Let's talk about SHAD !

[AndyS]

I've been freshwater fishing my whole life and had only heard about shad but never gave the fish a try. It was only a few years ago I caught my first shad, I was on a float trip on the upper Delaware river in late April.
Pound for pound the fish is amazing !! Poor mans salmon.
A few years ago a buddy of mine handed me a shad dart, a big one, like 1/4 oz., chartruse. I asked him what do I do with this, he said just cast it out and reel it in like a spinner. I came down to the lower Raritan river and started tossing the dart and doing what I was told, soon enough I was tied into a big shad. Before catching shad I thought they were small fish around 12 or 14 inches long, WOW, these things average 5 and 6 pounds, some even bigger !! Drag smokers. If you get tied into a "HOT" shad, HANG ON.
Here is what little I know about shad:
April and May are the best months on both the Raritan and Delaware rivers.
They swim in large schools, one minute you have nothing, the next you have 50 or 60 going by.
They swim hard during the day and rest in the deeper slower pools at night.
I think the males come up river first.
A fish that can be caught easily from shore.

I've seen guys add a bit of glow Mister Twisters to the back of the shad darts.
Again, I practice CPR with shad (catch, photograph, release)
As I write this there is a pending moratorium on shad fishing in the Raritan river, so far I have seen as many as 7 guys fishing for shad on the Raritan, that is on the high side, and all C&R.

Let me know what you think, most is pretty cut and dry which makes this fish even more attractive.

[JerryC]

Me & Nick are addicted to Shad fishing.. we go every year around april time when they are hitting hard. We usually go with a guide on the D who has a drift boat, he's been MIA this year so we decided to do a kayak shad trip around the same time. They are fun fish to catch, certainly worth the yearly wait!

[acabtp]

do the shad in the Raritan and Delaware make it back to sea or die after they spawn?

[FASTEDDIE29]

Flutter spoons= catch SHAD!!! Egg sinker, barrel swivel, 3-4 ft leader, flutter spoon. Tons of colors to chose from.

[AndyS]

Walk the shores of the Delaware river in late June, the banks are littered with fallen heros, but I did hear some spawn and return to the ocean.

Hold your nose also, you know the catfizzz are getting fat !!

It'll be interesting to see the numbers after the flooding last year.

[Capt. Lou]

The flooding last year is not an indicator of whether we will have a decent run this season. What may have occured several years back effects today's run.
The last several seasons have been strong , this season should be as well.
They can be caught on a multitude of lures & methods.
One of the most consistent methods to pile up solid catches is by far on the fly rod!
Whatever method you pursue go light wonderful fighting fish on light tackle
release
with care , try to keep them in water, they are fragile.
Good fishing!

[Wilson]

Caught mine on a Panther Martin;)

[FishFriend]

This may sound stupid but for some reason perhaps i was told but i didnt think shad could be caught wuthout snagging them so never tried nor bothered to acrually read up on them.. :( but good to know going to have to give it a shot this april

[surfrod]

I never knew there was much of a shad run on the Raritan!

Yes I read there will be a moratorium next year.

[ReelErIn]

I've never Shad fished think I might give it a try this Spring.
I've got the boat maybe I see if anyone here wants to get out on a weekday.
Last yr I spoke with a guy that wanted to get out on the Salt side but we never were able to hook up.
I'll give it a try again this yr.

[bunker dunker]

if you have never done it,please do it this year.they are a blast on light gear.
all ya need is a hand full of darts,ultra light and a spool of 4lb test and your set.they fight like no other fish in the sweet water.if any one has questions
please pm me.

[JerryC]

Try it if you havent yet.. trust me when i tell you, its now a yearly routine for me and my friends.

[urbnimports]

i use 6lb or 8lb test, and on the big D they are plentyful!! i have not had a run yet that didn't get us at least 20 to 40 fish!

[kickstart]

I do a float trip on the BigD every spring and target shad and trout. I Spin with 4lb test on a light set up and throw a fly with 5-6 wt rod with sinking wt. foreward line. I start in Narrowsburg NY and am able to wade fish for shad right there in the pool with great results before and after the float trip.
Does anyone have a fly pattern they could share. I tie my own and am now using a chartruese or hot pink bodied fly with flash a boo tail and dumb bell or chain bead eyes. They work very well for me but I woud like some more choices.

[JerryC]

I try to use my lightest setups using 4-6lb test.. all u need is a shad dart and spoon..

[NJ219bands]

Many years ago I caught a tagged shad in the Delaware River. When I reported it to the biologist, he didn't believe me. I had to send him the tag. It was tagged near Lambertville, NJ, the previous spring. In the olden days, the biologists thought that shad did not return to the river each year and most of them died after spawning. My shad was in the river on 2 consecutive years.

