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The Shad and Herring annual run is the official start to my fishing season and its something that I look forward to every year. American Shad, Hickory Shad, and Herring start their journey in late winter from the ocean to charge up coastal rivers to spawn, and their numbers are staggering. Millions upon millions crowd very narrow parts of the river which makes them accessible to catch. While it is illegal to possess them, fishing for them is a time honored tradition and is a blast on light tackle.

The gear required to fish them are simple med/light action bass rods, 10-15lb test line, fluorocarbon leaders, shad darts and gold spoons. Shad darts are simply a hair jig that is tied 18-24″ above either another shad dart or my favorite, a gold spoon. How to fish for them is simple, cast your lures up stream, let it drift down, and reel up slowly jigging every so often. Fishing from a kayak or boat is optimal, but fishing from the shore is very productive. You just have to be ready to fish in close proximity to other anglers.

Identifying an American Shad and a Hickory Shad can be difficult. Americans can grow to an impressive 30″ but typically are 20-24″ and look very similar to one another when they are the same size. Here is a easy way to identify them:

American Shad:
-A large and distinctive shoulder spot may be followed by several faint spots.
-The lower jaw does not extend further than upper jaw.

Hickory Shad:
-The dorsal surface is gray-green in color.
-The lower jaw juts out further than the upper jaw, a key identifying feature.

They are an absolute blast on light tackle and when conditions are right 50-75 fish days are a possibility. Prime conditions are a moving tide, stained to clear water (muddy water shuts them down), and cloudy days. I think cloudy days are the most important factor. On sunny days, it forces them deeper and getting your lures down to them can be a challenge. They do not actually feed when they are on their spawn run; the reason we can catch them is they are striking the lure only on a instinctive automatic response.

Rockfish will start their spawn the same time the Shad do, but they absolutely need to feed when they come charging up the river. Using cut up Herring fished on the bottom can yield some enormous fish (it is illegal to keep rockfish on the Potomac) along with huge catfish and the occasional snakehead. If you have never done this before it’s a blast and it’s something easy enough to take your kids with you.

Looks like some good cut bait!

Awesome video. Had no idea shad got so big.