Shad fishing

[Christian Postigo]

Hey fly rodders. I have been out a few times already for the shad run with no luck. I know I have to doing something wrong because I haven't even gotten a bite. If anyone have any tips on lures, techniques or anything else I can do to catch some shad on the fly would really be appreciated. Thanks peeps

[Danny Barrett]

My normal set up for my 8 weight and 6 weight is heavy sink tip, 5 feet of 10-12lb fluro and tiny bass style metal spoons (the simple single hook, maybe 1/8" long, Walmart normally carries packs of 3 for a few bucks).  First cast, just strip in as it hits the water.  Every cast after that add a few second count before you start to strip.  Once you hit a fish, then you know you have the right depth.  I always struggle to find the first 2, then its game on.  Best of luck.

Thanks,

Dan Barrett

dannyt...@gmail.com

(540)-222-8064

On Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 1:52 AM, Christian Postigo <sylasp...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey fly rodders. I have been out a few times already for the shad run with no luck. I know I have to doing something wrong because I haven't even gotten a bite. If anyone have any tips on lures,  techniques or anything else I can do to catch some shad on the fly would really be appreciated. Thanks peeps

--
http://www.tpfr.org
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tidal-potomac-fly-...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tidal-potomac-fly-rodders/5096ce57-e858-4eaa-92a4-27292d7d7115%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[kylef...@gmail.com]

.  Mid-cove can be consistent for Hickory shad with a few Americans mixed in. I landed 16 yesterday in 3 hours at Fletcher's Cove  Rent a row boat if you can.

If you are fly fishing you definitely need sinking line or at least a sink tip to get down far enough.  

Look for where two different currents meet or where there is calm water in the cove.  Fish those spots across the current line until you locate the school.  Let your fly or lure get down toward the bottom before starting a retrieve.  I find a couple fast strips on the fly line or cranks on the reel and a pause work best with a bite coming on the pause fairly often.  

I start with chartreuse or pink flies.  On sunny days chartreuse seems to work better for me and pink better on cloudy.  Red and white work well when the water is clear and it is sunny.  Orange or red and yellow for when the water is brown.  

If you are spin fishing same principles apply.  You can get some shad darts at Fletcher's Boathouse or at Dicks sporting goods or use small metallic spoons.  Use a 3-way swivel so you can fish 2 darts, possibly in different colors to identify what the shad are keying on more. 

Good luck!

[Parker]

Assuming you have the rod and flies, then it really comes down to depth and location. With location, you will notice that Fletcher's row boats are usually anchored in a line down the river. It is all about finding a 'seam' that holds fish. Sometimes moving your boat 5ft to the left or right can make all the difference. As for depth, I cast a full sinking line and still allow it to sink for 30 seconds before retrieving. 

On Friday, April 1, 2016 at 7:45:33 AM UTC-4, Christian Postigo wrote: