Piscataqua - shad!!

[b_rathen]

Fished last evening at the out-pour of an inlet along the maine side of the piscataqua river, a likely spot for schoolie stripers. hooked into a fish fairly quickly, its fight was fierce, with many strong runs. Finally landed it and it turned out to be a 15" shad!! Proceded to catch another about the same. As I continued to fish, saw some shad actually leaping right out of the water on occassion chasing bait. Was very strange, as these fish aren't usually here in mid August. Very odd. Though they are fun to catch, so no complaints!

Anyone else heard of Shad being caught? Or even Shad being around this time of the year ever before?

[Steve H.]

I've caught hickory shad in late summer off the beaches of Plum Island. From what I understand these fish are common in the area during this time until late fall. Don't know too much about them except they are smaller in size than American shad which run up many coastal rivers in the spring. I think the hickory shad that I caught were about the same as what you described.

[b_rathen]

I think you are right on, that they were Hickory Shad. I looked up the fish and from the picture it seems its the same as what I caught last night. The "hickory" color to the shoulder was the indentifier. Unfortunately just as I was lifting both that I caught to the boat they shook off, so I didn't get a really solid look at the fish - but I do recall that amber/brown color to the side of the fish.

Strange to see them up inside the Piscataqua at this time of year, but then this year really hasn't been "typical" by any stretch of the word.

[OTTER]

B-Rathen: I saw you and shouted back and forth with you Sunday night about the shad. Monday morning I used a size 10 bead head hare's ear nymph and fished it as for trout with a dead drift followed by a swing. Not counting ones that broke off, I caught and released a dozen. A great surprise to me was I also landed and released three schoolies, one 18 inches. I never thought to fish for schoolies with a nymph. And I have been fishing for 70 years! There is no end to learning when fishing.

I was back this morning in the mist and rain, had three fly rods rigged with variations, fished hard and came up empty. Is it a once in a life time kind of thing or are the shad coming back? To me the color as I got them near seemed to have a pink or violet sheen almost like a rainbow trout. They certainly jumped and ran like a rainbow or small LL salmon. I'll have to look up the shads, especially Hickory Shad. They ran about 13 to 18 inches long.

[b_rathen]

OTTER, thanks for the post, and its funny that you were the one on the shore that evening. That is really very interesting what you say, never heard of stripers taking a nymph either, perhaps it resembled a small shrimp? Who knows, it worked is what counts. I had luck on small shiny flies, I believe its called a "shad dart". Cone head, estaz wrapped around the shank, with flashabou tied like as skirt. I gave mine a bunny tail too, which it seems from this morning's successful outing, that stripers also like this little fly! Caught a dozen or so in about an hour up in Little Bay.

I don't know too much about Hickory Shad except what I've read since intentifying them after the recent catch. Here's a link I found that gives some good info:

http://www.gma.org/fogm/Pomolobus_mediocris.htm

from what is said here the fish are found all the way up to the bay of fundy, and are known to frequent the inshore waters all summer into september, though mainly around Cape Cod.

I don't know why there were here, but it was fun catching them, as you say, they fight really well. Might have been the right water temperatures, who knows.

[pipes18079]

These fish are in the Hampton harbor also I got into them hard tonight along with the schoolies most caught on top. The whole river had fish boiling like mad before dark!

why didn't you just call them about it?

[s2ary]

Shad can be suckers for crazy charlies in earthy tones with sparse sparkle.