I had a couple of errands to run in Sacramento today so I figured (with the suggestion of Blake from Illinois Wisconsin Fishing Blog) I'd do a little Shad fishing in the American.
As I was heading out the door I noticed this moth in the bug zapper. You've got to have a bug zapper to keep the moths and other undesirable bugs from getting into the house and terrorizing the cats. This guy was at least 3 inches long and I felt sorry for him, just look at the "deer in the headlights" eyes on him. So being the big softie (my wife says I am) I am, I shut off the zapper and wiggled him out and on his way. Sitting on the deck I could almost see a sigh of relief on his face.
OK, on to Shad fishing. SOP is to cast out the little pink jig, let it swing, and then reel it in. I spent the first hour doing that without any interest. The only interesting thing, for you Carp guys, was a 12" Carp that kept cruising back and forth in front of me. Didn't care about my pink jig though.
Then into the second hour I started seeing "small" Shad cruising the shoreline about 5 feet off shore. I figured that I'd hit them as the swing got to the end because the line was in that 5 foot channel. Not a chance, not even a drive by.
So I waited and when the next group started by, I cast my jig just upstream from them and let it cruise right into the middle of them. I could see the jig, I could see the Shad, and I could see the Shad suck in the jig. Sight fishing for Shad, what a concept. Well it turned out to be a little bigger than "small" in fact it was more like 18" and about 2 pounds. Small by Shad standards, but it cleared the skunk.
By 11:00 it was already 85 degrees and I was sweating like a pig, so with errands to run, I packed up and headed for the air conditioned truck. I guess I used to handle warm (that warm) weather better when I was a flatlander, but living in the mountains had thickened my blood and hot is 75 degrees now. Next time I'll just go a little earlier.
Sunday is Father's Day and I'm fishing with my son on the Cosumnes up by his house. Tenkara - Ken - Sunday. I'll let you know how it goes.
Till then.
Mark
It's always good to clear the skunk. I know what you mean about the heat. Having spent a number of years in Madera and Fresno counties it felt like a relief when the temps dropped below 100*. Around here 85* almost seems like a heat wave.
ReplyDeleteNice looking shad! I have never fished for those guys. I'm going to have to fish for them one of these days.
ReplyDeleteActually an 18" Shad is very respectable! Good job. Nice work on getting that moth out of trouble. Get your self a tight woven rubber coated net for them shad. Makes it easy to get the stink off and helps protect there delicate fins and scales.
ReplyDeletenothing worse than a skunk. Glad you got rid of it.
ReplyDeleteThey are great fish, fighters for sure.
ReplyDeleteHey! it was your idea, i just went with it ;)
ReplyDeletenice to see you got one though, thanks