Fishing Log

Remove the dams from the Lehigh and you will barely have enough water to run a motorized boat

Tish all this Lehigh talk is peaking my interest again. I would absolutely love for it to happen but I think you're right too many dams and too much money. Actually if I'm correct they divert water from the Lehigh at the Chain Dam to water the canal. So that also might be a conflict of interest. I came across a company called Whooshh a few years ago that uses a tubular fish transport system. Brilliant idea tho. https://youtu.be/WSmFXFEnAkc

2 dams would have to be removed for shad to move up the lehigh, the easton dam and the chain dam, not going to happen

Shad Harris, I can think of better places to have a leak in my waders. Considering the time you put in and the water temp, I think you did well. Whenever dart color doesn't seem to matter, I always try my darts that are black up near the eyelet, with a dark green body and have white or yellow hair. Bass and walleye seem to grab that color combo more readily than the bright colors. Nice to mix-up the catch a little bit. Other's mileage may vary.

The need to remove old industrial era obsolete dams is essential for the restoration of anadromous fish in our rivers. American Shad and River Herring have difficulty navigating thru man-made fish passage facilities, especially Shad. Opening the Lehigh River would expand Shad spawning habitat that we have stolen from them. People think dams are beautiful with their waterfall and they are historic, but historic is man’s history going back 300 years. However nature’s history goes back thousands of years. Which one do you think is better. Try watching this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VipVo8zPH0U&feature=share

It would be great if shad and stripers could run up the Big Lehigh to complement the river's great trout and smallmouth fishing. I strongly support the removal of the dam at Easton. The fish ladder just doesn't work. Doug DeFanto

Dennis, If there is a Walmart near you, they most likely have shadraps. Check out their fishing section (sporting goods) and look where the Rapalas are stocked. Probably priced as good as you can find them. Good luck, and tight lines!

Hey, thanks to you guys who gave me crankbait tips. I'll pick some up . . . but right now, where? The Cabela's link was useful. The per crankbait price is high; I better not lose them. And I used to know how to catch these things. i believe all of us will have better luck (Tony, I believe you are already exempt) when things warm up. This is what happens when you don't get out on the river for two years. A little rusty.

I fished the Schuylkill yesterday PM and was there just in time for the very top of the tide. I had my own personal worst day in a while, hooking only 1 fish. That wouldn't have been so bad but there were these rough looking guys upstream from me landing one after another - it drove me crazy! I guess they must have known what they were doing....and they had chest waders on so they could cast to some sweet spot.

Dennis, that was me who wrote about the shadrap thing. I hope you do well with it. It has saved the day a few times and outproduced downriggers. Also, I like the idea of using J-plugs. I'm sure that would give spoons/darts a much different look. Thanks for the tip. I'll be using it next time out. Tight lines guys!

What weight darts/micro-darts Are people using effectively?

FishedThursday 1230-430 in harmony area with my son, water temp 47 degrees and clear, We landed 16, lost 12, all caught on downriggers with spoons & microdarts. Mix of roe& buck,1 nice roe that would of made trip to weigh station if contest was not stopped.

Thanks for the info. I didn't see your name, but i appreciate the information. I am an old-school shad fisherman but when three guys get five hookups in an hour in front of me . . . well, looks like I have to try that.

SHAD HOTLINE......River stage at Reigelsville 6.5.....Water temp 47.....Again need the water temp to get up in the 50s...Spotty catches today....1.5 inches of rain forcast for tonight and tomorrow.....River to rise 1.5 ft....

So I went to Riegelsville this afternoon for two hours.I fished below the little spit of an island upsteam from the Riegelsville bridge. I didn't get any but that's OK. There were three guys in a boat below me, one of them had a really long red beard. They caught five fish from about 3:15 to 4:15. I kept saying to myself "I'm next" after they caught each fish. But I wasn't next. I was right in line with them and I know my darts were down deep enough. I don't fish with a downrigger. I play the split shot game. Anyway, each of these three guys had this light-colored object on their line about 3-4 feet above the lure. I didn't know what they were. So when I pulled anchor to go home, I drifted by them and asked them what those things were. Crankbaits! Of course, doh! They get things down. So I'd like to try them but I don't know where to get them. Anyone selling them on this site? Thanks!

