Shad on Lower Rappahannock

Started by gearboy, March 14, 2009, 07:47:25 AM

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gearboy

If anyone fishes the Rapp for shad, please keep us posted when it would be good to get down there to start, peak days, etc. I've always wanted to give it a try but never did it there.

Trout Chaser

#1
It should be another two or three weeks.  Looking forward to it.
Here's a report on the first sampling of the river....
3/12/2009
We put in @ City Docks about an hour past high tide today and found:
Water temp= 50 degrees
Water color=2 (1=clear 5=muddy)
There seemed to be plenty of Alewife (ALE) in the river in the deeper water downstream of the Rt. 1 bridge. We were able to net, tag, and release one Hickory Shad (HIS). All the ALE that we netted (+- 75) were males which is pretty typical for the time of year and water temps. The females will move up a little later on. The colder weather forecasted for the next several days will not help change that fact.
We saw only a few catfish and 3 or 4 nice Smallies and LMB. No perch were seen, nor any stripers. I suspect it will be a several weeks before we can expect to see them.

TC

gearboy

What a great report Troutchaser, thanks so much, please keep me posted.

Trout Chaser

Update on the most recent sampling:
Rapp.Sampling 03/20/09

Tide=High
WT= 52
Color= 3

We found larger numbers of male ALE below the Rt.1 bridge this afternoon, and female ALE holding downstream of Rt.1 about a half mile. The first White Perch were seen, but not in the numbers that will show up later in the month. We also found larger numbers of HIS. No stripers were seen.

Trout Chaser

I went yesterday for a couple of hours mid day.  River is really low. Had two bumps and no hookups.  Two other flyfishers and only 1 caught.  Hopefully the forcasted rain will raise the water level and bring them upriver.

TC

troutrus

Gearboy,
Here's a small group that fishes the Rapp.  http://www.ffflyfishers.org/index.htm
Not a very active board, but if you look at their forum for prior year shad reports it will give you an idea what to expect. I've never fished it, but folks that I know that do usually wait until mid-late April in the hopes they'll have a better shot at some Whites. Good luck if you make it down there.

P.S. good luck to your Nitts. Hope they're able to knock off the Irish.

Trout Chaser

03/30/09 Sample
Tide=High
WT=52
Color=5

HIS are now in the river below Rt. 1 in bigger numbers. We netted and tagged 60+- in 45 minutes of sampling. We would have netted many more if the water was clearer. We saw many catfish, and a few WHP & ALE. Some of the female HIS were H-U-G-E! No stripers yet.