4/3/24 Shad Fishing Long Ago: 4/3/24 Fished Deer Creek this time of year for shad long ago. Anyone old enough to remember the guy that sold shad darts out of his trailer on side of...

andys Loc: Federalsburg Md

4/3/24 Fished Deer Creek this time of year for shad long ago. Anyone old enough to remember the guy that sold shad darts out of his trailer on side of road to deer Creek ? Anyone remember the famous Liz Taylor Shad Dart. WOW! The memories.

Flytier Loc: Wilmington Delaware

I fished Deer Cteek right there by the steel bridge and up by the pump house. Been a few years since they've had a good shad run though. Thise hickories were fun to catch.

andys Loc: Federalsburg Md

Flytier wrote:

I fished Deer Cteek right there by the steel bridge and up by the pump house. Been a few years since they've had a good shad run though. Thise hickories were fun to catch.

MD JMJ Loc: Maryland

Andys, you haven't changed a bit. Good fishing.

Jeepincamper Loc: Maryland

andys wrote:

4/3/24 Fished Deer Creek this time of year for shad long ago. Anyone old enough to remember the guy that sold shad darts out of his trailer on side of road to deer Creek ? Anyone remember the famous Liz Taylor Shad Dart. WOW! The memories.

I sure remember the Liz Taylor. If I remember the man's name that made and sold them, I will post it. My father knew the man and used buy those darts by the card.
I may even have a few left. Not such great shape. So many of them are likely still on the bottom of the river.
So, with that being said, do you remember the Sportsman Chapter of the Izaac Walton League's annual Shad Tournament. At first it was held on the Harford County side of the river what was then known as Swears, near where the old Grist Mill that still remains in place. Then it was moved to what was known as Logan's Wharf on the Cecil County side.
Initially, my father kept his boat at Swears. Then later on, he moved it to Baldwin's Dock in Havre De Grace. All three places are now no longer. 2 are now parks.

Jeepincamper Loc: Maryland

I still love fishing that area in the spring with fond memories. But, the river has sure changed. I can remember times when the water would get so clear we would change lure colors. Certainly not a problem now.
No Blue or Flathead Catfish. No Snakeheads.
But tons of sport fish.

bknecht Loc: Northeast pa

andys wrote:

4/3/24 Fished Deer Creek this time of year for shad long ago. Anyone old enough to remember the guy that sold shad darts out of his trailer on side of road to deer Creek ? Anyone remember the famous Liz Taylor Shad Dart. WOW! The memories.

Cool vintage photo andys, we have a pretty good run shad up here on the Delaware river but I haven’t fished for them in quite some time.

andys Loc: Federalsburg Md

Jeepincamper wrote:

I sure remember the Liz Taylor. If I remember the... (show quote)

Yes I remember it all. I kept my boat at Owens Marina when the Fish market was there long ago. Do you remember the Fish Market? I met Lefty Kreh on the Susky River a few times. Did he fish the Shad Tournament?

Jeepincamper Loc: Maryland

That I do not remember. Still, Bill Burton covered it and did fish with my father once.

UncleRob Loc: NE Maryland

Never fished for shad, but I dipped a hell of a lot of them on The Susquehanna river when I was a kid. Used to cut Swamp Maple trees for the poles.

andys Loc: Federalsburg Md

UncleRob wrote:

Never fished for shad, but I dipped a hell of a lot of them on The Susquehanna river when I was a kid. Used to cut Swamp Maple trees for the poles.

Yep that was the thing a lot of people did Long ago. Did you ever eat fried herring roe?

Jeepincamper Loc: Maryland

When I was young, what they now call American Shad, was more often called White Shad. There was rarely and doubt as to cv when you hooked one. Whether it was on Ultralight or Medium tackle, the initial result was the same. You would set the hook and your rod would double be over. Often the drag would sing like crazy. It was not unusual to have straighten out your hook on your shad dart, or break your line. If you are lucky enough to hook one now, it is still the same.
FUN!
Hooking a buck Hickory is just as much fun as they often will get air.
What is have been fortunate enough to enjoy is to catch literally hundreds of perch on artificial bait on Ultralight tackle. With with that is that occasional surprise from some Shad, Herring, catfish, jumbo perch, yellow perch, small mouth and even a Walleye one time. Oh, not to mention Rock Fish. In that current, now that us living.

Jeepincamper Loc: Maryland

Last year, not so many perch. Mostly catfish.
Still managed to land about 1/2 dozen Shad.

Jeepincamper Loc: Maryland

When I was young, what they now call American Shad, was more often called White Shad. There was rarely and doubt as to cv when you hooked one. Whether it was on Ultralight or Medium tackle, the initial result was the same. You would set the hook and your rod would double be over. Often the drag would sing like crazy. It was not unusual to have straighten out your hook on your shad dart, or break your line. If you are lucky enough to hook one now, it is still the same.
FUN!
Hooking a buck Hickory is just as much fun as they often will get air.
What is have been fortunate enough to enjoy is to catch literally hundreds of perch on artificial bait on Ultralight tackle. With with that is that occasional surprise from some Shad, Herring, catfish, jumbo perch, yellow perch, small mouth and even a Walleye one time. Oh, not to mention Rock Fish. In that current, now that us living.

andys Loc: Federalsburg Md

Jeepincamper wrote:

When I was young, what they now call American Shad... (show quote)

You lived my life. Sounds like me and a lot of others. Thanks!