Shad at Deer Creek yet?

[Riverstwo]

I was wondering if anyone is catching Shad at Deer Creek or Octoraro....?

[Mill Pond]

Went up last Thursday evening and could see them off Stafford Bridge. Only caught one in the 5 hours that I was there. Out of about half a dozen of us fishing at the bridge I only saw one other fellow catching anything. They were there but just not biting, even after it turned dark. Water temp was 58.

[troutman6]

A very strange year for the hickories. Not really catching them in the river yet. Low water, not much water being run thru generators, and this year, no rain. Strange indeed.

[Salmo trutta]

I concur. Terrible fishing for them last Thursday and Friday, even in the river, from a boat with the water a medium flow. We tried in front of the mill, the islands and Deer Creek. The schedule of the water release was not correct and was not what was posted on the hotline for the day. The water did not jump up like predicted until 7pm when it was supposed to happen at 5.

But the Potomac is hot, hot hot. I fished Sunday night, very late and saw thousands of hickories spawning in their whirlwind motions. The water is gettin very low on the Potomac too. Might not be much left in the run if we don't get anymore rain.

[troutman6]

According to the 1998 Hickory Shad Logbook Angler Survey, which I was a part of, we should be catching about 8 fish per hour, between April 10-13. He average catch-per-angler-hour on Deer Creek was route 161 bridge=15, pumping station=8,stafford bridge=6,deer creek mouth=16. In other words we should be hammering them right now, and it should only get better.

[Tissy Furnes]

If Deer Creek is clear (which I suspect it is though I haven't been there yet this year) the fishing can be really tough and darn near impossible to get them to take. They say shad are easy to catch -- and they mostly are -- but in clear water they are wary and very discerning. I would go with smaller flies and lighter tippet than usual.