Jump to content
Fly Tying
utyer

Shad fishing on the Econlockhatchee River FL.

Recommended Posts

Tuesday, and group of us walked into the Econlockhatchee near Orlando. Don't worry about how to say it, we all call it the ECON. Just 27 miles from my house this area seems quite remote, but there is a large city to the South East, and homes within 2 miles. I spend the day belly deep in a Florida River known to have a good population of Gators. Didn't see any this trip. The locals tell me that if the temperatures stay below 70, the gators are not active. Supposed to go into the 80s next week so I guess I will stay on the banks.

 

 

 

 

post-12074-0-72655800-1550272666_thumb.jpg

post-12074-0-52608300-1550272687_thumb.jpg

post-12074-0-27037400-1550272707_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I though the Econ was mostly silt bottom. Didn't know you could wade any of it.

 

I'll be home by 1:30am ... hoping to get a little fishing in through the next two weeks.

 

Pretty Shad ... Nice color.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice fish. Hickory or American? We're probably two months before the American shad start their run up the Delaware, depending on water level and temperature. At least I don't have to worry about gators.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Tough to tell but it looks like a hickory to me. If it is a hickory it's a nice one. Our run should be starting in about a month but the solid action is always the entire month of April. Last year, and the last few before that had phenomenal runs. This year should be more of the same, maybe better yet. What do you guys down there chuck for them?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Florida has both Hickory and American Shad, as well as a run of Blue Back Herring. The American Shad in the St Johns And Econ are the smallest in the US. The Hickorys are the largest, in the US.

 

Mike, the Econ has a good sand bottom and there are good spawning areas.

 

I have been told that these Shad do in fack feed while in the river. They eat both the Mosquito fish, and the Shrimp in the rivers.

 

For flies, I can only show some patterns that work for me. The flies are mostly tied on size 6, but I prefer smaller hooks, and tie mosty on 8 or 10, 2XL.

All the fish I have caught so far this year have been on white flies.

 

 

post-12074-0-09706100-1550283953_thumb.jpg

post-12074-0-25097600-1550283965_thumb.jpg

post-12074-0-74964600-1550283995_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Do you weight your flies? I’ve had it drilled into my head that the flies have to be bouncing on the bottom. Those flies look reasonably light, they would be much more fun to fish prob than heavier stuff. Thanks, good looking pics and flies too.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have caught many shad (american) in the streams of New England in the spring. Many of these were taken on simple craft fur streamers in white or yellow with an oversized flourescent red yarn head (my simulation of a shad dart) on small (size 14 to 10) streamer hooks - no additional weight)M

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

How deep is the water your fishing? On the Delaware your not catching anything unless your close to the bottom. That could be anywhere from a foot to 30 feet depending on where your at.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Tough to tell but it looks like a hickory to me. If it is a hickory it's a nice one. Our run should be starting in about a month but the solid action is always the entire month of April. Last year, and the last few before that had phenomenal runs. This year should be more of the same, maybe better yet. What do you guys down there chuck for them?

theres a run of small bucks this time of year. then the main one in april-june.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Mine are pretty heavily weighted. I use dumbbell eyes for weight. As Poopdeck said, on the Delaware you can be fishing in a foot of water or 30 feet. I've had my best luck with shad in the Delaware late in the run when they're above Hancock and are moving up the East or West branch. Shallower water and easier wading. If you're lucky you may even be able to catch one on a dry fly in the evening.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

* sigh *.

 

The Holtwood and Conowingo Dams out an end to shad fishing on the river beside where I am sitting LONG before I was born. Now there are a whole series of damns on the Susquehanna R.

 

Supposedly they are "laddering" some up, but in pitiful numbers (62 & 43 the last two years recorded at York Haven); and I understand PA has pulled funding for Van Dyke Hatchery that supplied shad hatchlings for truck & transport. The last hope. What a pity.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

We've been lucky on the Schuylkill River here in Philly. They built a fish ladder on the Fairmount Dam and on the Flat Rock Dam. The Black Rock dam above them was pretty much destroyed by Hurricane Floyd in the late 90's and was torn down. There has been a fairly aggressive stocking of fingerling shad above the two remaining dams and it seems to be paying off. There's a fish camera at the Fairmount Dam and the number of shad returning to the river has been increasing the last few years. It will never reach the size of the shad run that helped Washington's army survive the winter at Valley Forge but there's now some hope. It's also allowed stripers to access the river, along with snakeheads and flathead catfish.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I forgot to mention I’m down in FL too. Our fishing is usually done in water 10’ or less.

ohmy.png I see you're on the Orlando server? I am in Deltona. If you don't have a boat, just contact me and we'll get out on the St. Johns River sometime.

Look in the "Fishing Reports" section, under the "fish pictures" thread and you'll find some of my videos from that river.

http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=62783&page=147

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

 

Tough to tell but it looks like a hickory to me. If it is a hickory it's a nice one. Our run should be starting in about a month but the solid action is always the entire month of April. Last year, and the last few before that had phenomenal runs. This year should be more of the same, maybe better yet. What do you guys down there chuck for them?

 

theres a run of small bucks this time of year. then the main one in april-june.

I've been fishing the shad run in the Trenton area for many years and I've never heard or seen a small run of bucks in February. The Trenton area is where the shad fishing begins since fishing for shad in the tidal river just doesn't happen. We've come to call the shad run March madness because the early runners will come through in March but this is so water temperature related that Early to mid March shad fishing is typically spotty at best. March just makes you mad as you wait for the run. Late March thru April and into mid may will have the shad in the river in numbers and they can be caught from Lambertville up through Easton and beyond the entire month. April is the month where Shad fishermen follow the run north from Trenton. The ratio of bucks to roe is a great indicator of where the main part of the run is located. The early run sees more bucks then roe. As the run progresses the roe take over and you see less bucks. Follow the higher concentration of roe upriver for a solid month of epic shad fishing. Mid April through May is striper fishing time for me so I don't chase the shad run into May. Come June the shad run is long gone, the stripers have done their thing and the fishing turns to SMB.

 

The Lewis family fishery is the only commercial shad netting operation on the river. They are in Lambertville NJ and set their nets out the same way they have done it for a hundred years. Their netting numbers are the premiere authority on the progression and the caliber of the run. If your planning a shad fishing trip on the Delaware this is where your planning should start.

 

https://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/del_river_rpt18.htm#5-29

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...