February 8, 2010

SHAD HOTLINE REPORT:

The next meeting of the DRSFA will be February 17, 2010 at 7:00 PM at the Sewyco Fire Co. social hall 1 mile south of Bethlehem, PA on Rt. 378.

We still have tables left for our FISHING TACKLE SWAP AND FLEA MARKET on March 14 at Sewyco. Call Ron at (610) 791-0987 for information.

BEST SPOTS TO GO SHAD FISHING:

Please send us email with any info: shadfisherman@aol.com.

FREE! - Youth Fishing Education Day June 2010 -now taking applications. First 100 youths will be accepted. Send email to fisherman_dcarl@yahoo.com or call Dave at 570-325-4336.

Call us if you have any ideas for projects or can help us on the ones we have going - We can use all the help we can get!!!



CLUB PROJECTS:

PLEASE, WE NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR OUR PROJECTS AND MEETINGS.
EMAIL ME AND ASK HOW YOU CAN HELP.

SHAD TRANSFER PROJECT:
We have received a large tank to use for transporting adult shad past the dams on the Lehigh River that they have been having trouble getting over. Please let me know if you can help with a truck, trailer, pumps, valves, or volunteering to make this project a success.

SHAD IN SCHOOLS PROJECT:
We will be putting our shad hatcheries in 5 more schools this year as well as the ten from last year. We still have openings - let me know if you are aware of any interested schools.

YOUTH FISHING EDUCATION DAY:
Held at Point Phillips Rod&Gun Club June 20, 2009. We had 91 youths participating in the rain. All had a great time!! Activities for ages 8-15. FREE!! Email fisherman_dcarl@yahoo.com or shadfisherman@aol.com if interested for next year.

We need fund raising ideas to further our ongoing projects and we need volunteers. Send me email if interested.


BEST BETS TO CATCH SHAD:

Shad darts and flutter spoons of varying colors.

LEWIS FISHERY 2009:

Date Roe Buck Temp Hgt.
3/21
3/23
3/26
3/27
3/28
4/1 42
4/2 0 1 50
4/3 0 1 50
4/4
4/6 0 0
4/8 0 0 48

May

4 1 19 62

5 3 5

6 3 5

8 7 5

9 1 0

11 0 0 60

Check out the new page called "What Is A Shad?". It has lots of info on shad and fishing for them. Clink on the link on the side of this page.


SHAD IN SCHOOLS:

This program to get more shad eggs into the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers and to educate school age children about the environment and river ecology has been a real success this year. We set up shad egg hatching systems in four local schools and one environmental venue to raise shad fry for release into the two Rivers. This program has been very successful in the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers in Washington, DC. If you can help in any way for next year please let us know now so we can see how much we can expand in the future. We started with the five sites this year and will expand next year with five more schools. You can read about the successful Potomac River project in a book called "Let the River Run Silver Again".


LEHIGH RIVER FISH LADDERS:

No news yet.


HYDROACOUSTICS STUDY: There will be no Hydroacoustics Study this year. The NJ Fish and Game decided to use the Lewis Fishery as their index of shad abundance.
The study estimated that 160,500 shad passed the Rt.202 bridge in 2005 and about 114,000 in 2006. In 2007 the estimate was 181,600.


BEST BETS FOR SHAD FISHING: Studies have shown that a flow of 14,000cfs at Trenton is good for shad migration and a flow of greater than 30,000cfs will stop the shad migration.

I have set up a new service that can be accessed from this page - a blog for your fishing reports. Please check it out and let me know any suggestions for improvements.
You should be able to click on the BLOG link to the side of this page to go there.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND NEWS:

Get your new club hats either through the mail for $14 or come on out to a meeting and pay $12. New patches are out also for $4 through the mail or $3 at a meeting.

DRSFA STORE:
Mail Pickup
Hats 16 12
New Patches 6 4
Decal-boat 3.50 2
Decal-window 3.50 2
Shad book-Kasper 10 7
Pewter shad pin 9 7.50

MEETINGS IN 2009:
JANUARY -

FEBRUARY 18 -

MARCH 18 - Daryle Pierce of the PFBC - new Delaware River Biologist

APRIL 15 - Annual Boat Raffle and Striper Fishing Trip Raffle. Door prizes for kids and adults.

MAY 20 - Come out and learn all about shad fishing techniques.

JUNE 17 - Chris Kocher of the Wildlands Conservancy.

SEPTEMBER - J.B.Kasper was the featured speaker.

OCTOBER-

NOVEMBER - Elections.
All meetings start at 7:00 PM.
Directions to the meeting are below.

Activities in 2009: Youth Fishing Education Day was held June 21 at Pt. Phillips Rod and Gun Club. We had a very good turnout for our second year. This program is free for students ages 8-15. For information contact Dave Carl at 570-325-4336 or email him at: fisherman_dcarl@yahoo.com. . We will be looking for a lot of volunteers to help us make this another success in 2010. We hope to get 100 youth to come out and learn about the sport of fishing. Please email me and let me know you will help.

All of our activities to help the shad and youth require volunteers and money, both of which seem to be in short supply the last few years. If you can help in any way or know of some good fundraising activities PLEASE let me know!! The club would really appreciate it. Thank you.


Result of hydroacoustic studies at Rt. 202 bridge:
2001 - 417,200 shad
2002 - 399,300 shad
2003 - 296,600 shad
2004 -
2005 - 160,500 shad
2006 - 114,000 shad
2007 - 181,600 shad

LEHIGH RIVER FISHWAYS REPORT:

Shad Going Thru Fishways:

Year: Easton: Glendon:
1996 1141 496
1997 1428 126
1998 3293 694
1999 2346 479
2000 2094 645
2001 4740 2057
2002 3314 1479
2003 422 40
2004 754
2005 675 324
2006 2023 588
2007 1397 215
2008



The phone hotline is being updated by Ron Marks. Shad fishing reports and other news can be phoned in to him at 610-791-0987 or email him at ronaldmarks2@aol.com. Also please email me your info at shadfisherman@aol.com. Keep checking this page for the same info you get on the telephone shad hotline numbers (610-954-0577 or 610-954-0578)( the 0578 number tends to be the easiest to access ). Check out page2 of the hotline by clicking on the link at the side of this page.

We are still trying to develop a base of fishermen to keep us up to date on shad fishing in the river, particularly upriver.

Please email me with any suggestions for future meetings.
We also support the Northampton County Junior Conservation School in July. It is a full week of environmental and nature experiences. Check out their website at http://www.ncjcs.org.

Our meetings take place at the Sewyco Fire Company on Rt. 378 near Black River Road just over South Mountain about a mile south of Bethlehem. It is on the west side of the road. Or, it is a few miles north of Rt. 378's intersection with Rt. 309 in Center Valley. Meetings are at 7:00 PM.

Please try a new website I am starting: www.orgsites.com/pa/shad

Remember to practice "Catch and Release". Thanks.

The Delaware River Shad Fishermen's Assoc. is dedicated to the preservation of the American shad and the Delaware River Basin Environment. The Association was responsible for leading the push to get fish ladders built into two dams on the Lehigh River to return historic runs of American shad to a river system that had been blocked off for decades.

Membership is available for $5 - Donor, $10 - Patron, $25 - Platinum, and $100 - Lifetime by emailing shadfisherman@aol.com.