Anyone here fish it & when does it normally start?

I used to fish it
when the shad got to Narrowsburg NY
Used to get them around the first week of spring gobbler
So there probally around the Delaware Water Gap around the 1st week of april

Would love to try it on the del.. I fished lower susky for shad way back when they were legal. We trolled shaddarts & Toni Acceta's around Port Deposit on down to 95 bridge. Was a blast & some mighty fine eatin.

http://www.drsfa.org/fishin2011.htm

Lot's of info here.

Thanks FT...informative site. You ever the del for shad?

Lot's of times. Once they got to the Water Gap I use to follow them up to the Lordville area in late May & June. Fun to catch but unless you smoked them, I don't like their taste.

Shad tournement starts April 28th this year.
It used to be you would start picking up shad about early/mid-April in the Easton area....depends on water temp.

They are pretty fun to catch but it's more of a tug of war...kind of like carp fishing. You can pick up the occasional walleye or muskie though.

I may look for a place to launch my boat...any suggestions?

On the table fare...I love baked shad. Many of the high end country clubs/restaurants in my area get em deboned and offer on their menues. Me bein a poorman I just debone on the plate with a knife/fork! lol

Smoke em UGH(mebbie herring not shad)...why ruin such a fine delicacy? The roe is even better...

This site might help.
http://wildlandspa.org/lrwt/easton_info.html

Only advice I can give is the Delaware is no joke. I seen that river swallow boats during the shad tourny every year I was there. You get some spring debri floating just under the surface and when it catches the anchor rope down the nose goes and you turn into a U-Boat captain.

Easton Access

Thanks Hodge! Don't haveta tell me bout river hazzards..I fish below the Conowingo Hydro Plant which dwarfs most others as far as challenging seamanship skills! I do appreciate the heads-up though.