Everything but a Shad (Delaware River Report 4/18/2017)

[MudCat08]

Woke up early morning today to hunt down a shad to add to my list. Took the hour drive to the same place I got my first walleyes last year and started to throw jerkbaits until the sun came up. The plan was to fish for walleye in the dark and switch to shad once it was light.

Somewhere around the 10th cast a hungry beast devours the jerkbait, I set the hook but the fish just stays put - every now and then giving a very strong pull. Gave me a good 2 minute fight and then must have realized that it was hooked, or maybe just got bored of pulling on my line, went up to the surface, smashed its tail, gave a head shake and cut the huskyjerk right off the line. By the size of the waves this thing made and how hard it pulled, the fish had to be above 10 lbs. Makes me think it wasn't a walleye but something bigger like a musky.

I only had 6lb line so that was to be expected of anything toothier than a walleye. If it was a walleye then it would have been the biggest I've ever seen at that spot.. Fish hit around dawn when the sun was just coming up.

Once the sun was out i switched to shad stuff - darts, flutter spoons, spoons anything I could think of. Caught a smallmouth bass on a spoon and a walleye on a flutter spoon, but no Shad!
The walleye bit in the day which I found strange but I'm always happy with catching one of those!
Was fishing 5:30am-9:30am north of Walpack Bend. Hope I didn't miss all the shad already...I'll be back until I catch one of these silver salmon.

[AndyS]

I think the shad travel in packs. Seems like all or nothing with those fish. Great report, thanks !

[bunker dunker]

nice eye!! don't give up on the shad,there worth it