Fishing Log

yeah it's a shame, was looking to be a really good run. Memorial day up north should be excellent fishing!

Decided to take a ride to see how things are rising due to all the rain. The Delaware looks more like the amazon during the rainy season. I don't think we're fishing anytime soon.

I want to learn to fish for shad

Richard: Interesting.

Richard: That is quite true. Only trouble is, when I see the weather report, I feel like I'm going to have a re-lapse of cabin fever. Actually, it seems there is a good percentage of roe in the catches this season. That should help future runs if it's true. Just sittin' tight here, waiting for water to come down to 3.5 to 3 feet above normal low flow.

ironic after one of lowest water April's I have seen in over 45 years of doing this, we start May with some of the highest waters.... Wishin' I was Fishin' ! This "should" help shore anglers as many spots that are "dead" in low water can be on fire in high water. Be careful out there - and tight lines soon!

First time out this year, fished from 12:00-1:30 hooked 3 landed 3, 2 bucks 1 roe. wished I could have fished longer but the rain just kept getting worse, I'm happy to get my first shad of 2025, I got a good soaking but happy I went.

Lot of guys out wading tonight. Everyone catching - some more than others, like two of my buddies, one getting 20 the other getting more than 20. Meanwhile I could never find my groove and only got 10. The storms missed us and when they passed the wind calmed down and it was perfect conditions. Seeing more signs of spawning activity.

Hi new boater....try big jon mini dipsey divers...I use them exclusively rather than plugs..They hardly ever turn and rise to the top in faster water....They are rated to dive 30ft....They have a diver that runs 40ft....Make sure to get the mini diver...in 8ft of water let out 20ft of line and hang on.....They come in various colors....Old time flat lining works good also....Good luck....lots of fish in lower river.....I do the hotline at 610 774 8116 with tips and conditions.....good luck...

Gentlemen: I have been fishing the Delaware for 35 years at least. I can fish the Delaware only once or so a year due to the distance from Lancaster area and the closer availability of Conowingo. Camping at Worthington, we have some lean years of catches. This year it paid off (at least from what I'm accustomed to). This past week 4-29 to 5-1, basically fishing 1/2 days, we boated 33 shad. They weren't too fussy, hitting both flat lines and down riggers. We found the 4.5 foot depth on the riggers perhaps the best. Many were huge Roe and 2 hickories. We had a dozen or more strikes that didn't connect. Water temp was around 60 degrees and 6 ft levels - very nice conditions although some bothersome winds. Enjoy this great fishery and migration.

Looking for some advise . First time fishing from boat using PMD . The lure keeps coming to the top . I’ve tried out short from the back of boat , long from back of boat , and same result . I have the round bills on these PMD . I noticed a lot of people have the square bills . Does this matter ? Do I need to add weight in front of lure ? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks

Wading in the same place as I posted previously from 5pm to 6:45pm. Only went 3 for 4 with a walleye and a smallmouth thrown in. South wind was intolerable and almost blew me over when walking on the rocks. Hated to tie-on a bigger dart, but had to. Water 63 deg and up 1 foot over low flow. Tomorrow will be hot with a low barometer and windy again. High water looks like it's coming soon.

After 4 straight days in boat for bi-state, felt good to don the waders tonight near Poxono. 4:30-7pm. Went 12/12 - mostly bucks after 85 % roe during tournament. Big lulls then got 2 on 2 casts 3 diff times. River back down and clear. Great weather. No complaints. I still feel best is yet to come even though it was crazy action well over a week ago.

28 today. #13 was the 1000th Shad I’ve caught since I started to keep records back in 2021. What an awesome fishery this Shad run is. We must protect it at all costs.

Fished 30 miles above Port Jervis yesterday (Monday) from 5pm to 7:15pm, with waders. Hooked 19, landed 14 and never went more than 10 minutes without a fish. Mostly roe and very energetic jumps from half of them. Slightly muddied water coming down from upstate made the crease at the edge of the current very easy to spot. That helped, and probably the high barometer also. Water temp 57, 1.75 feet over normal low flow. A really nice trip.

tough grind today, 6:30am to 6:00 PM. a few micro moves here and there and bigger moves when the wind blew us off anchor. I think I ended up in one of the more fishable areas given the brutal winds - it was "fishable" but often not very comfortable. Water level started to surge around 11:00am and ended a foot or more higher than the start. We scratched and clawed out 35 shad for the day, landing our best at 4.6 lbs but well short of the first place mark which I believe has a 5.2, and a 5.06 and a 5.00. As top 3... Regardless it looks like it will be the smallest entries in contest history. All the talk of the mythical 6 and 7 # fish remain just that - a mystery. 4.8's and 4.9's rounding out the top ten. I look forward to this every year, it's the best run fishing contest on earth. Think about the separation in fractions of a pound from 10th to 1st - never an issue. Kudos to Eric for keeping it honest and cheat free. Congrats to all the winners!

Few fish from shore today on darts before the wind picked up. River is warm low and warm. Also why is this board turning into a Reddit beta-male pissing match?

Congratulations Jack Harris on a spectacular day. 3 anglers caught 108 shad = 36 each. 12 hrs fishing = 3 each per hour or a fish every 20 minutes per man. Good on you guys.

Not a great day by any means but still a fine day. 9 Shad 3 big Fallfish and a bonus 18 inch walleye. Any day on the water is a good day.

Correction: Was one of nearly a dozen boats in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and it didn’t seem like anyone was getting any bites and I’d be interested to know if anyone south of us was getting hit at all

Anyone have any luck fishing directly midday, noontime? Or is that a poor time to try for shad? I'll be able to get out Sunday midday it looks like, from canoe!

Catch rates are getting better. 18 today and 1 nice Bass. They were eating the purple and black dart real good today.

Shad PSA: A lot of folks will be out fishing for the tournament in the coming days. That's fine, but please be respectful to these amazing fish. Today, I watched an angler drag a bleeding roe to shore that he let flop around on the rocks for long minutes while he searched for a scale. He eventually weighed it and determined it wasn't "in the money," so he vaguely asked if anyone wanted it and one no one responded. So he threw the now dead fish back in the river where it drifted away. If you are not prepared to keep a shad you killed, don't fish for them. It shows total disrespect for the resource. And if you want to weigh a fish and release it, be prepared to do it as quickly as possible by keeping it in the water and having your scale handy (they sell nets with built-in scales). There are lots of other ways to reduce shad mortality including debarbing hooks, using a rubber-meshed net, etc. I know I am in the minority, but shad are excellent eating so it's OK to take one home. If the bones freak you out, try pickling them -- easy and amazing. Or smoke them, put the fillets in a food processor and make a smoked fish dip. Incredible! Look, I know fishing is a blood sport and we all occasionally release bleeding shad (particularly when we fish spoons), but all of us can do better to conserve these fish for our grandkids. OK, I'm done preaching. Now go have fun.

Hooked 11 landed 9 tonight. This is my first year targeting shad from shore so I was wondering does anyone have an idea of when shad can be caught until from the water gap up to the NY border? Should be fishable until mid May or so? Thanks!