2024 Shad stuff

Matt B said:
I never seem to have enough time (in life for many things but that’s a different issue) to get down to the Columbia during the shad run (shad but true). I’ve been eyeballing the local shad run in the Sammamish. I think there’s potential.
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Sammamish slough? That must be a recent development. I lived a block from it in Redmond about 15yrs ago and it was just full of pikeminnows then. They a lake run deal?
 
Evan B said:
Sammamish slough? That must be a recent development. I lived a block from it in Redmond about 15yrs ago and it was just full of pikeminnows then. They a lake run deal?
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Yup. In the Sammamish River. (I am advocating for re-branding this waterway that the Army Corps of Engineers made into what it is today--it was a marshy, productive low gradient river before it was channelized and dredged into an engineered flood drainage system and called the Slough.) But yes.
nwsportsmanmag.com

American Shad Caught In Sammamish Slough -

Some of Lake Washington's new population of American shad appears to be making a spawning run up the Sammamish Slough this spring.
nwsportsmanmag.com

nwsportsmanmag.com

Ominous Catches During Lake Washington Gillnetting -

WDFW crews report potentially worrisome catches on southern Lake Washington this week: a small northern pike, and salmon fry in the belly of American shad.
nwsportsmanmag.com
 
If anyone in the Seattle area heads south and ends up with extra shad they can't use, I'll take some off your hands for this summers hillbilly beach crabbing.
SF
 
probably make pretty good yellowjacket trap bait a little later too!
 
FYI: Central Oregon FFers in Bend has a guest tomorrow night Wednesday evening.

Joe Warren on shad fishing the Columbia. I'll be there in full fanboy mode.
 
Evan B said:
Sammamish slough? That must be a recent development. I lived a block from it in Redmond about 15yrs ago and it was just full of pikeminnows then. They a lake run deal?
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I lived a couple blocks away from it around that same time. NE 83rd in Redmond from 2007-2009 before moving to Colorado. Fished that slough more than I care to admit. Mostly pikminnows with an occasional cutthroat thrown in. They all ate dries though which I lived for back then.
 
Shad said:
My ears were burning, so I thought I should check in.

I love stuff. What you guys got for me?
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You can buy 50 of these in 1/32, chartreuse for like $12 on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SVLWKCD/
IMG_20240514_215118.jpg

Fish em bare or add any sort of flash and you'll do pretty well.

I like this pink flash. Pretty sure I got it from a fellow forum member for free.
IMG_20240514_215120.jpg
My favorite setup is single-hand Skagit! On my old 9' 5wt G Loomis IMX and OPST Commando Smooth 200gr with OPST Micro 40gr 5' S6 tip. A 10" polyleader 6.1/sec rate also casts the jigs very well.

My spare/buddy rod is also single-hand skagit- 5wt Redington Pursuit and Speylite Integrated 210gr with 10' polyleader 6.1/sec

My 6wt, for when my arm and/or hand starts getting sore- Redington RS4 9064 and OPST Commando Pure Skagit 250gr with OPST 80gr 10' S6 tip.

It's fun to strip, but also to just twitch on the swing. Tug is the drug. The skagit setups can be boomed overhead when the wind gets frisky.

I've also had good luck with very sparse tan and pink bonefish flies. They're not that picky, but every year they do seem to have their favorite color. Green, pink or just flash are usually where to start.
 
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Josh and I encountered the classic "shoulda been here yesterday" situation on our outing. Thankfully this wasn't the main reason he came down or I would've felt more bad about it.

I think it's gonna go full send here in a couple days. Willamette is rippin right now. Once that calms a bit and water temp bumps a few degrees, it'll be on.
 
I tried this a long time ago. Would love to go back and try it again with the fly rod and single hand Spey set up. I went to the Bonneville dam. Anyone have an idea when this area will get rolling? Anyone want some company to fish for them for a day?

SR1
 
Looking pretty normal actually.

1000006674.jpg
They should start hitting 50k per day this week.
I'm more worried about water level. Looking pretty low this year. The place I like fishes better with more water. Guess we'll see.
 
Evan B said:
I got in to them really good a week ago below Bonneville in my boat. They're around just not piling over the dam yet
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Had a goofy idea to save a bag full of scales to try as "visual chum" for tuna. Shad scales are so big and reflective, kinda thinking some tuna confetti might help keep a school near the boat? Might be a waste of time, but not like it would be a big deal to take a gallon ziploc of dried scales.
 
SeaRun1 said:
I tried this a long time ago. Would love to go back and try it again with the fly rod and single hand Spey set up. I went to the Bonneville dam. Anyone have an idea when this area will get rolling? Anyone want some company to fish for them for a day?

SR1
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Hit me up if you go. I've got a lot going on this month (and summer) but might get out once or twice. I have a spot below Bonnie I like that usually has room to cast a fly. Really no need to get close to the dam. Anywhere the current is tight to the bank will work if they are moving through.
 
SilverFly said:
Had a goofy idea to save a bag full of scales to try as "visual chum" for tuna. Shad scales are so big and reflective, kinda thinking some tuna confetti might help keep a school near the boat? Might be a waste of time, but not like it would be a big deal to take a gallon ziploc of dried scales.
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Not the worst idea you've ever had. :)


Occasionally I like to use a scale bomb when albacore fishing. If I lift the drain for our bait tank it will start draining water, including all the loose scales in the tank. Can't say with any certainty that it has helped a lot in catching, but it definitely puts a lot of shine and sparkle in the water, which certainly can't hurt.
 
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