They aren’t many here today,only landed 11 so far. I would think they are doing pretty well up by Easton today.

to Tony . . . 79 shad @ 3-5 minutes per shad = basically 4-6 hours of fish catching, not just fishing. I never heard of anything like that.

...oh, and I caught my first mallard of my fishing career yesterday. She flew in toward me like a kamikaze and veered off at the very last moment, succeeding in catching herself in my line and wrapping it around her neck as she tried to escape. My lead dart caught in her feathers and the trailer tangled her feet. (I never realized that ducks have tiny little toe nails.) It was a mess, but not nearly as bad as a seagull - they bite! She flew away safe and sound.

I wader fish at Easton and I have not caught any yet! I’ve done very well last year and I’m assuming it’s the water temp’s but I think the fish are here and I also think the main run is coming in now so don’t be discouraged because it ‘s only a matter of time so go fishing and it will pay off soon! It’s been a cold April but their here now and go fishing!!! I just read a post from tony in regalsvivlle and he crushed them so they should be in Easton tomorrow! If it’s slow in the morning because the temps are down try the afternoon! Hopefully this helps! We need a few warm days and the fishing will be phenomenal!!

Fished Easton today caught 15...some nice roe mixed in..water temp was 48-50..ill be on the river thru may 3rd..if u need spoons, darts, anchors, in line weights, downrigger releases, etc....see me in pburg or call me ..484-239-4723

Riegelsville tamp is open. Huge push of fish coming through,up to 51 landed now and lost at least that many more. Trust your fish finder,moved twice had nonstop fish earlier moved about 60 yards and barely marked any went back where I started an it’s been steady fish ever since.

Is reigelsville launch open ?

WOW is all I can say after missing a week or so of reading posts! Lots of great info! Lots of great experiences too . Too much to comment on but I’ll throw in my 2 cents! After fishing for shad for over 40 years, generally starting in January in Florida and ending on the west coast or new england in June, I fish for shad 80-100 more days a year. The biggest change we all see is the SIZE of the shad returning in the Northeast now. All of the other places I fish have generally the same sized fish, which vary slightly depending on how ocean conditions were for feeding prior to the spawning run”.... now shad in South Carolina are the sane average size as the shad in the Delaware and Connecticut rivers. The Delaware and Connecticut rivers and all rivers north of the Susquehanna traditionally had runs of many repeat spawning fish (I remember publications saying 30 percent or more of Delaware River shad were repeat spawners). When South Carolina shad are the same size as Pennsylvania and Connecticut shad, obviously something has changed. That, to me, is the most troubling....you’ve all read my rants about stripers, but the reality is SOMETHING is definitely changed! I don’t see much in the way of netting bring an issue, as there are no shad targeting boats out there (yes there is bycatch). Since the 80s heyday of large shad, striper populations are skyrocketing and mismanaged, flatheads and blue cats are now common and easily eat large shad, cormorants decimate young, small and hickory shad, the climate has definitely warmed (not looking for political debate here just saying water temps warmer) and warmer water after spawning doesn’t allow shad to make it back to salt water after spawning. Anyway, without ANY government agency interested in shad, it’s up to us to keep the interest and research on shad alive! I too have met many of the posters here agd from good old Woofish site! Someday Jack Harris we will fish together!

JohnnyK, I recommend that you find a copy of John McPhee's book The Founding Fish. It taught me more about the shad and shad fishing than anything I've ever seen, and is what got me to think I could do it back in 2003 or 4. Then you put your time in. Don't be afraid to stop fishing and watch what somebody near you is doing when they're catching and you're not. Folks who do this a lot know where they've gotten fish before, know the rocks and the current seams that hold fish when the fish are there. It's not just random. Some of the people who catch fish consistently are the ones who keep their lines in the water more - not snagged on the bottom, in a tree, wind knotted, etc. You get better at it with practice, but the learning curve can be hard when you don't know where any snags are or where any fish are hanging. Good luck to you!