An All-American Shad Fishing Evening Frenzy
The following appears in the July issue of California Sportsman:
By Mark Fong
Late spring can be a hot time in the Sacramento Valley. Yes, of course, the weather can be sweltering, but I am talking about fishing – and shad fishing in particular.
The American shad is a member of the herring family. After spending the bulk of their adult lives in the ocean, shad return to the rivers in spring to spawn. In the Sacramento Valley, the Sacramento, Feather, Yuba and American have good runs each season.
The length of the runs are highly dependent on water flows, but typically start in April and peak inmid-May. During strong water flow years, the runs can last all the way into July.
A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
I am lucky if I get the opportunity to get out a few times during the season to fish for shad. Unfortunately, most of the time it’s one and done for me. By chance, I decided to check in with Austin Wilson of Fisherman Wilson’s Guide Service.
I knew of Wilson through mutual friends in the bass fishing world. He is an accomplished tournament angler, having won the 2018 The Bass Federation National Championship. In addition, Wilson made quite a name for himself fishing pro tournaments across the West.
I had spoken with Wilson a few times over the years, but never had the opportunity to fish with him. Wilson grew up fishing locally and is an expert on the American River, and he told me that he was on a strong shad bite. It had been a while since I fished the American, so I was excited to find out that he had time available.
EARLY –OR LATE – TO RISE
Shad bite best during low light conditions, making the mornings and evenings prime time. I prefer to fish from late afternoon through early evening, as I really enjoy being on the river then. So I met up with Wilson at the Rossmoor Bar River Access on a late May afternoon.
After exchanging pleasantries, we jumped aboard Wilson’s Pavati drift boat and headed downriver. Not far from the access point, Wilson anchored the boat adjacent to an area that featured a deep-water dropoff. Deep in this case was relative, but the shad were clearly using this area as a travel lane.
Rather than spreading out across the river, shad schools travel in narrow, almost single-file lines, so it is easy to miss them if your offering doesn’t land close enough to them.
Wilson had a number of light-action spinning rods rigged and ready to go. Shad are strong fighters, and when they get into current, they can put your gear to the test with long runs and airborne acrobatics. I love a good fight, so I brought along my favorite ultralight combo, and Wilson got me set up with a slip bobber rig featuring two small barbless flies.
SLOW START, BIG FINISH
I began by casting my rig slightly upstream and letting the bobber drift naturally with the current. As the bobber made its way downriver,
I mended my line to remove the slack and to maintain a natural presentation. Once my gear reached the end of the run, I would reel in and cast again. Wilson and I established a cadence with our casts so that we would not tangle each other’s lines.
The bite started out kind of slow. The shad were finicky and seemed to be just mouthing the flies. Our floats would indicate that the fish were interested, but the bites were very noncommittal, which translated into a number of missed opportunities.
Wilson connected with our first shad of the afternoon after about 30 minutes of fishing. The fish pulled the bobber down, Wilson set the hook and the fight was on. After a few spirited runs, he worked the fish to the side of the boat, and with a scoop of the net the fish was on board. Wilson carefully unhooked the shad while I took a few quick pictures before he released it back into the water.
Wilson went on to catch several more shad before I had my first hookup. The fish took off on a drag-peeling run; I was having a great time with my ultralight gear. To cap it off, the fish went airborne several times before making one final blistering, long run. This is exactly the action I was hoping to experience, and this fish did not disappoint. As shad are excellent fighters, I was happy to finally get my first one to the boat.
A quick picture later, we carefully released another shad.
evenings like this that make me remember why I love shad fishing – good times with a great guide.” (MARK FONG)
EVENING BLISS
What happened over the next several hours was nothing short of awesome. The fishing was steady and consistent, with a few flurries mixed in for good measure. It’s evenings like this that make me remember why I love shad fishing – good times with a great guide.
Wilson is not only super fishy, but he is also a top-of-the-line professional who I can’t wait to fish with again soon. CS
Editor’s note: In addition to shad, Austin Wilson guides for striped bass, steelhead and salmon on the American River. If you would like to fish with him, he can be reached at (916) 410-4900 or follow him on Facebook (@austinwilsonfishing).
