Another day of fruitless fishing....

[Jeremiah65]

For years and years and years...the old saying was "when the red buds bloom, the white bass run"....

This is terribly off this year.

I have been doing this for a very long time and the old saying is generally correct....not this year,

The red buds are in full bloom and no white bass run.....which is always predicated on the shad....

No shad run....this is kinda disturbing to me....they SHOULD BE running....but they aren't.

I know a lot of old timer fisherman....talked to many of them in the usual places and no one has a good explanation as to why it is all not quite right.

Something is wrong.....no one is quite sure what it is. The shad should be running and in that....the sauger ad white bass should be following along....they are not.....

It could be the cool temperatures have thrown everything off.....but I worry...I worry that something else has happened and we just aren't aware of it.....this has been like clockwork for ages.....now....something is weird. I am not trying to be lunatic fringe.....just trying to say that for over 25 years....I knew what was up...this year is just weird.

If the shiz changes...I be happy to share that....but for right now.....something is astray

[+OverSword]

Climate change? You have to admit you guys have had a tough winter.

[Sweetpumper]

Common Core.

Where are you fishing at?

Edited April 25, 2014 by Sweetpumper

[Guest]

Areas of unusually warm water can block migration pathways as certain fish cannot cross them due to depleted oxygen levels. This mostly effects salmonids.

Br Cornelius

[questionmark]

Areas of unusually warm water can block migration pathways as certain fish cannot cross them due to depleted oxygen levels. This mostly effects salmonids.

Br Cornelius

Well, White Bass is of the Moronidae family... so I guess not. And they are a moderate water temperature fish.

[acidhead]

My guess would be the invasion of the asian carp. Nothing to do with AGW.

Edited April 25, 2014 by acidhead

[Jeremiah65]

Common Core.

Where are you fishing at?

Kanawha River....at the Marmet locks and dam....it's been one of the most dependable things ever...this year is just weird and no one knows why.

Edited April 26, 2014 by Jeremiah65

[SHaYap]

Asian carps are good fishing fishes ~ they can't resist a lure for the life of them ~

[Jeremiah65]

Areas of unusually warm water can block migration pathways as certain fish cannot cross them due to depleted oxygen levels. This mostly effects salmonids.

Br Cornelius

As q-mark said below you, they are not an overly sensitive fish....same family as Stripers...they can actually cross breed and make "Hybrid" stripers...fun-fun-fun to catch and pretty tasty too....they and the saugers and walleye generally follow the shad runs...but the shad are not running and that is worrisome to me...they should be running...water temperature is good...weather is good....but no shad. I was at the locks today fishing and nothing...a couple of smallmouth about 13-14 inches...nothing to write home about. This guy was using a casting net and got zero...I mean nothing....which is totally weird....he should have got something but not a thing....

so yeah, I guess I am kinda in alarm mode...it worries me when things just suddenly change patterns for no apparent reason.

[SHaYap]

Spawning grounds / areas matters more than the fishing ponds or lakes / rivers ~

[Jeremiah65]

That may be....I tend to think on the small end level of this...it's not so much about "where are the gamefish"...my concern is..."where are the baitfish?"

I went scouting a creek the other day for a place to put in a minnow trap and I was quite puzzled then...I went along prob a good mile of creek and none of the pools had a decent minnow population...in a couple pools I saw maybe a dozen....but not enough to say "I'll put my trap here"....that was weird in itself.

Now if I was a newb at this, I'd be less concerned....but I have been doing this pattern for ...well...over 30 years....it has been like clock work and the old sayings are generally true...so....when I see a sudden change in the pattern and no one can explain what is wrong...it bothers me.

Paranoid?...maybe....Observant?....yes, very much so. I am not ruling out the weird spring weather we have had....but....I have seen heavy snows on Easter so....it's not THAT unusual. I worry there is something more wrong here.

[acidhead]

Has it been raining heavily? You're using baitfish in a river? Could be the clarity of the water? It's a reason up here when the steelhead aren't biting.

