ALOSA SAPIDISSIMA.

American Shad

Other names · poor man's salmon, common shad, Atlantic shad, Connecticut River shad, North River shad, Potomac shad, Susquehanna shad, white shad, Delaware shad, alose; French: alose savoureuse.

Frequently referred to simply as "shad," this species is an anadromous member of the Clupeidae family of herring (see) and shad and is highly regarded as a gamefish due to its strong fighting and jumping characteristics. American shad spawning runs provide a popular but seasonal sportfishery on both coasts of the United States, although these fish receive scant attention in Canada. The white, flaky flesh of this shad is full of bones but makes good table fare if prepared with patience and care; the scientific name sapidissima means "most delicious," an appropriate appellation for a fish that supports a considerable commercial fishery and whose roe is considered a delicacy and commands a premium price.

Other North American shad to which they are closely or distantly related include the smaller hickory shad (A. mediocris; see: shad, hickory), a western Atlantic species whose range overlaps with the American shad; and the Alabama shad (A. alabamae; see: shad, Alabama) of the Gulf Coast. Several herringlike species called shad occur in the eastern Atlantic; these include the twaite, Killarney, or Mediterranean shad (A. fallax); and the allis shad (A. alosa). These smaller species occur in western Europe and the Mediterranean, and also ascend coastal streams in spring to spawn.

The American shad has a history of intensive exploitation for its flesh and roe, and landings in the past century have steadily declined due to this and other factors. Overfishing, dams, and pollution have been the chief causes of severe declines in the abundance of American shad. Some of these factors have been mitigated but others, most recently excessive commercial ocean exploitation, have caused continued concern. Along the eastern U.S., a coastwide management plan has been created to assist cooperation and restoration efforts among states, which includes habitat improvement, fish passageways, and stocking programs. Although there has been some improvement in shad populations in some rivers, the number of American shad continues to decline.

Identification · The laterally compressed, fairly deep body of the American shad is silvery white with some green to dark blue along the back, frequently with a metallic shine. The coloring darkens slightly when the fish enters freshwater to spawn. There is a large black spot directly behind the top of the gill cover, followed by several spots that become smaller and less distinct toward the tail; sometimes there are up to three rows of these dark spots, one under the other. The American shad has large, easily shed scales, as well as modified scales called scutes, which form a distinct ridge or cutting edge along the belly. It has a single dorsal fin in the middle of the back, the tail is deeply forked, and there are soft fin rays and long anal fins. It has weak teeth or no teeth at all.

Bearing a close resemblance to the hickory shad, the American shad is distinguished by the way its lower jaw fits easily into a deep, V-shaped notch under the upper jaw, whereas the lower jaw of the hickory shad protrudes noticeably beyond the upper jaw.

Size/Age:The normal size of the American shad is 2 to 5 pounds, but specimens weighing up to 8 pounds are not uncommon when fish are abundant. They reach a maximum of 2 1/2 feet and possibly 13 1/2 pounds. The all-tackle world record is an 11-pound, 4-ounce fish taken from Massachusetts waters in 1994. Although American shad can live to age 13, few live past age 7. Females (called roe fish or hens) grow more quickly and generally larger than males (called bucks).

Distribution:
The endemic range of this species is east of the Appalachians along the Atlantic coast of North America from Sand Hill River, Labrador, to the St. John's River, Florida; practically every significant coastal river along the western Atlantic seaboard has supported a distinct spawning population at one time or another. Important sportfisheries currently exist in the Connecticut and Delaware Rivers. The Hudson River has historically had major runs, but sportfishing for shad in this deep, wide river is negligible, although it has in the past been commercially significant. The Susquehanna has been undergoing restoration of its runs. In 1871, American shad were introduced into the Sacramento River in California and today are found up and down the Pacific coast, ranging from Bahia de Todos Santos in upper Baja California, Mexico, to Cook Inlet, Alaska, and the Kamchatka Peninsula. Most sportfishing occurs in the U.S. portion of this range, and a major run occurs in the Columbia River.

Habitat:
American shad spend most of their lives in the ocean, ascending coastal rivers to spawn. They are found in freshwater only during their spawning runs and cannot tolerate cold waters below 41°F. Predominant in more northerly climates, American shad engage in extensive and complex migrations throughout their range, relying on their acute sense of homing for navigation. In coastal rivers, they primarily inhabit deep runs and pools.

Life history/Behavior:
Most fish spawn for the first time when they weigh 3 to 5 pounds. Males reach sexual maturity at age 3 to 4, females at age 4 to 5. Some life history patterns of American shad depend on the river of origin; for instance, in Southern rivers the average spawning age is 4 and fish generally spawn only once, laying 300,000 to 400,000 eggs; however, the average spawning age for more northerly fish is 5, and these fish generally spawn several times in a lifetime, laying a smaller number of eggs per spawning, usually ranging from 125,000 to 250,000.

