shad fishing soon!

Soon the coastal rivers will be teeming with one of my favorite fish to catch - American shad and hickory shad. They have an energetic fight and often times jump and are typically VERY willing to bite. If anyone has been wanting to try it and hasn't done so because they aren't sure how, please ask and I'll share what I know. Crappie gear works lovely for them although I probably wouldn't spider rig a bunch of rods or you could end up with a reel mess if you went through a school and every rod went down.

Its a great thing to do with kids, spouses, or newbies with little patience for fishing as you will usually catch LOTS.

unfortunately too far from Charlotte. Closest shad water to Charlotte is Santee Cooper, right?

PeeDee below Blewett Falls dam near Rockingham.

With a warm winter, this year's shad run should be earlier than usual, right?

Where do fish for them at

It will probably be a little earlier if it stays warm. I've heard of a very few fish already being caught low in the Tar and the Neuse.

One of the best places to go is the Roanoke at Weldon.

That sounds like a good time. Need to make plans to head to the Roanoke this year for both shad and stripers.

If you don't see anything from me in 2-3 weeks feel free to hit me up as I will likely have some intel.

The American shad cooked with scale on is considered a delicacy in China. Water, ginger root sliced, some salt, just boil it. It's delicious, bony though.

I've eaten them by slow baking them and found them tasty. Most of the bones melted away.

What temperature? How long? Gota try baking them this year. Cannot wait to catch some big American Shad!

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Originally Posted by todobien

I've eaten them by slow baking them and found them tasty. Most of the bones melted away.

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have you fished american shad at the Neuse river near falls lake dam? When do they usually arrive there. what kind of lure do you use for fishing them?

Baked Shad Recipe | MyRecipes.com

Six-Hour Baked Shad with Onions and Bacon | Seafood Recipes

Most of the shad I've seen caught there at Blewett were Americans. Depending on what side of Charlotte you are on that's not all that far of drive either.

hangout - I've caught them below Milburnie which is just above old 64. I use traditional shad tandem rig with spoon and darts or curly tail crappie jig Have also caught them on flies.

PeeDee below Blewett Falls dam is only 80 minutes drive for me.

I am mouth-watering just reading the recipe. For the first one, are the bones edible too? You can try baking them with scale on. The scales are definitely edible.

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Originally Posted by todobien

Baked Shad Recipe | MyRecipes.com

Six-Hour Baked Shad with Onions and Bacon | Seafood Recipes

Most of the shad I've seen caught there at Blewett were Americans. Depending on what side of Charlotte you are on that's not all that far of drive either.

hangout - I've caught them below Milburnie which is just above old 64. I use traditional shad tandem rig with spoon and darts or curly tail crappie jig Have also caught them on flies.

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With the 2nd recipe, fresh bait fish such as herring, alwifes, threadfin and gizzards can be baked and good eating also, I guess. :biggrin

Great survival recipe!

Last year was my 1st time to Weldon in my own boat. We started in mid April looking for Stripers and fished till Mid May. I think you live up that way?? Any chance you would take me up on a day trip if I bring the boat? I would love to learn how to catch some of these. Would be more than happy to trade off a ENO river White Bass trip if you are interested.

BUZZZZ

Buzz - If you are talking to me I'm in Raleigh. We can try to work things out. Even if we can't I can probably walk you through things. I'm betting by the first week in March they will be there. But for the upcoming cold, I'm betting they would be there at the end of next week the way water temps are shooting upwards.

Gotcha!! I will catch up with ya.

Thanks, BUZZZZ

Do you bank fish or boat fish for the Eno white bass? I started doing some bank fishing there last spring with some luck. Never got any big ones but had fun iwht the smaller ones.

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Originally Posted by hangout

have you fished american shad at the Neuse river near falls lake dam? When do they usually arrive there. what kind of lure do you use for fishing them?

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There is a dam on the neuse below falls dam called milbournie dam. That is as far as they can come up the neuse. I catch them wade fishing there but water flows dictate when and how good the fishing is. Small jigs, shad darts, and small spoons are the ticket.

Thank you for your information, fliesforall. Never did shad fishing before. It was said shad had the richest Omega-3 which is good for cardiovascular system. must try this spring.

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Originally Posted by fliesforall

There is a dam on the neuse below falls dam called milbournie dam. That is as far as they can come up the neuse. I catch them wade fishing there but water flows dictate when and how good the fishing is. Small jigs, shad darts, and small spoons are the ticket.

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Being farther east than most of you people I have done a lot of shad fishing in the Cape Fear and the Neuse rivers and creeks off of them. I fish with the dogwood trees. They don't lie. When the dogwood trees bloom the shad are there and ready. They stat own east and wok their way upstream just like the dogwood trees. I start fishing when the bloom buds first start opening but full bloom is the best time.

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Originally Posted by hangout

have you fished american shad at the Neuse river near falls lake dam? When do they usually arrive there. what kind of lure do you use for fishing them?

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They are caught at Milburnie Dam in Raleigh around mid March through May. With some Strippers mixed in around the middle of April

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Originally Posted by ecunupe

They are caught at Milburnie Dam in Raleigh around mid March through May. With some Strippers mixed in around the middle of April

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I meant Stripers

I've fished there a good bit. Don't expect big number days, usually just 2 or 3 on average, but they will be good quality fish.

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Originally Posted by todobien

Do you bank fish or boat fish for the Eno white bass? I started doing some bank fishing there last spring with some luck. Never got any big ones but had fun iwht the smaller ones.

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I have tried from the boat a few times but never had much luck. I have been catching them from the banks for the past 14 years or more. I keep my stuff in the car and stop almost every day when they start biting good. I am going in for some surgery on the 26th so I am going to miss the early run but hopefully by the 3rd week in march I will be after them again. I will not share any of my fishing spots online but more that happy to meet you one day and show you around. I fish a few of the creeks and the flat river more than the ENO. I try to avoid Pennys Bend as much as possible.

BUZZZZ

Heard of some shad being caught way down the Neuse in creeks with clear water and also a few down low on the Tar. I think if it'd stay warm for a week with no rain it'd be on pretty good.

I like to stand on the high bank at Lock and dam #3 and watch them going back down. They are sooo tired they don't swim. They float on their side but when they start to go over the dam they swim like hell trying to stay up. It is funny to watch. This is second or third week in April. The Cape Fear has mostly American Shad. I used to go with my Dad to Goldsboro and fish a small skimmer dam at Cherry Hospital. That was mostly Hickery Shad.

Why rain is bad for shad? more current in rivers should be good for migrating shad, right?

Rain often makes the water too muddy for the fish to see the lure. I was steady catching last year on a daily basis until we had one big rain then the water was high and fast and looked like chocolate milk did not have a bite for a week until it cleared out and dropped down some.

High water can also make it more difficult to fish for them. This is esp true if you are bank fishing as water may be up in the trees where you are trying to fish making casting hard. From a boat if water is up in the trees the fish may be up there too making presentation hard. Pulses of increased flow can be good to get the fish moving around and heading up but long high water events make it tougher to catch. Right now for instance you'd probably do better up a major creek where the water may be clearer and not as high as in the Neuse, Cape Fear, Tar or Roanoke.

The shad run is a big deal down here on the Cape Fear at lock and dam 1. The river is unsafe high at the moment though and is going to take a while to get fishable. But that is a fun fishery.

with warmer weather and higher water, shad moves up river earlier than normal, right?

yes. Water staying above 50 is a good indicator