Lake shad

[GARANDNUT]

Anyone catch and eat these. My two boys each caught nice 8 to 10 inch shad on sunday. I have never caught one or seen one until they caught them. I understand they are delicious to eat. Any of you guys intentionally fish for them?

[4thIDvet]

Good Man take kids fishin.

"Game fish by Vic Dunaway.."
All 4 great fighters for their size..

Food value.
American Shad- Good but bony..
Hickory Shad- Good but bony.
Alabama Shad- Good but bony.
Gizzard Shad- Not eaten.

We have the American Shad very highly present here, on the Saint Johns river.
All fish, cept very few are edible.
They come up river too spawn, then die like salmon.
Clean them, split them open, neck too tail, don't even bother scaling them.
Wash them down good, add spices of your choice, then smoke them.
Do not need an expensive smoker.
Use your outdoor grill, on low.
Toss in some wood chips and let smoke.
Good eatin.

[GARANDNUT]

I need to figure out where they are. We were fishing off of a TWRA pier for bass at the time using live minnows so we caught them by chance. Where is a good place to find them(down trees, rock formation, pier pilings ect.)?

[Pogo]

They "can" be eaten. But I've never known anyone who ate them. I'd eat them for survival purposes, but that's about it. I've used them for bait for catfish though.

[4thIDvet]

American Shad- caught with spinning or bait-casting rigs. Silver spoons or jigs.
Most hit near the bottom.
Hickory Shad- Same as American Shad. Most caught incidental too fishing for Bass or Speckled Perch..
Alabama Shad- Hit small jigs, spoons and flies.
Gizzard Shad- Tackle and Baits. "None productive."

I love fishing... What I do is bait up "Bream" off my dock.
Kids in the neighborhood come over and catch them.
Bait- Hot dogs Cheaper and more fillers "grain" the better.
Just tip the hook with a tiny piece.
We have a lot of game fish here, so we do not really fish for shad.
But any fish you get on a kids hook, is a good day of fishing.
Our "Astor Bass Club" was taking kids fishing, weekends once a month..
Then the insurance crap kicked in. God forbid a kid got hurt.
I would not target shad per-say..
But if the little guys catch them. Cook them and eat.
I personally "catch and release."
Took my buddies little guy out and he caught a huge catfish on a top water plug.
Little rug rat would not stop screaming till we got home and he could show his Dad.
Take a kid fishing. Who cares what yah catch.

[RTO]

4th, watch out for those gooey, slimy stink shad in the St. Johns. I've been out shrimping with a cast net and catch those nasty things.

They can sure ruin a good time if there are more of them than shrimp.

[Railbuggy]

Whats for supper?I had breaded shrimp,breaded onion rings,and chicken wings from my deep fryer.It rained here all day Sunday spoiling my fishing plans.

[Pogo]

Originally Posted by Railbuggy

Whats for supper?I had breaded shrimp,breaded onion rings,and chicken wings from my deep fryer.It rained here all day Sunday spoiling my fishing plans.

?

[10 Bears]

Originally Posted by Railbuggy

Whats for supper?I had breaded shrimp,breaded onion rings,and chicken wings from my deep fryer.It rained here all day Sunday spoiling my fishing plans.

Huh?

[Rew]

Originally Posted by RTO

4th, watch out for those gooey, slimy stink shad in the St. Johns. I've been out shrimping with a cast net and catch those nasty things.

They can sure ruin a good time if there are more of them than shrimp.

for shrimp? I never thought of that. Cast netted for Mullet with my grand fathers net. Threw my own smaller weave net for bait fish. Wish I'd thought of shrimp, bet my bait net would have been perfect for that. I've caught shad but like Pogo, we used tham for bait.

[4thIDvet]

The St. Johns flows south too north, one of only a few rivers in the world that do.
A sea dweller that comes up the river too spawn remember.
The gooey "stink shad" starts when the spawning begins.
Their essentially dying.
We use them for crab bait.
Like the "Striped Mullet." Caught on the Gulf Coast, they taste like filet of sole.
Also the "White Mullet" great eating caught on the coasts.
Cook mullet caught in the St. Johns river, you have too fumigate your home.
But some people like them.
Like the shad though, smoked their some excellent eating.

[10 Bears]

Originally Posted by 4thIDvet

The St. Johns flows south too north, one of only a few rivers in the world that do.
A sea dweller that comes up the river too spawn remember.
The gooey "stink shad" starts when the spawning begins.
Their essentially dying.
We use them for crab bait.
Like the "Striped Mullet." Caught on the Gulf Coast, they taste like filet of sole.
Also the "White Mullet" great eating caught on the coasts.
Cook mullet caught in the St. Johns river, you have too fumigate your home.
But some people like them.
Like the shad though, smoked their some excellent eating.

I live near a 'North Flowing River.'
It makes a long trip though, before it finalizes it's journey North.

"The Snake River" finally empties into the Columbia, which travels West.

[Railbuggy]

The Licking River in Ky flows north and emptys into the Ohio next to Covington and Newport.Wonder what % of US rivers flow north?Did you take your meds today?

[Rew]

I'm in the process of taking my meds, whats it to you?

[Czubek]

Brian