Shad????

[DanMarino]

Hi guys,

Has anybody caught any shad yet? I'm doing some fishing on Saturday and wondering if I might bump into some. I'll be using the fly rod, so it will be fun if any show up.

Thanks,

Tom

[rugbyfish]

I'll be giving it a shot tomorrow as well, there should be some around.

[CaptCHawk]

Just saw a report on another forum. Says the hickories are thick at the fall line in Fredericksburg.

[DanMarino]

No shad or herring spotted in the Chesapeake tributary I fished on Saturday. Zero signs of aquatic life. Did encounter a bug hatch. Saw no fish whatsoever. Also, saw no birds hanging out on the tributary looking to eat the shad or herring.

[rugbyfish]

I had a slow but decent day. My wife and I ended up with a few big roe hickories each, and she landed a very nice smallmouth. The water temperature was just above 50, so I would think things will really pick up in the next week or so.

[Slobber Bob]

I stopped at an Eastern Shore river on my way home from work Friday afternoon and picked up a few hickory shad as well. They weren't very thick, but they were at least a few around.

[mike o]

Got one Hickory Friday at Susquehanna

[admwndsr83]

I've caught hickory shad in DE fishing an ocean inlet, but have never targeted them in the river runs. I'm thinking of hitting the Susky if the weather holds out Saturday, in search of some early season snakeheads, and will probably look for some shad too, anything to bend the rod. Same tactics as down the ocean, throwing small crankbaits? What is the ideal presentation for them in the freshwater?

[rugbyfish]

Shad darts and spoons have served me well in freshwater.

[DanMarino]

I received a Shad Report email from the DC Trout Unlimited folks. Sounds like people are beginning to pick shad up at Fletchers Cove. They also said the Potomac is at normal levels for the first time since May 2018.

[nhunter344]

They also said the Potomac is at normal levels for the first time since May 2018.

That's good to hear. Every time I checked the water levels last year, they were above what I felt was kayak fishable. Of course there were some fishable days during the work week, but every weekend we'd get rain and the levels would rise.