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I wish this post was about fishing Deer Creek or the Potomac but the shad run in Maryland (or at least fishing it) has been interrupted by recent wx. So I packed off to try my luck on the Roanoke Rapids. I was really fortunate to hit (2) days with air temps in the 80's and 60's, and both sunny. Water was about 52 degrees and the pressure from Dominion Power was 10,000.... the shad were running....
A local guide was very considerate and tipped me off to heading downstream from where the crowds gather in Weldon. This was a phone tip that he really didn't need to offer.......I hope to hire him one day for a family trip...Having a hint as to where to anchor was key. So was having a good anchor trolly system as I anchored from the stern facing downstream.
I was fishing with a new Daiwa UL two-piece that Charlie (Angler's) set me up with and spooled with 8 pound test. The rig was superb and guaranteed a good match when the shad get broadside to the 1.5 to 2 knot current...
First afternoon I fished in proximity to a family charter and the kids counted to 105 Hickories.....great fun. The rig of choice seemed to be a tandem with an artificial, maybe 2" in pink or chartreuse, followed by a silver or gold spoon. My go to spoon was a silver Aceta. I think in two days I had at least (5) doubles. Sometimes with two on there would be a third fish yak-side, wanting in on the action....
Second day I had my first shad on before the sun made it above the tree-line, and a nice 15"isn healthy fish, so a great omen for the day. By 1100 I had to leave knowing I needed a modicum of arm strength left for the up-current up-stream paddle. The shad totally wore me out... No idea how many I got to hand, next time maybe a clicker?
My neighbors at the hotspot, fishing on day two in a Tracker could not have been nicer or more hospitable. They caught the only American (White) shad I saw and it was a big strong fish. They were quick to offer helpful advice and share the good time.Nice to see grandfather giving tips to son and grandson...
The shad return from the North Atlantic to spawn in the estuary where they started life. They seem to travel upstream in a column, maybe for crowd control, but it gives the anglers a pretty good idea of where they are! For lot's of fisherman from Florida and northward, the Shad Run offers a great start to the season. Highly recommended! ST
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A local guide was very considerate and tipped me off to heading downstream from where the crowds gather in Weldon. This was a phone tip that he really didn't need to offer.......I hope to hire him one day for a family trip...Having a hint as to where to anchor was key. So was having a good anchor trolly system as I anchored from the stern facing downstream.
I was fishing with a new Daiwa UL two-piece that Charlie (Angler's) set me up with and spooled with 8 pound test. The rig was superb and guaranteed a good match when the shad get broadside to the 1.5 to 2 knot current...
First afternoon I fished in proximity to a family charter and the kids counted to 105 Hickories.....great fun. The rig of choice seemed to be a tandem with an artificial, maybe 2" in pink or chartreuse, followed by a silver or gold spoon. My go to spoon was a silver Aceta. I think in two days I had at least (5) doubles. Sometimes with two on there would be a third fish yak-side, wanting in on the action....
Second day I had my first shad on before the sun made it above the tree-line, and a nice 15"isn healthy fish, so a great omen for the day. By 1100 I had to leave knowing I needed a modicum of arm strength left for the up-current up-stream paddle. The shad totally wore me out... No idea how many I got to hand, next time maybe a clicker?
My neighbors at the hotspot, fishing on day two in a Tracker could not have been nicer or more hospitable. They caught the only American (White) shad I saw and it was a big strong fish. They were quick to offer helpful advice and share the good time.Nice to see grandfather giving tips to son and grandson...
The shad return from the North Atlantic to spawn in the estuary where they started life. They seem to travel upstream in a column, maybe for crowd control, but it gives the anglers a pretty good idea of where they are! For lot's of fisherman from Florida and northward, the Shad Run offers a great start to the season. Highly recommended! ST
100_1879.jpg100_1882.jpg
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