From the Lenape to Gen. Washington, a generational rite of passage continues.
Shad. Just the mention of the word gets many anglers excited in the chilly months of winter. Whispers start even in January, many attending the various flea markets and seminars on tactics and tackle this time of year. By the time March rolls around, it’s only a matter of time before the first rumblings of shad in Delaware River will make their way to social media.
What makes this fish such an obsession for so many? For many saltwater anglers in particular, it’s basically just a big baitfish, right? Well, yes and no. Shad have been caught on the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers in our area for centuries. Even going back to colonial times, shad fed Washington’s troops during the Revolutionary War. The native Lenape people also caught shad in nets, for food, and yes also to be used as bait to catch even larger gamefish as well.
While shad are seldom caught for table fare these days, save a bit of still cherished pan-fried shad roe as a delicacy. While our fathers and grandfathers were more apt to enjoy a taste of shad roe, today the American shad is enjoyed more as a gamefish over substance.
Migratory Traditions
Shad migrate thousands of miles each year in the saltwater, with many traveling the route from Florida to Newfoundland. Each spring during this migration, they make a pit stop in freshwater heading back into the body of water where they themselves where hatched to again spawn the next generation. Shad are an anadromous fish, just like salmon or stripers; they are born in freshwater and move to saltwater as they mature. While they’ll spend most of their lives in saltwater along the coast, the early spring migration is what creates the fever and obsession of the shad angler along the Delaware River.
Around mid-February you may start to hear of shad starting to stage in the rivers. It is a quiet anticipation as almost all are watching rivers temps and conditions. Many will start to pick up a shad here and there early March, but the action will really start up around mid-month. Temperature is a key factor. Some anglers will not even venture out until water temps hit the magic mark of 50 degrees, felling that this when the shad will finally start to make their big move upriver.
Weather is extremely unpredictable this time of year. We have often been frustrated by a big spring rain that washes everything back downstream, turns the river to chocolate milk, forcing us to almost start over in terms of the wait for shad to again begin their run. A bitter cold snap can have the same effect, pausing the migratory run until temps again mellow and near that 50-degree mark.
Location, Location, Location
As in real estate, finding the right location is key to shad fishing success. Shad are powerful swimmers, they tend to run upriver in fast water and rest in calm eddies. Look for areas of fast water adjacent to calmer waters. Wing-dams, deep channels in relatively shallow stretches of river, cuts on one side of the river, or anyplace you may see the “road” upstream narrow compared to the surrounding area. These are the spots you will see the schools of shad funnel into a relatively small space in the river. They may gather or stage in the areas just below, and shoot the narrow gap in schools or waves. It is not uncommon to see 10 minutes of fast action only to wait quietly until the next round makes the charge up river.
Keep in mind, we are still fishing in shallow waters. The river may only be a couple feet deep, while the fast water is running in a narrow channel maybe 5 to 7 feet deep. Even this small change in depth will create the Shad highway you need to target.
Last spring I had the chance to fish with The Fisherman’s Jim Hutchinson and Nick Honachefsky of the Saltwater Underground with one of the best guides on the Delaware River, Time Keebler of Fin Seeker Guide Service (215-262-4811). Capt. Tim invited us out for a few hours in early April, and it didn’t take long, about 10 minutes after we set anchor, for Tim to get our lines out and our first shad on. While Tim made it all look easy, years of experience and strategy made it all come together.
Tim anchored up in a very narrow channel, about 10 to 15 feet wide and about 5 or 6 feet in depth. With surrounding water depths only about 12 to 18 inches, it was an ideal spot to have these shad funnel right into our spread.
All Geared Up
Fishing from boat, we used flutter spoons in various colors. These were presented behind very small Dipsy Divers or square bill crank baits (with the hooks removed), commonly known as the “poor man’s down riggers”. Next is 18 to 24 inches of leader affixed to the back of the plug, with a shad spoon dancing behind the plug which acts as depth control. Tim mentioned when fishing depths up around 9 feet deep, he would start to utilize down riggers. Not that the water is that deep, just because control of where the lure is presented is just that critical.
| SHAD FACTS |
| According to the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife (NJDFW), the American shad is the largest member of the herring family and ranges on the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to the St. John’s River in Florida. An anadromous species, shad spend 3 to 6 years in the ocean and then return to freshwater in the spring to spawn. An adult shad may weigh anywhere from 4 to 8 pounds, but the New Jersey State and IGFA 8-pound test line record is 11 pounds, 1 ounce.
Angling for shad on the Delaware usually begins around the end of March, but according to the NJDFW as water temps rise to 50 degrees the population migrates upstream, where shad will be caught all the way up river to the New York state line and beyond through the end of May and into June. Jointly managed in the Delaware River Basin through the Delaware River Basin Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative (COOP) with membership consisting of the states of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, as well as NOAA Fisheries, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, a new Sustainable Fishery Management Plan for American shad was approved in 2022. In response to the new plan, the recreational possession limit for American shad was reduced from three fish down to two. |
We set out about six rods, slightly varying the depth each was set, keeping the lures just off bottom about a foot or so. It is absolutely key to get that lure right in their face as they make the run upstream. Shad are not hitting the lure because of hunger; they are for the most part filter feeders, although they will on occasion take a small baitfish. Remember they are looking to get upstream and spawn above all else. This flashy spoon is dancing right in their path, in their way, and they eat it out of aggression.
Anglers fishing from the bank are not out of the game. Shad darts are often the preferred lure over the flutter spoon used by boat. Look for that fast water seam, that can be an ideal area to cast, let the dart float downstream. You need to feel the lure tic off the bottom or you are not getting deep enough. Add a split shot or two about 18 inches up from the dart and try again. Switch to a larger, heavier dart if still running too shallow.
Shad are strong, they use the current to their advantage when hooked up, and on light tackle they’ll fight just like small tarpon, peeling drag and showcasing their acrobatic skills. Known for spitting the hook, often just as you try to net the fish, you’ll often hear shad fishermen refer to the day as count, landed versus hooked. Frustrating, but it the game we play.
When the action is at its peak, anglers may land over a hundred shad in a single morning of fishing. Most shad are released, only kept if gill hooked or the fish will likely not survive a release. I always end up keeping a couple of shad from the year in the freezer for catfish and striper bait.
Go get on ‘em!