[urbnimports]

i know a good guide on the big D for shad...not too expensive either

[AndyS]

Shad and river herring are anadromous fish that spend the majority of their adult lives at sea, only returning to freshwater in the spring to spawn. Historically, shad and river herring spawned in virtually every river and tributary along the coast. Species of shad and river herring once supported the largest and most important commercial and recreational fisheries along the Atlantic coast. Sadly, since colonial times, the blockage of spawning rivers by dams and other impediments, combined with habitat degradation and overfishing, have severely depleted shad and river herring populations. In 2007, the Commission completed a benchmark stock assessment for American shad that indicated that most stocks have significantly declined from historic levels and do not appear to be recovering. A benchmark assessment of river herring populations is scheduled to be completed in 2011.

American and hickory shad are currently managed under Amendment 1, Technical Addendum 1 and Addendum I to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Shad and River Herring. These management documents established a five-year phase out of the ocean-intercept fishery for American shad, with complete closure by January 1, 2005. In addition, Amendment 1 has required fishing mortality targets for specific American shad in-river fisheries and implemented an aggregate 10-fish daily creel limit in recreational fisheries for American shad and hickory shad. Alewife and blueback herring (collectively termed river herring) are managed under Amendment 2 to the FMP for Shad and River Herring. The Amendment requires that state and jurisdictions develop sustainable fishery plans in order to maintain a commercial and/or recreational river herring fishery. Fisheries without such plans will be required to close by January 1, 2012. At present, the Commission is developing Amendment 3 to the FMP for Shad and River Herring in response to the recommendations from the 2007 America shad stock assessment.

[DMac]

Me & Nick are addicted to Shad fishing.. we go every year around april time when they are hitting hard. We usually go with a guide on the D who has a drift boat, he's been MIA this year so we decided to do a kayak shad trip around the same time. They are fun fish to catch, certainly worth the yearly wait!


A friend of mine does guided shad trips in his drift boat on the delaware and he is really reasonable in price, and he is good at it. He also has his guide license for upstate NY, but only does it part time. I know personally he got his two personal bests up there this year with two steelhead over 20lbs in one season.

[JerryC]

Many years ago I caught a tagged shad in the Delaware River. When I reported it to the biologist, he didn't believe me. I had to send him the tag. It was tagged near Lambertville, NJ, the previous spring. In the olden days, the biologists thought that shad did not return to the river each year and most of them died after spawning. My shad was in the river on 2 consecutive years.

wow thats nuts!

[JerryC]

A friend of mine does guided shad trips in his drift boat on the delaware and he is really reasonable in price, and he is good at it. He also has his guide license for upstate NY, but only does it part time. I know personally he got his two personal bests up there this year with two steelhead over 20lbs in one season.

is the guides name Will?

[privateer]

Fish to the South already...

http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/del_river_rpt12.htm


Homemade flutter spoons in your usual bright colors fished with keel weights does the trick for me. My shad fishing is done north of Dingmans.

[dogfish246]

What part of the Raritan should I try for shad? I am over by New Brunswick (rt18)... It would be cool to try catching a shad and knock it off my fish hit list :D

Thanks

[AndyS]

ANYWHERE from the fish ladder in South Bound Brook downstream.

Let us know how you did, thanx

[flatcreek]

After listening to all the talk about shad I dicided to give it a try. Last night we had 4 on but couldn't get any in the boat. We were using braid and I was told today with braid you need to set your drag very light to avoid pulling the hook out of thier very soft mouth. Well tonight I got one in the boat, it was only one, but the way they fight especially in fast water two may of just whore me out. WOW! First shad ever so I guess It's my PB, but it won't be for long they are fun.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Flatcreek, nice job on that SHAD! Get em while there HOT N FRESH!!!

[bunker dunker]

nice flatcreek,congrats!!!

[acabtp]

while we're talking about shad... what do you guys do with them? recipes? seems like they would be a good candidate for the smoker

[kickstart]

meat is soft,gray and mushy with lots of bones. someone please tell him the baked board recipe. I lost my copy

[Wilson]

while we're talking about shad... what do you guys do with them? recipes? seems like they would be a good candidate for the smoker
fertilizer, or CPR.

[acabtp]

oh well, that's a shame for something that fights so well and seems will usually die after spawning anyway

[Wilson]

oh well, that's a shame for something that fights so well and seems will usually die after spawning anyway
They can't spawn on the smoker:D

[Capt. Lou]

All Shad do not die after spewing, about 30% or more do survive!

[bunker dunker]

how far are the shad up the river??? i fish a spot in columbia,was thinking about trying this weekend

[acabtp]

they're catching them all the way up to the gap

[bunker dunker]

nice,i'll give it a try.

[JerryC]

I may take the yack up next week to the GAP area to see if i can get some to bite.

[bigchefguy710]

Shad make great striper bait in the lower d

[bunker dunker]

We Would Take Them Out And Chunk Them At The Knoll,the Bass Love Them.can't Wait Till Tomorrow