnFsh]

I just used the cheapest jigs could buyin assorted colors and weights. Ran 6lb test on a light steelhead rod and used hollow core pencil lead to find the right depth and could catch fish almost every cast and a lot of times hookup on the second or 3rd bite of the retrieve. Count down your drop after your jig hits the water. When you get in the zone let it sink about the same every time. Experiment with colors. I always liked a peal like white.

[Timberstalker]

None of you ever fish them with a bobber??
We have always fished them with a bobber and drifted with great success.

[dilleytech]

None of you ever fish them with a bobber??
We have always fished them with a bobber and drifted with great success.

I have always wanted to but I think I finally will this next trip. For me the key to catching shad is finding the right cast angle, weight on line, and weight of jig to put you in the zone. They will bite a lot of different stuff. My favorite lure is a dicknite. Sometime a salmon will hit it too. If your not catching them your likely swinging your gear over there head. I’ll run at least a 20# leader so I never loose any gear and the fish don’t care. And remember smoked canned shad is awesome if your into canned sardines. And shad roe fried in butter is great as well.

[The Marquis]

None of you ever fish them with a bobber??
We have always fished them with a bobber and drifted with great success.

I wouldn't dream of it at Bonneville,  It's combat fishing.  It'd screw up the flow of things with a bunch of anglers 3-5 feet apart.

Tell me you aren't doing it up near Bonneville fish ladder.  I just can't imagine, and I've never seen anybody doing it.

[Timberstalker]

I don't go near Bonneville.

Generally, there aren't many people at the east side dams.  It works well.

[The Gobble-stopper]

A few years back, I violated them

sorry my tablet auto corrected? I just saw it and reposted

[h2ofowlr]

I am always up to try new ways to fish for what ever.  This year was the first time my dad and I tried dick nite, we did good with those but I ended up.going back to the same old shad dart I have been using for years and was getting them left and right.  Like someone said earlier it does take a bit to figure out how far out to cast, how long to let sink before starting your slow reeling, how much weight to use on a given day and it does take getting used to on knowing a bite.  And lighter more sensitive rods help too.  Here are the ones in have been using for ever.  I only had a package of the small ones left so if they are 1/32 the bigger ones most be 1/16.  I did better on the bugger ones but my dad standing right next to me did better on the smallers ones.

Your middle jigs are the ticket?  The smaller jigs out catch the larger ones 4:1.