Spring challenges

I know that many of us are looking forward to a season of fishing now that old man winter is behind us, or at least we hope. When I look forward to a new season I think about the new places or new species I might want to try for. For many years I have been playing with the idea of going up to Northern California for a species of fish I have yet to encounter, the American Shad. Currently, if you fish for large mouth bass or stripe bass you can catch Lake Shad with nets, a species of shad that may get 3 inches or so at the largest. These shad are used as bait to catch larger fish.

American Shad are actually a Herring that was brought out west back in the 1800s from the east coast. Shad fishing back east is a big deal and thousands of fisher-people go after shad as a start to spring and early summer fishing. American Shad are salt water fish that migrate to fresh water much the same as Salmon do. Shad move into the Northern California river systems to spawn in April where it can continue until late May or June depending on water and weather conditions.

Fishing for the American Shad is not a very sophisticated affair. Many of the rods and reels used for trout fishing can be used for shad as well. Most folks use 6’ to 7’6” rods rated for 4 to 8 lb. test and reels with good drags. Shad can grow to several pounds and pull like freight trains; some have called them the Poor-Mans Tarpon. Lure selection is very basic since shad eat mostly plankton when in the ocean they are not often big eaters once in the rivers, however they will strike lures when enticed. The most common and popular lure is a Shad Dart which is simple but deadly for shad. They will also eat small lead head jigs with plastic 2” grubs in various colors. Red and white is highly productive as well as pink or bubble gum.

Like most fish, shad will change up quickly on what they will hit, so change colors often if the bite slows. Shad swim single file rather than bunched up in groups so getting the correct presentation is key to getting consistent bites. If your preference is a fly rod, a 6ft rod is a great choice. You want a soft tip rod with great back bone in the bottom half to pull on these fish in river currents. A sink tip line is a good choice to get your offering down to the fish. Streamers and larger wet flies can be very good choices and again, simple colors is all that is necessary.

It is not necessary to have a boat to fish for shad as most people walk the banks casting and working the current tongues and feeding lanes. If you do use a boat it will greatly help in positioning yourself in areas the bank fishers can’t reach. A good anchoring system is an absolute necessity for river fishing as is all safety gear. Also, one of the most overlooked pieces of gear is a good net. A standard trout net is not going to work for shad. Use a net that is large enough for bigger fish but not as large as salmon.

Check the web if you want additional information on the American Shad and the rivers where they migrate. You can also find great information on times, places, launch areas and guides that can make trips more productive. Local tackle shops are usually always a great bet to get the latest conditions and movement of the fish. Just because the time of year is right and conditions are great doesn’t mean the fish will automatically show up. We are dealing with nature and nature doesn’t wear a watch or keep to schedules. If you plan to go up north to visit try to set aside some time to get a day or early evening of fishing in while there.

Tight lines!