Edited April 26, 2014 by acidhead

[Jeremiah65]

No, not really heavy rains until...actually...today...the river levels are good, water temp in the upper 50's to lower 60's (Fahrenheit)....conditions and timings is exactly as it should be. Water clarity has been excellent. Now....this all may change in the next few days....had a gully washer rainstorm this afternoon while I was out. This will of course work it's way through the tributaries and into the main river...they are calling for anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of rain in the next week here....so that might be the catalyst that changes things and puts them back on course.

Yeah, I can be a little worrisome at times....I just know the usual patterns of things and when things are off, it makes me wonder and get a bit concerned. It hasn't been that long since we had the chemical spill here and I have to admit, I wondered if perhaps it had a serious effect on the shad....guess we shall see how the next couple weeks go.

[questionmark]

Spawning grounds / areas matters more than the fishing ponds or lakes / rivers ~

Yes, but unless polluted not temperature critical, anything between 58 and 69 degrees (F) will do for striped bas.

[Sakari]

Asian carps are good fishing fishes ~ they can't resist a lure for the life of them ~

If you are referring to the invasive carp. They eat plankton, and do not hit lures or bait. Nets are used for this reason.

[SHaYap]

If you are referring to the invasive carp. They eat plankton, and do not hit lures or bait. Nets are used for this reason.

Hmmm ... not sure if there are any difference but carps over here can't resist hook bait lures ~ just that they school together most times and have voracious appetites so nets are mainly used for farming catch / round ups ~ it is known as an angler's beginner fish for us ~ it is an easy fish to hook and rod ~

• fishing tips depot link
  

[Sakari]

Hmmm ... not sure if there are any difference but carps over here can't resist hook bait lures ~ just that they school together most times and have voracious appetites so nets are mainly used for farming catch / round ups ~ it is known as an angler's beginner fish for us ~ it is an easy fish to hook and rod ~

• fishing tips depot link
  

I am only refering to the more recent invasive species, not the Carp we have had here for a while. I believe the post way back is refering to the newer species, they are a bad thing.

I amrefering to these guys...

[Copasetic]

The WB run usually happens in May. The past couple of years we've had unusually warm winters that have led to earlier runs than typical. Last year I was wet wading with the flyrod in the beginning of March. Not so much this year. Did my first wet wade this weekend, waters still feel really cool. Give it another week or two.

[Rafterman]

Everything seems to be a little delayed this year due to the long and harsh winter. Our Hudson River striper run is just now kicking off. This time last year, we were at least 2-3 weeks further along.

[Jeremiah65]

Thanks for the input....does my old heart good to see so many fisherman on the boards...

Went out again this morning in the rainstorm. Figged it is always good to fish in the rain....pretty much a repeat. Caught some smallmouths...14-16 inches but the white bass and the hybrids still no where to be found.

There was a guy at the locks with an underwater camera on a lanyard...coolest damn thing I have ever seen. He had a unit about the size of a large smart phone and the camera was about the size of golf ball....little bigger. He was letting all of us hardcore "fish in the middle of a storm" guys have a look...you could see some smallies and an occasional walleye or sauger...but the whities and the hybrids....non existent.

Well...the verdict came down...the shad are NOT running yet....even though the time and conditions are right. I am hoping this rainstorm we are experiencing is the catalyst to turn things up and get back on schedule. Should warm the waters, bring lots of nutrients in and water levels should be corrected where they are low.

Calling for like 3-5 inches in the next few days. I was the drowned rat today....rained so hard at times it's hard to describe other than "frog choker"....I mean it pored a few times. This will be good for side creeks and streams...wash a lot of nutrients in and should kickstart something....I hope.

It's not brain surgery here...the shad are the catalyst for everything...when they run...so does everything else. When the shad are not running or are doing poorly....it's pretty obvious.

I fished in the rain today until the lightning was just a little too close and the thunder was shaking the piers....I figged it was time to go.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Jeremiah65

[Sakari]

If it helps, the Springer run in Oregon is horrible also. ( Spring run of King Salmon )

[Sweetpumper]

I went this weekend, they had just stocked the river with 10,000 trout and didn't get a nibble. After an hour we abandoned the poles and just enjoyed everything else out there.