American Shad Update – Delaware River

May 18

Posted by steve in News, Shad Reports | No Comments

Did pretty well over the weekend (combined client, TV show filming, and personal fishing numbers)… Friday (18), Saturday (15), Sunday (21).  Water temps ranged from 57 to 61 those 3 days.

The flow was starting to get a little slow by Sunday, so I’m looking forward to just a ‘little bit’ of rain these next couple of days.  I’m seeing some females that are looking very plump and ‘ripe’, and the bulk of the fish were taken in the top 25% of the water column.  With clear water and lower flows, I’m going with size 0 and sometimes size 1 flutters along with micro darts.  This year on the downriggers and flatlines I’m using 7′ ultralight baitcasting rods, and also found some 8.5′ 100% fiberglass rods that seem almost like “fly rods with spinning handles/guides” to me, and it’s been quite a blast using this stuff.  With these rods being so super soft I’m seeing less fish popping off the lines, and a heck of a lot more ‘fun factor’ too!
 

American Shad Fishing is Heating Up Now

Apr 17

Posted by steve in News, Shad Reports | 2 Comments

Of all the fishing charters that I run in Northern NJ at various freshwater locations from spring through fall, there is nothing quite as exciting to me as the annual spring American shad run on the Delaware River. For the dedicated group of shad-loving folks on the Delaware River that are certifiable ‘shad nuts’, the sheer strength of an 8 pound+ female shad at the end of the line is what sustains us year-to-year. Catching these fish is truly a blast!

I’m receiving excellent reports from people ‘down south’ on the Delaware River about big catches and larger size fish this year, so I expect some great things for this year’s annual shad run in the northern areas of the Delaware River that I fish. I picked up four new 7′ ultralight rods for use on my downrigggers this year to add even more sport to an already exciting fish fighting opportunity.

I’ll be starting up those trips quite soon in the northern NJ parts of the river, and I hope to have you out there on a great American shad trip this year. Once you get to feel a strong American shad fresh from the ocean at the end of your line, you’ll probably end up becoming a certifiable “shad nut” too.

For now… fish on!

Regards,
Steve

Early Spring Fishing

Apr 16

Posted by steve in News | No Comments

I’ve been quite busy over at Spruce Run Reservoir this early part of the fishing season.  This particular spring is remaining quite cool and wet for extended periods of time, and that is surely keeping this lake’s water a lot colder (mid to upper 40′s) then it should be by the mid-April time frame.  My main target species of northern pike are being caught, but not in numbers that I would expect to see by now.  I expect as spring moves forward, and we start getting warmer days ahead and the water temps eventually rise up into the 50′s, that we’ll start to see the pike catches increase accordingly. 

As we try for pike, we have instead been hitting rather big smallmouth and largemouth bass pretty well… casting larger spinners towards flooded bushes, or while trolling minnow plugs with the intent of catching northern pike in waters up to 10′ deep, is instead resulting in picking up some really nice bass.   I have also seen numerous fish markings in the deeper holes of this lake.  Most likely what I’m seeing on the fish finder are hybrid stripers still holding down deep in their ‘wintering’  pattern. 

Also, looking ahead just a bit, I’ve picked up four very ‘whipy’ 7′ baitcasting rods for use on my downriggers for American shad.  I’ll be starting up those Delaware River American shad trips soon in April, and these things are going to be an absolute blast when fighting a very strong shad on the river.  I absolutely cannot wait to get out there and use those new rods for shad soon!

For now… fish on!

Steve