There are two species of Shad that spawn in the St. Johns: The American Shad (the much larger of the two) and the Hickory Shad. The more compact males will operate from twelve to fifteen inches whereas the females can achieve up to 5 lbs and up to 26" in duration. An average feminine will run 22 to 23 inches in length and weigh about four lbs.
The Shad are not thick in the river until close to the 1st week in Feb. It is at this time you can begin fishing upstream (south of) St Road 46 at Lee's crossing, specifically around the mouth of the Econolohatchi River (Econ for short) exactly where it empties into the St. Johns. The fish are continually there like clock labor and with the proper flies or jigs 1 can be expecting to catch dozens of fish in a few several hours of fishing.
The Econ has good shad fishing with a mile or additional of grassy banking institutions to fish from and or places to wade. There are no trees and the fly fisherman will discover the fly-fishing very similar to meadow stream fishing in the west. A great deal of Shad spawn in the Econ with the most beneficial fishing coming in early February.
A four or 5 excess fat fly rod 7.6 to eight feet extended will serve you very well loaded with a fat forward floating line. I also carry a amount one particular sinking line (bone fish line) just in circumstance the river arrives up from rain. I personally prefer to fish a sinking line considering a sinking line is easier to forged into the wind and it will get the fly down into the present-day more rapidly.
My popular set up is a three piece 4 body weight, eight feet extended. A nine-foot leader ending with a 3x tippet is what I use. Seldom will you break off a fish with 3x tippet until you get extremely energized. You can even go to a 2x if you desire. Shad are not leader shy.
When the wind is just cranking (20 knots or far more), fly-fishing can be a challenge primarily if you have to forged into the wind. What I do then is consider off my fly reel and place on an ultra-light spinning reel loaded with 4lb check mono and fish one/eight when jigs. I use swimming grubs in the similar colors as my flies. Ideally use jigs with red or chartreuse heads. Plain lead headed jigs perform well with smoke colored grubs.
The most standard method is to cast across present-day and swim and or jig the fly down stream. If a fish "boils" cast upstream of the "boil" and swim the fly thru the "boil". A "boil" is when the shad swim up towards the surface to just take a minnow and just previous to breaking the surface of the water it will begin back again down. The motion of turning at or in close proximity to the surface of the drinking water is what can make the disturbance (boil).
Shad like to spawn in four to 6 ft of h2o on a sandy gravelly bottom with about a 4 mph up-to-date. Still, prior to they reach their spawning space and when they are migrating up stream look for shad in the subsequent locations:
- Wherever you see birds diving to just take minnows.
- Swiftly recent locations.
- Wherever two currents come with each other.
- Major pools. These are resting areas for the shad.
- Eddy lines shaped by fast shifting currents along banking institutions.
- The tail stops of prolonged wide runs just where the drinking water depth is spawning depth.
- The head of runs mainly if the h2o is dropping off a shelf.
- Eddy lines formed together the foundation of tree roots in particular if there is a lot of ongoing.
- Shad "washing" exercise. Hundreds of fish all "boiling" the surface at the exact same time.
All my fly patterns are tied in the Clouser fashion except for the Shad Buster. Dimensions 6's and 4's on a Mustad 34007 hook (or its equal). Eyes are lead medium dumbbell in Red or White. Colors: White, Pink, Chartreuse, Smoke, Gold, and Silver. Tie in lead eyes, wrap the physique and tie in a wing. The wing really should extend at least halt the length of the shape shaft previous the bend of the hook. The completed more than all duration will be one one/2 inch.
I generally begin the process of with an all white pattern or my Shad Buster. Chartreuse is my go to color considering it catches all: bluegills, specs, and bass, in addition to shad.
I use a gold pattern when there is bright sun and or throughout the center of the day. My silver shadfly is a person of all those flies that shad just like to try to eat. I seldom catch bluegills or specs on it, but shad will consume it any time. If I'm catching quite a lot of bluegills and specs and want only to catch shad I will switch to my silver pattern.
Biologist will tell you that Shad do not consume when they come into the river out of the ocean. But I can inform you lacking a shadow of a doubt, I have witnessed Shad consume and chase minnows. When a Shad "boils" the surface area it can be for the reason that it truly is chasing when a minnow.
My "Shad Buster" pattern: Not a Clouser style. This pattern has a lot of motion in addition to flash and is a dependable fish producer.
Hook: Mustad 34007 size four.
Eyes: Big silver bead chain.
Physique: Pink crystal braid or crystal chenille.
Tail: White marabou.
Collar: White spade feathers, 3 turns in front of eyes. The feather barbules have to extend again to the bend of the hook.
By the way did I point out that the Shads Latin name Alosa sapidissimasuggests: signifies "most delightful fish". Both the yellow and white roe are scrumptious. And if you have do not ever eaten smoked shad do on your own a favor and check out it. It's going to sustain you coming back again.
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