Columbia River Shad Fishing

A large variety of setups are used to catch Shad, but almost all of them share this in common: they are all quite simple. Shad fishing is not like trout or bass fishing-no fancy lures are needed here. Many anglers use an empty (occasionally tipped with a small plastic grub) jig with a colorful head, or a bead/hook setup. Some use small spoons, and spinners. The trick is finding what is most visible on a particular day, and where the fish are located. The basic idea is to use something shiny or colorful, casting it straight out (or slightly upstream if there is room), letting it drift for a little bit with a tight line, then quickly reeling it back in to avoid any tangles. Fish will hit hard on the drift, and sometimes on the beginning of the retrieve. Be careful when fighting the Shad, as the male are exceptionally good at throwing the hook, especially with their leaping skills. Females tend to be larger, but do not jump as much. It's not unusual for adept anglers to catch 20+ fish each day, at the very least.

American Shad offer an excellent fishing opportunity for anglers from the Portland/Southwest Washington region. Few fish are as plentiful and at the same time as fun to catch as the Shad. If you do go, please, please remember this: Don't waste! Either practice careful Catch and Release (if the fish is in good condition when caught), or keep them for food. There may be loads of them, but every popular starts out that way-it's up to us anglers to ensure that we don't take more than we need, and that we act as responsible stewards of this natural resource by not wasting those we keep. I have witnessed dead fish dumped in the river for no reason-please do not do this!