The Lower D -- WTF??????

[rckrego]

So on Saturday evening I was at scudders falls enjoying the smallmouth action when I noticed a very large, subsurface wake screaming down stream in the main channel. I found this odd, but didn't pay much attention. Over the course of the next couple hours, this phenomenon occurred probably 20 times, leading me to wonder what the hell was out there. Does anyone know? My best guess was stripers, with carp or catfish following. I mean these wakes were big, like intimidatingly big. Just want to know if anyone knows for sure.
Thanks!

 

[Trouser Trout]

sounds like a beaver

 

[gadfly]

I was out fishing all yesterday afternoon and saw the same thing. They are shad. I got a good look a few and they look like zombies, the swimming dead, all starting to fall apart. I saw many of them swimming around aimlessly and at times breaking the surface or making big wakes.

I also saw a man and his son bow fishing for them. They must have nailed at least a dozen while I fished just downstream, and those are just the ones I saw. I suppose dying shad are a good target for bow fishing, as effective C&R is usually pretty tough.

 

[The Royal Coachman]

I saw the same thing Friday morning. I kept casting towards them until I saw what they were. Dying Shad, and there are a lot of them swimming around!

BTW, I've been doing OK with the smallies but no double digit days yet. No Walleye yet.:crap:

 

[rckrego]

Figured out what the torpedoes are. Giant freaking carp. Buddy hook into one that was in his backing before we could blink.

Anybody been out much lately? I've been down at scudders a fair amount and its very spotty. Usually get one fish and that's it.

Any reports? How are people doing on the smallies?

 

[JeffK]

Been doing OK with smallies around Belvidere. Larger average size, less numbers than typical in a very unscientific opinion. Much fewer redbreast sunnies IMHO, and have seen a couple of 5 ft flatheads brought in. Maybe that is part of the issue.

 

[MACFLY]

Planning to get out next week around frenchtown. Will post a report

 

[rckrego]

Yeah I was doing well earlier in the summer on olive zonkers but things have really slowed down. back to the drawing board, or maybe back to the zonker.