In one my less acrimonious recent online discussions (ahem) I was debating with some American River anglers on the fighting abilities of shad. I think they're stronger swimmers than trout, especially when they have some current to work with.
Here's a link to a film clip I took to try and demonstrate some strong shad struggles. I always turn on the camera too late, and this is one of those times . . . but we did end up capturing a quick double
http://www....com/watch?v=8GWBeHDixwo
The fish are in strong as far as Rd. 48 and a bit above. If you don't have a gate key, but you do have a boat, then you should do fine. I think we actually did a good deal better than the gravel bar waders by motoring upstream and swinging/hanging flies any place with the right depth.
Comparisons are odious; why not fish for BOTH shad and trout? I dropped in for a couple of Pit River days and found the river to be fishing great. My very first cast got a nice, active 16 inch fish, and though there are certainly better and bigger fish in the river, I got a picture of this guy in honor of his readiness to begin the day:
http://bp3...fY/s1600-h/firstcast.jpg
When I get back home, the fishing slows down considerably, as finding stripers in a sea kayak is hit-and-miss at best. But yesterday was a hit, so I had a lovely dish of "ceviche con mercurio" last night. All around, the fishing report is a positive one!
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