Shad "runs" are extremely dramatic, as thousands of fish ascend rivers within the space of a few weeks, sometimes traveling long distances up the rivers where they were hatched. When water temperatures range from 41° to 73°F, the fish swim upriver and as far inland as 300 miles. Peak migrations occur when the water temperature is in the 50s. These migrations usually take place in April in Southern rivers and through July in northern regions, even beginning as early as mid-November in Florida.

Most spawning activity takes place in deep areas with moderate to strong currents, particularly during the night, when water temperatures are in the mid-60s. A single female is accompanied by several males, swimming close to the surface and splashing and rolling as anywhere from 50,000 to 600,000 eggs are laid. The nonadhesive eggs drift with the current, gradually sinking and then hatching from 3 to 12 days later. Larvae are found in rivers during the summer, feeding on insects and plankton and entering the sea by autumn, where they remain until maturity. Post-spawning adults attempt to return to the sea after spawning; many die immediately after spawning, whereas others have been known to live long enough to spawn as many as seven times.

Food and feeding habits · American shad primarily feed on plankton, swimming with their mouths open and gill covers extended while straining the water; they also eat small crustaceans, insects, fish eggs, algae, and small fish. They cease feeding during upstream spawning migration but resume during their relatively quick downstream post-spawning migration.

Angling · Shad provide drag-screeching runs, broadside-to-the current fight, and frequent aerial maneuvers. They are as spunky a river fish as there is to be found and are especially exciting when caught early in their upstream migration (they are spent after spawning and are therefore less challenging). But they are also of limited availability seasonally. The shad spawning run lasts only six to eight weeks in the spring. These fish often move through a river in stages or waves. They are affected by water conditions and are often not present in the same locales on a day-to-day basis.

Shad are not much for midday activity. Anglers often experience the best shad fishing in the evening, and early morning is considered prime time. The first two or three hours of the day may be the best because shad migrate upriver at night and there is a new wave of migrants in the morning, and perhaps also because of the low level of light. Shad will move during the day, however, particularly in cloudy or rainy weather. They may migrate from pool to pool or even move around in a large, slow-flowing section of water during the day, being visible on or just below the surface as they cruise en masse. Anglers frequently see this activity when the fish are on the spawning grounds and appear to be daisy-chaining, much like tarpon.

Shad typically remain in river channels, preferring deep water to the swift, riffling, shallow sections. The primary place to fish for them is in the pools. The water is slower, calmer, and deeper here than in the rest of the river, and shad primarily rest in such spots before continuing upriver. You may find a large school of fish occupying a particular pool on a given day, or you may find few or none. Sometimes, when success tapers off in a given spot, you merely need to move slightly up, down, or across the river to find action again.

Light spinning tackle is standard for shad. A 6- to 7-foot light-action rod and a spinning reel equipped with 4- to 8-pound line are best. The reel should have a smooth drag, as large shad will take varied amounts of line during the fight. Terminal gear largely consists of shad darts; a dart is a lead-bodied bucktail jig with a tapered form and slanted nose. Darts are the perennially favored shad catcher, although some anglers have success with flies, small spinners, and tiny spoons, the latter being fished less often on a bead-chain-style sinker and more commonly behind a downrigger weight.

It is usually necessary to maneuver these offerings down to the bottom, a task that is influenced by the depth of water, strength of current, weight of lure, and size of line. Shad do not feed during their spawning runs but apparently strike out of reflexive action; thus, they don't seem to go out of their way to chase a lure. The offering has to be placed in front of a fish's nose to be effective. For this reason, it's common to get hung up and to lose many lures in the pursuit of shad.

Shore anglers, waders, and those casting from anchored boats should cast across and upstream, allowing their lure to sink to the bottom, then, with the line tight, let the lure swing downstream with the current until it reaches the end of its sweep. Boat anglers either troll into the current or anchor and stillfish their lures by letting them hang in the current. In either case, approximately 75 feet of line is let out behind the boat, using a heavy enough lure (or weighting it with split shot on the line about 18 to 24 inches ahead of the lure) to present the offering just off the bottom.

Darts range in size from tiny to 1/2 ounce. Heavy versions are used in early spring, when the river is high, swift, and roily; at this time, a lot of weight is needed to keep the lure down. But heavy darts are large and may not attract fish even when they do stay down, so anglers often resort to smaller darts and add split shot; the extra weight keeps the dart down, and the smaller dart is more favorable