Shad fishers delight

WHAT IS A SHAD?

As the largest member of the herring family (3-5 pounds), the American shad is what you'd expect: oily, bony and scaly. Those herring-like qualities are why many people keep shad for bait. You can use them to catch crab, halibut, sturgeon and probably just about any other fish-loving quarry.

The shad is certainly edible, and is considered a delicacy in its native east coast range, however here in Oregon we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to seafood, so the vast majority of shad never make it to the dinner plate. If someone wants to explore the culinary experience of eating a shad, there are a number of ways to clean, prepare, and cook them featured in online videos. Given enough spare time and skill, the average shad can be converted into a delicious meal.

Being non-native, the shad does not have size or bag limits. So if you want to eat a bunch of them, knock yourself out. The rest of us are just doing it for the joy of fishing and bait collection.

WHERE DO THEY LIVE?

For most of their lives, shad swim in the ocean. But sometime around Mother's Day, they start showing up in fresh water to spawn by the millions. This is when thousands of Oregon anglers meet them to do battle primarily on the Columbia, Willamette and Umpqua rivers. On the Columbia, a number of spots beckon the bank angler, mostly near the Bonneville and John Day dams as well as Cascade Locks. Beginning shad fishers with boats might do well to start in the Willamette near Oregon City and figure out the Columbia by going with more experienced boaters first. By Independence Day, the run is usually tapering off, but can still provide lots of entertainment.

WHAT GEAR DO YOU NEED?

Shad are great fighters but they aren't super heavy. A big one is 6 pounds, so heavy tackle is not required. For boat angling, just about any medium-light rod and reel will do, although you need something that can handle a sinker of several ounces. The main reason to go a little huskier with your rod and main line is that snagging the bottom is common. A typical shad setup would be a light steelhead rod and reel with main line of at least 12-pound test. Leaders can be about half that strength or less. Any rod length will work for boat fishing but bank anglers might want a little more rod length to help cast farther. A bit of give is also nice because shad mouths are not super tough and landing them can require finesse. Every year, someone hooks a Chinook or sturgeon while shad fishing. In that case, good luck to you and your delicate hook.

If you plan to release your catch just haul them in the best you can and release them unharmed. However, if you want to keep some, a medium/small landing net with a long handle is a good idea. Shad are bigger than your average stocker trout and super feisty so a flyfishing net with short handle is not going to cut it.

TERMINAL TACKLE

Tackle is generally a simple affair, consisting of a large sinker (1-3 ounces), three-way swivel and leader. A common setup includes running the main line to the swivel and then branching off with two or three feet of leader from both other swivel eyes. One leader goes down to the weight and the other goes out to the lure. As with all fishing, sometimes the little details make all the difference and sometimes it doesn't matter exactly how long your leader is. A typical setup for casting from shore is similar with added attention to breakaway weight setups because snagging bottom is common.

For years, the shad dart and tiny spoon were about it in terms of lures and they still work. Modern shad anglers also use tiny rubber grubs on tiny little jig heads a fraction of an ounce. Some days your lure must be chartreuse, and other days it must be red. Then there are days when it has to be purple. The best days are when it doesn't matter what color your lure is. Hooks tend to be delicate and are often golden or brass colored. Some folks use painted jig heads with bare golden hooks.

HOW DO YOU CATCH THEM?

Shad are not hard to catch once you find them. They tend to move upriver near the bottom in lines so narrow that one side of the boat can be dynamite fishing while the other side is just the sound of crickets. Boaters often anchor up in roughly 20 feet of fairly swift current in known hotspots and adjust laterally until they start getting bites. Generally, the mood is light in smaller, calmer rivers and other boaters are generous with information and insights. It can be a little more tense in the heavy currents of the Columbia where safety concerns can make boaters understandably focused. Bank anglers usually cast and retrieve or plunk in swift current. Shad do not gather in dead water.

PROCESSING YOUR CATCH

What you do with your catch is totally up to you and depends entirely on what you intend to use them for. Although there's no limit on shad, people should still plan to keep only what they'll use and take care of all the fish they intend to keep. This starts with a way to keep them cool. Even if they're destined for the bait freezer, cold and fresh is always best way to get them home. The tricky part comes when deciding how to freeze them. Most people who routinely freeze shad have their own favorite way to package them. Generally, smaller portions are much easier to deal with at thawing time than a giant plastic bag with a 50-pound block of frozen shad. A whole, vacuum-sealed shad will freeze well and stay fresh a long time. Chunks get freezer burned faster if not properly sealed.

THE BOTTOM LINE

This is serious fun. Get out there and find out why they say fighting a shad feels like fighting a steelhead—or like fighting one steelhead after another for hours!

Photo by: Cooper Hedgecock