American Shad - Shad Fishing

Shad Fishing

Shad are also valued as a sport fish that exhibit complex and little-understood feeding behavior while spawning. Unlike salmon, shad retain the ability to digest and assimilate food during the anadromous migration. Like other fish, their feeding instinct can be triggered by a variety of factors such as turbidity and water temperature. Anglers use both spinning and fly fishing tackle to pursue shad. Spin fisherman use a shad dart or a flutter spoon. Some anglers use a downrigger to place the artificial lure at the desired depth and location. This is usually in the channel, or deepest part of the river. Migrating shad tend to occupy the lower potion of the water column which makes this the typical depth of choice for fishing. In the North, April through June is when shad spawn in coastal rivers and estuaries once water temperatures have reached 58 degrees Fahrenheit (14 °C). Fishing conditions typically improve as water temperatures warm and flow decreases.