Shad

Many years ago the shad was a little known game fish in the Northwest pursued by a select group of anglers who knew of their great sport potential. These anglers knew about the shad's propensity to bite the simplest of lures, and to battle wildly once hooked. Large schools of migrating shad often provided hot and heavy action -- to a degree incomparable to other game fish. Today, due mostly to increasing numbers of both shad and fishermen, the American shad has become a tremendously popular fish sought by anglers of all ages, sex and ethnic backgrounds.
So what is a shad and what is the big deal? The big deal is that while most runs of anadromous fish in the Northwest are on the decline, with fishing restricted in many cases, the American shad is flourishing. In the Columbia River and its main tributary the Willamette, the shad runs are really astronomical, and appear to be building. The reason is that the very factors in the Columbia that are harming salmon and steelhead -- namely dams, reduced flows, and warm water -- are benefitting the shad.
The American shad is a member of the herring family, imported to Oregon in the late 1800's from the east coast of the United States. They were brought out here in milk cans on a train, and planted in the Columbia River, where they were not native. The shad didn't seem to care, and took to the Columbia and Pacific Ocean quite nicely. Their numbers built slowly over the years, but really began to take off with the construction of Bonneville Dam. The building of this dam created a pool behind it that was excellent habitat for shad spawning and fry development. As more dams were added to the Columbia over the years more pools were created, all perfect habitat for shad. Annual runs in the Columbia can now number 3 million fish!
Thankfully for anglers, the shad is a willing biter and a ferocious fighter. When you combine this fact with their sheer numbers, you have the ingredients for some great fishing. Averaging from 2 pounds for males and up to 5 pounds for females, these fish test angler skills with their vicious strikes, lightning fast runs and acrobatic jumps. They never quit in a fight, frequently coming loose with a frantic final leap at the bank. It really doesn't matter -- there are always more shad to catch, and it is rare for an angler to go home fishless.
By now I hope that you are eager to learn more about shad -- especially how to catch them. Fishpage is not going to let you down. But before I do, I want to make my pitch for conservation. It is imperative that sport fishermen start taking some responsibility for protecting the resource that we all so enjoy. Shad are easy to catch, and it is very easy for anglers to abuse the resource. Although there are a lot of them, they are currently being subjected to heavy angler pressure and a commercial gill net fishery in the Columbia. ANY run of fish can be destroyed by overfishing; this has been proven time and time again. Shad are poor eating. Unless you have a specific need for them (like crab bait), you should let the lightly hooked fish go. You will catch some that will swallow your lure. You should keep those because they won't survive anyway. This will ensure great fishing into the future.
Whether one is fishing from a boat or from the bank, the key to successful shad fishing is finding the right kind of current. Shad are creatures of the current. If you are a boat fisherman, you must find strong current flowing over 10-20' depth to anchor in. If you are a bank angler, you need good current near the bank within your reach. Since the best shad fishing is usually below a major obstruction like a dam or a falls, good current is usually available. Like most types of fishing, you have to learn how to read the water in order to be consistently successful.
Fishing from a boat and fishing from the bank require totally different methods, so I will address them separately. The boat method involves anchoring the boat in a proper spot and then putting out lines and waiting for the fish to strike. Most anglers use a 3-way setup with a separate weight line and lure line. These lines can be from 27-36" depending on conditions. I can't tell you exactly what leader lengths to use because it varies by location and conditions. With shad fishing, it always pays to experiment if what you are doing isn't working. The weight you use depends on the current speed. Usually current that allows 2-3 ounces to stay on the bottom downstream behind the boat is best. The best lures for this type of fishing are small wobbling spoons and shad darts. The spoons should be really small. Different finishes produce best under different conditions. In clear water, the chrome and brass finishes work best. In colored water, hot pink or flame red is usually required somewhere on the lure. For some strange reason, shad darts with hair seem to work best from a boat. Trim the hair back to the bend in the hook.
If you are good with a rod and reel, bank fishing is the most rewarding method for shad. Boat fishing is a kind of a put it out and wait affair. It doesn't require a lot of angling skill. Bank fishing does. Anyone who can cast and retrieve a lure can catch shad, but the good fishermen catch a lot more. Good fishermen are the ones who can the read the water best and vary rigging and retrieves to achieve success. The best lure for bank fishing is the shad dart -- bar none. You can catch them on other things, but day in and day out shad darts work best. I recommend darts without hair in a variety of sizes and colors. Good shad darts are hard to find. Stores located near good fishing spots like Bonneville are usually the best bet. Buy a bunch of them because you are going to lose them. Shad darts need to be fished behind some weight in order to get them down to sufficient depth. Pencil lead or hollow eggs weights are most popular. Run around 2' of leader below the weight and attach your dart. I would suggest at least 8lb line for this. Go any lighter and the big ones will break you off.

Set the hook and hold on...
play the fish carefully...
and you will get your prize!
The shad run in the Columbia is from late May through June. Some Fish can usually be caught through the fourth of July. The peak of the run is usually mid-June. You can check the fish counts in the newspaper to see when things are going really hot and heavy. Once the daily count gets above 40,000 fish, the fishing is going to be good.

A really big fish.
Two nice hens.

Location: Some Coastal rivers in Oregon , The Columbia River and it's tributary the Willamette River.

Appearance: Silver appearance with large scales and large eyes.

Size: Up to 7 pounds.

Tackle: Flies, Spinners, Jigs, Spoons, Darts and Plugs.

Season: May - July

A nice hen from the boat!
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