Shad/Alewives

[Tundra18]

Has anyone had success catching Shad/Alewives around the Jamestown/State Dock area? I have had success in past but so far this year I've stuck out.

[peter]

Try drifting in a dark area on the lake (not in a marina) in water deeper than 70 (maybe 100--just have to see what works) feet (this time of year)--put a light shining down in the water (I like the floating headlights because they concentrate the light and hence maybe the alewives) Wait 30 to 60 minutes and there should be bait swimming around if you closely look down in thewater. If it is working after 10-15 minutes you should see a few tiny 1/4 to 3/8 fish swimming. As the water gets warmer the bait will not come up as high so you may have to put an extnsion on your rope. You can see what is going on on your depth finder. Usually after July 4 you have to pull them up from 30 feet or more and they only last about ten minutes on the hook.

[striperjoe]

Has anyone had success catching Shad/Alewives around the Jamestown/State Dock area? I have had success in past but so far this year I've stuck out.

I am @ Cland for a week, Alewives are coming to my HydroGlo light in 60-70-ft of water.
Go out early so u have time.

[FlyLie]

Never tried to catch live bait...so need a 101 primer. Do have lights and cast net...is this what you use? Any details would be appreciated. ALSO, what about keeping them alive for more than 10 minutes...or did I missundersand?

Have been buying shinners, but would love to try shad. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[HURRICANEBOB]

Boone,
RE: keep alive more than 10 minutes. Alewives are not hardy at all. As they prefer the cooler water, they shock up and die easier in warmer shallow water when on a hook. Some will stay alive longer, just nothing near as long as a shiner. Things that can help. Use as small a hook as you can to get by. If I want to fish at 40 feet, I hold the hook, and run out 40 foot of line, then attach the bait and get it down quick!. Alewives work pretty good for bottom fishing, as they tend to swim up and so stay in the strike zone off the bottom. I use them on downpoles, because I can get them down fast to cool water, and because its easier to check a bait on a down pole then on a planer board.

Go to 70-100 foot of water, light goes in the water, wait till you see activity on fish finder or at the light. Kill the light, then immediately throw the cast net, and let it sink to full 30,40, 50, or even 60 foot depth. As Pete said, may have to extend the handline on the cast net. Hope this helps.

[FlyLie]

Thanks to Peter and Bob. I have a much better understanding now.

Once I get the chance, I'll give it a try on a down rod.

[peter]

HurricaneBob

Some questions:

Hooks--need help. What are the specs on the hooks you use for Alewives. Brand, size. Style. I tried some expensive hooks but the barb is small and even shiners get off no matter how hooked. Got some larger hooks with good size barbs but its a little rough on a 3-4 inch bait fish. Used trebels with big barbs hooks for a long time with success but it just doesn't look right to me now.

I like your idea about getting the line out before baiting the hook and the downlines for ease of checking bait with the shorter live span this time of year.

Any advice?

[peter]

Keep in mind that at first light and that's first - first light--it's over and your chances to to zero. If I can I like to get the bait the night before so I know I have the bait and I'm not racing the clock wondering If I am going to have any bait, but this time of year maybe hard to keep alive (dont know). Gotta have cold water in the bait tank --60 degrees maybe.

[HURRICANEBOB]

Pete,
I use Gamakatsu #2 (not 2/0) Octupus hooks, or the #2 Octupus Trebles. And yep, I do have baits get off, the alwevies are just not so tough skinned as a shiner. I do try to go right thru the nostrils with the regular hook. With the treble, I go thru the portion below the mouth, forward of the eye, and run a barb straight thru. This leaves all 3 barbs facing forward, and 2 on one side, with one on the other side. It looks weird, but hook-up rate improves for me, as fish swallows shad head first and normally get a treble in the rear of the mouth just before the throat.

For bottom fishing, I use same size hooks, treble ends up facing to the rear of the shad, and one barb goes thru the last little portion of the tail right before the fins. Toughest area, and I do try to make them bleed as it goes thru. Same with the single hook, but if I get to many runs without a hookup, I moe the hook to up just behind the dorsal fin.

Hope it helps. I just got to tell ya, I'd rather fish with smelly old gizzards any day. They do hang on a hook better, and the later in the day, and the hotter it gets, the more they come to the surface just asking to get netted.

RE water temp-Alewives. Agree, its critical. I fill bait tank with lake water. Cacth the alewives and dump them in. Once in for a couple minutes, I then add some ice a little at a time to the top of the tank. The cold water slowly sinks and slowly decreases water temps. I keep doing that till I gradually bring the water temp down to atleast below 70, and aim to get to about 65. I don't go below that. Reason is seems to me that as I take the bait out of a really cool tank, and drop him into to surface temp, he is more likely to shock up in the temp change even though I get him down as quick as possible. So I ty to keep them cool, but keep bait tank just short of surface temp, so they can survive the intial dunk heading for cooler water. Just seems to keep them alicve longer for me. Longer?!?!?!??!?! Okay.....matter of extent.....concur! Overnight stay in the tank, yep, they 60 to 60 degrees before bed time, and as I get reallyto fish, I gradually add lake water to bring the tank temp up some. Do these fish have any appreciation for how well we take care of them? I guess that's the "Wife" part of an Ale-wife.

[motalot]

I was out the other night vistiing in the middle of the lake between Low Gap Bugwood flats. They were dead center and lined up with radio tower. Had lights on below swim platform. Plenty of bait fish.

[peter]

Thanks for the info. That is probably as good of information as you will get anywhere the subject(s).

Gonna print this out, put it in the boat, and give alwives a try again after the fourth when it is real hot. Changing bait on downlines is pretty easy to to as hurricane points out and maybe baby the alewives a little more carefully re water temp.

Might try some gizzys again for evening fishing too. Gives you something to do in the afternoon. Run way up a creek and net some shad. Littlle quieter up there hopefully as big boats usyally don't hang out in shallow dirty water. Sewage treatment discharges are always good for gizzards.
Thanks

[Lowerider]

Don't forget to check at the marina to see if they have a water faucet that pulls from the depths. I know Grider does and I fill my tank with that - presto - easy chlorine free cold water.