Fishing Log

Delaware River in Easton Pa

The Delaware is a muddy mess now and by the end of the week with all the rain a raging muddy mess. It may be another week until it becomes fishable.

Whitetail: It's refreshing to have a respectful discussion! I appreciate your perspective, and I'm sorry your experience with the Park Service has been negative. I guess all federal bureaucracies have their issues with budgets and dealing with different administrations. A good friend of mine works for the National Park Service (not Delaware Water Gap or Upper Delaware), and frequently complains about this. BTW: he is an extremely dedicated angler and outdoorsman. He was not familiar with this proposal, but he did note that most eastern parks administered by the NPS adopt the regulations of the state they’re located within. I'm guessing that if this proposal moves forward there would be a public comment period where us shad fishers can sound off... OK -- time to go fishing!

Are they catching shad in the Easton area now? 4/1/22

Whitetail is spot on, the Serria club is as anti as it gets. The only thing park statis will get is more ridiculous regulations, expensive permits and less available use. Commercialization of one of the last great open areas in the tri state region is not in everyone's best interest only those with an agenda. The number of ramps and parking areas that the areas has already has served folks who hunt and fish here since the big government land grab.

FYI: Hunting and fishing is allowed in many national parks. For example, you can hunt for elk in Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone N.P. has some of the best trout fishing in the world. National Park designation would prob earmark more federal monies for infrastructure improvement (e.g. parking lots, bathrooms, launch ramps), which we all know some parts of the current National Recreation Area desperately needs. Also habitat and trail improvements, invasive species removal, study of wildlife, etc. Just saying there could be a positive upside of this. Worth researching before one dismisses it.

Joseph C. The original project was a dam for flood control with the surrounding land in NJ & PA to be a recreation area under control by the Corp of Engineers. After years of aquiring and comdeming property, the control of the land was given to the NPS to manage after political and grass root protests changed the Corps mind. Also a better engineering study showed Tocks Is. not to be a great site for a dam with a 35 mile resevoir behind it. The US Govt wasn't giving back the land.

In recent years, fisheries biologists electrofished the Paulinskill River below the Columbia Dam to determine the fish population. The dam was slated to be and was ultimately removed. They collected: American Shad, Blueback Herring, Gizzard Shad. No Hickory Shad were collected. rfas,....I think I will rely on what fisheries biologists tell me, and not you.

Its already a national recreation area. An ex superintendant and the "club" would like to make it a national park with a preserve within the boundaries for hunting and fishing. The big question is who and where the preserve would be located.

I once told a fisheries biologist not to believe everything they read in the reports at the lab because the fish do not read them and do whatever they feel like doing. Alewives were once very common as far upriver as Dingman's. Never saw a blueback upriver. Hickory shad have been spawning in the Paulinkill for over 30 years. Americans have also been caught in the Willowemoc. The first rule of science is "Never ever accept as fact, that which is only theory." Everyone knows how often the "accepted" prevailing knowledge changes. The first rule of biology is "Biology is not an exact science. (like chemistry or physics)." Too many variables.

Back in the ‘70’s, my buddies and I used to fish for herring with gold hooks, or small darts in the Raritan. It was a hoot on very light tackle. By the 80’s, we were hitting the Delaware for shad, camping for a week the first week of May. I only missed the last year or two due to medical issues, but I’m ready to roar back in!

http://www.asmfc.org/species/shad-river-herring

Way back when, mid-March, Trenton anglers in the warmwater effluent would be "Pickin' at 'em at the power plant" - Art Lupine, NJDF&W (RIP). Similarly, at the Portland Power Plant. Both plants are now shut down. When the Lewis Shad Fishery, Lambertville started catching herring, it was a signal that the American Shad run was winding down. In the past, when herring were more abundant, they would switch to larger mesh nets, enabling the smaller herring to pass through. In recent years, Lewis has caught fewer, or no herring. Predation by the surging Striped Bass population and commercial/recreational catches have decimated the east coast herring populations, resulting in the current moratorium on harvesting herring. Prior to, anglers would catch herring on gold hooks at The Old Wharf, Trenton. Way back when, people would consume them. More recently, anglers would live line them for Striped Bass. Others would transport them alive, in tanks, to the Jersey Shore and sell them to surf anglers. The herring spawning in upper river are Bluebacks. Alewife Herring and Hickory Shad spawn in the lower river and its tributaries. species - Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (asmfc.org)

Hey I’ve been fishing the Delaware for shad for about 2 years now and I keep hearing people talk about herring but I have never seen one caught so 3 questions 1.are herring just shad or are they different 2. Do people catch herring often if their own different fish species 3.how do you identify the difference in a shad and in a herring

Shameless commercial advertisement. Check the classifieds later tonight or tomorrow (or Wednesday) for the items in the two attached pics.

GENE/SHOHOLA When counts were being made at Lambertville, 40 -50% of the fish counted passed that point in mid April. Although in one consistently stormy winter and spring season, that was postponed until April 25. Although some shad wander (Shad stocked in Sacramento R. CA have populated rivers into Alaska and even across to Asia, according to latest studies.) the vast majority of shad will return to natal river regardless of conditions. This cold snap will probably have no effect on the run but will reduce early catches for most of us.

We have a dusting of snow on the ground and low 20's for temps her in the upper Del Riv Watershed. What are thoughts on what this will mean for the migration? Do you think it will just be delayed, or will the swimmers pick a different bay? Does anyone have a past experience with the effect of "later spring cold" on the shad run? Belvidere Gage reads 42 and falling, 45 miles upriver Montague Gage reads 39 and falling... thanks!

Joseph C, depth below train bridge ranges 16-24ft depending on tide and river level. (From boat a couple of pilings off the bank.

A couple in the Octoraro yesterday. Nothing in the river, herring in Deer creek. May be shad as well but too high and dirty.

1 hour of fishing at the train bridge produced 1 buck shad on a dart. Can anybody tell me what the depth of the river is right below the bridge. I've heard conflicting reports ranging from 15 to 30 feet.

Hope the weatherman is wrong. Night temps in teens in the catskills and 20s here will put river temps back into early march levels.

The Delaware River shad

Fishermanfrank, fished at New Hope Yesterday from 10 till 3:30 Water was high & fast 49to 51 degrees 9 caught In afternoon between 4 boats . Some leaves & scum on lines sun &wind gusts all day

Dоn't wаste your time with explаnаtions, рeорle onlу hеаr whаt thеy want to hеаr.