Pacemaker Fishing Forum

4/3

This being my only free weekend in April, I decided to go after some shad, despite the winds on Saturday. I was out there for four hours and didn't get anything until the last hour. Once I did find a spot where they were hitting semi-consistently, it still wasn't red hot action. I was using a shad double rig with curly grubs on jigs. They were only hitting pink. I landed only 2, one being foul hooked, foul hooked a gizzard, and then caught this guy. A number more came up buttoned. I was chaffed by the wind, sore from rock scrambling and standing on rocks, but I have to say it was worth it. Can some one ID? Is this a herring?



I was using my new Penn Battle (I) light setup with braid. It was nice breaking it in, and the reel is as nice as everyone says. One thing I noticed was the shad were pulling a lot of drag, and I lost a lot more than last year. I suppose it's because last year I using mono, so there is a lot more stretch, which means the drag isn't going off yet, and more rod bend. I think because I don't really use braid and I'm not used to it that I lost so many fish. Any how here is a shad.



Here is Google's "auto awesome" version of the picture. It's actually kind of awesome




4/4

The weather was so nice today! I debated whether I wanted to go to Accotink for trout, chain bridge for shad, or stay local and work on how to catch bass. After ccampo's post I decided shad! The trout will be there, and if not then in the fall, and I can hit the AV lakes any time! Shad! Today I decided to use my light rod with 4lb mono. It was a much better day! I was only out there for two hours. I had a stump jumper tied on and I decided to throw it just for fun. Black, red, chartreuse, why not. First cast produced a shad! I thought it was going to be nonstop action! Too bad there was nothing for the next hour. I decided to stop messing around and go back to the pink curly tail grub. The next hour I caught about 6 or so. Only one came off. I like fishing with mono. These fish put some great bends in the rod! Not red hot like the one day I had last year and caught countless fish, but still tons of fun. One jumped two feet in the air, twice! They really are like mini tarpoon (I've never caught one, but so I've heard). At the end of the trip my bail arm spring died. I'll need to get it serviced.



Normally I would have taken more pictures, but they wiggle so hard! After taking a picture of these few shad, when I put them back in the water they swam funny, not like the ones I put back immediately. I decided it was better for them that I not take pictures.

I won't be able to go back until May, hopefully there will still be some left!