VOL . 40 • ISS . 10
Off Season Preparation
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For jig head sizes , bring along some 1 / 32 and 1 / 16 jig heads in white or black . I use 1 / 16 most of the time , but with this year ’ s low water and flow , 1 / 32 ounce will be imperative . in the delta .
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Run the egg sinker
( I usually start with 3 / 4oz ) up your main line , tie on a swivel , then tie a 24-28 ” inch section of eight to 12 pound test monofilament . Finish it off with a shad dart at the end of the leader .
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For grubs , keep it simple .
I usually take along three colors : pink champagne ( my favorite and most used 80 % of the time ), orange and chartreuse .
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This beautiful shad was caught on the American River . They are strong and put up an amazing battle . Use ultra-light gear and you are in store for one fun day !
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How To ...
May 28 , 2021
Getting Started with Bank Shad Fishing in Sacramento
Spring is here . The cottonwood is flying , temperatures are climbing and anglers throughout the region are catching hefty numbers of American Shad throughout the Sacramento Valley . When the shad arrive , they do so in full force . Millions enter the California Delta as they make their way towards the upper reaches of the Sacramento , American and Feather Rivers to spawn . Their sheer numbers make them readily available for anglers to catch from a boat or from shore . For this article we ’ ll concentrate on shore fishing in the metro Sacramento area , which covers the Sacramento and American Rivers . The most popular method on the Sacramento River is to cast shad darts setup on a carolina rig . Use a longer rod , 8 ’ 6 or better rated 8 to 17 pound test with a reel that holds an ample amount of line . For anglers that prefer casting reels , the Shimano Curado K or the Daiwa Tatula 150 are good choices . Good spinning reel choices include the Shimano Stradic 3000 , or Daiwa Fuego 2500 . Line can either be braid or monofilament . Some folks enjoy braid for the sensitivity , while others prefer monofilament for its ease of use especially when untangling a birdsnest . For braid , 15 to 30 pound test PowerPro will work . For monofilament , use eight to 12 pound test P-line CXX or Maxima . My preference is to use the lightest tackle I can get away with for maximum enjoyment while fighting these powerful fish . Terminal tackle is easy . Grab several packs of different sized egg weights from ½ to ¾ ounces , some good quality crane or ball bearing swivels , and some shad darts in a variety of colors . Run the egg sinker ( I usually start with 3 / 4oz ) up your main line , tie on a swivel , then tie a 24-28 ” inch section of eight to 12 pound test monofilament . Finish it off with a shad dart at the end of the leader . Fishing this rig is simple . Cast the setup as far as you can , engage the reel and use a steady , medium retrieve . If you are hitting bottom , use a lighter weight . If the current is causing you to drift too quickly downstream , use a heavier weight . The goal is to find the right amount of weight that will allow you to fish somewhere in the middle of the water column using a medium retrieve . Once your rig gets close to shore , reel in quickly to avoid snags and repeat with a new cast . Strikes while using the carolina rig happens one of two ways . When fish are aggressive , a bump followed by a complete load up of your rod tip will occur . In this case the shad will usually hook itself and you can begin fighting the fish . When they are less aggressive , you
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By Roland Aspiras
may feel a bump or a series of several bumps . In this case , the shad are only mouthing your shad dart and getting a hookup will require you to set the hook when you feel anything outside of the normal . This is where using lighter gear will be to your advantage in detecting light strikes . There are times during the day that certain colors will work better than others . Going back to the possibility of light bites , sometimes you can entice reluctant shad to strike by changing colors . My favorite color all-time is a green and chartreuse dart . It seems to work for me all day long . But if the fishing is slower and bites are short , I switch to orange and white , or red and white . When trying to find a spot , its best to find out from your local bait shop . They can tell you where the run is at its best . If you ’ re looking to find your own spot , make sure you find a spot that has ample current and depth . If you can see the bottom at your feet , find another spot . Hands down , my favorite river to fish for Shad is the American River due to fact that most of the time you ’ re working with shallow , clear water . Especially this year with the low river levels due to our below-average rainfall . Using light tackle in these conditions is imperative . Spinning tackle is a must ; ultra light rods from 6 ’ 6 to 9 ’ are common , 1000 or 2000 sized reels , and four pound test line or less . My favorite setup is a 7 ’ Phenix Elixr matched with a 1000 sized Daiwa Tatula spinning reel spooled with three pound test P-line Flouroclear . Keep in mind that quality equipment is imperative when fishing for shad on the American River due to their uncanny strength . Terminal tackle is easy . When I fish the American River , I usually bring a rod , jigheads , grubs , various sizes of split shot weights , and some bobbers . For jighead sizes , bring along some 1 / 32 and 1 / 16 jig heads in white or black . I use 1 / 16 most of the time , but with this year ’ s low water and flow , 1 / 32 ounce will be imperative . The Luck “ E ” Strike brand from Fisherman ’ s Warehouse works great , however I have used jigheads from Get Crushed Baits recently and they work great . For grubs , keep it simple . I usually take along three colors : pink champagne ( my favorite and most used 80 % of the time ), orange and chartreuse . I mostly use 1 ” grubs , but at times I ’ ll run 1.5 ” especially in the mornings and afternoons when the fish are more aggressive , or when I need a larger-profiled bait in the water during low light periods . To fish this rig , simply cast the jig ( with no weight ) and engage the reel once it hits the water . Let the current sweep the jig downstream on a tight
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