Dumb Shad Question

Cool Texan · 05-02-2002, 07:50 AM

Bring on the mockery here but..... what exactly is a shad?? Anyone have a picture of one? :whazzup:

STGRule · 05-02-2002, 08:03 AM

Here is one:

It is a large herring. Tuna-shaped body, excellent swimming ability, fight great on light gear in strong currents. Perfect fish for kids to get hooked on fishing with. Second best crab bait, good sturgeon bait, and very good smoked and canned.

[ 05-02-2002, 09:06 AM: Message edited by: STGRule ]

Fishing freak · 05-02-2002, 08:10 AM

Cool Tex,

A shad is actually the largest member of the herring family. They average around 3-4 lbs. They are a hoot to catch with light gear. ( kind of a poor mans steelhead). Really boney ( to much trouble for me to eat). Around the middle of May you can catch the heck out of them from shore
below bonneville. I like to use a brass barrel swivel and attach a silver colored hook behind it(cheaper than shad darts and just as effective)Small green jigs also work well. You need to give it a shot. On a good day you can catch 30-40 or more. PS: They make great crab bait.

mike5097 · 05-02-2002, 08:12 AM

Try this........

www.ifish.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=010451

Point-of-Sale Clerk · 05-02-2002, 08:15 AM

[ 05-02-2002, 02:00 PM: Message edited by: *** Clerk ]

Lured In · 05-02-2002, 08:22 AM

*** I can only assume that you downloaded this off the internet somewhere, otherwise someone might think you actually fish.

:grin: Nice pic.

Could those be your hands? Be careful someone might be able to identify you. JK :tongue: :grin:

Point-of-Sale Clerk · 05-02-2002, 08:24 AM

:grin: :grin: :grin:

WaterDog · 05-02-2002, 09:34 AM

Those hands are working mans hands. They are not ***'s.........

STGRule · 05-02-2002, 10:02 AM

We have neither Gizzard nor Threadfin shad on this coast. Ours are American Shad.

scrod · 05-02-2002, 10:50 AM

Our American Shad is a plankton feeder but srikes at small shiny objects kinda like kokanee.

TundraIII · 05-02-2002, 12:13 PM

Hey Cool Texan, these things really stink too. I try to keep them out of the boat if possible. Straight out of the water and into a cooler. When they run thick in the river I swear it changes the smell of the air in the area. The vietnamese ladies at work have a way of marinating them so that the bones get soft or dissolve. Haven't tried it yet but I have read in different reports(including the encyclopedia) that the American Shad is good eating.

Hoosier Daddy · 05-02-2002, 12:32 PM

FishingFreak, tarpon are also members of the herring family...

TH · 05-02-2002, 12:42 PM

shad strips and a hoochie make for great salmon baits out in the ocean... just a thought?
We have a great run of shad on the Coquille and Coos rivers, great fun for kids and those who like fighting fish on light tackle.

finner · 05-02-2002, 01:41 PM

Anyone ever tried tying a chunk of one onto a kwikfish?

Ramstrong · 05-02-2002, 02:23 PM

chnookie. Though they look like herring, Tarpon are not part of the herring family. They aren't even part of the same order. Tarpon belong to order ELOPIFORMES family MEGALOPIDAE while Herring and shad belong to order CLUPEIFORMES family CLUPEIDAE. They share the same class (Osteichthyes) but so do all bony fish.

I know I'm a geek, but here's our full scientific name (subphyla excluded).
Animalia Chordata Mammalia Primates Hominidae **** sapiens

[ 05-02-2002, 03:30 PM: Message edited by: Ramstrong ]

Hoosier Daddy · 05-02-2002, 02:40 PM

Right you are Ram. Looked it up. I just had it in my head that they were the same family. They just look alike apparently. Thanks for the correction.

Ramstrong · 05-02-2002, 02:56 PM

Well it looks like the filter doesn't like our genus. :grin:

scrod · 05-02-2002, 03:24 PM

Yes American Shad are Alosa sapidissima which roughly means "most delicious" in latin.
Geek that! :grin:

Point-of-Sale Clerk · 05-02-2002, 04:29 PM

The French common name for this fish is alose savoureuse or "savoury shad".

french geek :tongue: :grin:

NETONE · 05-02-2002, 04:49 PM

When using Shad to catch Chinook..do you like to plug cut them or run them whole....When trolling???? [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

fish_on · 05-02-2002, 04:57 PM

Run them whole,

run a 1/4" wire down the back so you can bend them and get a good spin, 0/9 hooks are best :grin:

. If you catch a nook on a shad this far inland hold on that is going to be one bad A$$ fish. :shocked:

fishchaser · 05-02-2002, 05:07 PM

Says in the books that a Shad is a poor mans Salmon. Well I'm not real rich, but I would rather eat a Salmon than a Shad.

Just stinks too much and too boney. I only use them for bait. Both Crab and Sturgeon. I do not look like either one of them so I will stick to eating Salmon.

Don't get me wrong, I love to catch the HE$$ out of them. Take the kids and let them fish for awhile.

TH · 05-02-2002, 05:23 PM

We have always just used strips of shad with a hoochie. Very effective in the ocean last summer for coho and chinook.

AngleThis · 05-02-2002, 11:49 PM

One important thing to remember about shad..there is NO limit. Which means you can stock up on them and use them for crab and sturgeon bait well into the future.