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Post by dovehunter on Apr 19, 2009 7:16:33 GMT -5
Tuesday I went shad fishing. I fished all day using every lure that I thought appropriate and never got so much as a bite. Same story as the last couple of years when fishing on the Mattaponi. I understand the shad are hitting pretty good on the James but you have to have a boat to fish that and I am getting so now I can't easily horse it into and out of the back of my pickup by myself. I either need to get a small trailer or a fishing buddy. Anyone else fishing for shad now? If so are you doing any good? For my part I am longing for either (or both) some baked shad or some fresh row for my scrambled eggs. It looks like I might have to end up getting it from Krogers!
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bounce
Royal Member
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Post by bounce on Apr 19, 2009 9:31:50 GMT -5
I did not know anyone fished for shad on purpious? everytime I caught one as a kid I was told to throw it back, I think they said to boney and hard to clean and get anything. But I did have fun catching them. Rememer them mostly below grove lake and Bazile creek, the last one is DD's crick. In the old days I think they caned them along with the carp this was before electicity and me.
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Post by jabba on Apr 19, 2009 10:46:46 GMT -5
I never knew they BIT on anything. I always thought you just accidentally snagged them.
Jabba
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Post by jmarriott on Apr 19, 2009 11:07:25 GMT -5
We use a cast net to catch bait to catfish with that is about all for shad.
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Post by jimiowa on Apr 19, 2009 12:36:10 GMT -5
Out here Shad don't grow to enough size to be useful as anything but a bait fish.
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Post by jabba on Apr 19, 2009 15:32:02 GMT -5
Us too Mariott... cast net for bail... that's about it.
Jabba
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Post by Jack on Apr 19, 2009 20:14:42 GMT -5
Different fish, folks. Gizzard shad are what you see in inland lakes all over the south and midwest, as baitfish. The Atlantic Shad that run up the Delaware river (and other rivers) from the ocean are a good bit larger. They reach 4-5 pounds, anyway. They're probably the same family of fish, like bluegills and bass are the same family. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shad |
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Post by jimiowa on Apr 19, 2009 22:35:05 GMT -5
Yeah I thought it was a different species.
I've seen the Shad Dart lures but never seen them used in fresh water. I have learned to enjoy fishing for Fresh Water Drum.
Striped Bass & White Bass and the Hybird Wipers in our large impoundments.
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Post by jmarriott on Apr 20, 2009 8:12:12 GMT -5
If the fish are biting then my kids will catch em. They don't care if it is a bait fish or a 10 pound bass they just want to catch alot of them.
The local family farm pond has produced 4 large catfish this year and One bass.
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Post by dovehunter on Apr 20, 2009 11:16:07 GMT -5
Jack is right. The shad to which I was referring are anadramous fish like stripped bass, salmon, etc. They are essentially salt water fish that come into the coastal freshwater rivers to spawn. White Shad, American Shad, and Hickory Shad get pretty large compared to the minnow-like things some of you were talking about, though all are probably part of the same family. White Shad, particularly, can get as big as 6-8 pounds and put up a helluva fight on rod and reel. Personally, I also think they are great table fair, particularly when they are baked slowly. Around here, probably the most popular thing is shad row which most people either fry (the row sacks) wrapped in bacon or mix it with their scrambled eggs (my personal favorite). It seems to be prised almost as highly as caviar. My wife told me the other day that fresh shad row is selling for about $22 per pound in the grocery store. Even at those prices, it doesn't last long.
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Post by Jack on Apr 20, 2009 22:00:36 GMT -5
Dovehunter, what kind of lures or bait do you use?
I know of shad darts and streamers being used. For those that aren't familiar, a shad dart is a jig, usually pretty light, with an angled, flat face on the jig head.
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Post by Purebred Redneck on Apr 21, 2009 23:34:30 GMT -5
I'm glad that was cleared up because I was going to chime on on those worthless drum that you waste all your minnows on.  |
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Post by dovehunter on Apr 25, 2009 7:39:33 GMT -5
Jack:
Sorry about being so late with a reply. I was on vacation last week and didn't have access to a computer.
Regarding lures, my favorite sporting goods store said (at least of the James River - I was fishing the Mattaponi) that the hottest lures seemed to be shad spoons or rigs (a dart and spoon tied together on the same string) that were yellow (or chartreuse?) with a red nose and/or comparable darts. I tried those along with my old trusty silver barracuda spoons, all to no avail. However no one else was catching anything either. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I was having to fish on a falling tide which, it has been my experience, is the worst time to fish for shad. Hopefully I can try again next week with maybe better luck. It may also be too late in the season, although around here the old axiom is the shad will bite best when the dogwoods are in full bloom and that should be right now.
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bounce
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Post by bounce on Apr 25, 2009 8:54:03 GMT -5
$22 a pound, now I know why all the politicans were eating it on the news this last week, forgot the state but both partys would turn out each year for a big feed of it, looked cooked on board like singles standing on each side of a metal hog troth filled with coals.
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kragman71
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Hey, I,m back. In a Nursing Home, but back
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Post by kragman71 on Apr 25, 2009 14:40:22 GMT -5
I don't fish for shad,anymore;don't fish much,anymore.
New York has two rivers that have shad,and the fishing for them is different in each river.The HUdson is a big river,and most fishing is from a boat.Most fish are caught with nets.
The Deleware,here in New York,is much smaller.Most fishing is from shore,with darts.
I have'nt heard how they are doing this Spring.
Frank
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