Shad Tactics Coast To Coast

The river’s current had us swaying back and forth through the heavy run.

- Vic Attardo

Lifting and resetting the anchor, we moved closer to the shoreline to reduce the rocking and present a tighter line with our specialized jigs.

Downstream there was a shallow riffle and what we call a “pinch point” – meaning that any migrating fish would have to pass this narrow spot to proceed upriver.

Soon, I was mesmerized by the sight of exposed backs arching their way through the water. One or two fish actually leapt through the riffles with high jumps while others wiggled up-current like worms. Eventually the pod navigated the shallows and passed into the deeper water where we were anchored.

My partner and I tensed, anticipating what was coming next. Just a few minutes later two of the bowed downrigger rods in the stern snapped to attention.

We had ourselves a glorious double!

When you identify a fish as a shad, most anglers will think of a small baitfish used to catch larger game. But along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts where mighty rivers travel great distances, the fish called the American shad is a powerful gamefish on its own. On the Atlantic side, shad rush up rivers from Florida to Newfoundland. While not native to the Pacific Coast, with widespread introduction, American shad now range from Baja to Alaska. Again, these American shad are not baitfish but weigh from 2 to 10 pounds, with mature adults commonly between 19 and 24 inches. Those limits are busted by rare individuals.

During their spring spawning run American shad travel for hundreds of miles along the coasts and up powerful freshwater rivers, so a little thing like a hook and line is not going to easily stop them in their tracks.