# What am I catching, shad or herring ?



## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

I don't know if these were shad or herring, but it was fun on my light line and light rod. The creek is loaded with them.


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## Hysteresis (Oct 20, 2010)

Andy I think the first one looks like a hickory shad, the middle one looks like a blueback (river) herring, and the last one looks like a baby American shad. To be honest I am just blowing smoke here and these things confuse the hell out of me too. We need a real fish biologist at P&S.


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## Ajv5148 (Mar 3, 2017)

Hysteresis said:


> Andy I think the first one looks like a hickory shad, the middle one looks like a blueback (river) herring, and the last one looks like a baby American shad. To be honest I am just blowing smoke here and these things confuse the hell out of me too. We need a real fish biologist at P&S.


I would at least agree the middle picture is a different species. I've been told hickories have a massive underbite, but that's about all I got. I agree on the biologist!


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## Jerry Norris (Oct 14, 2016)

Left and right are Hickory Shad. Shad have multiple spots that fade as they go back along the body. Center one is hard to tell but a blueback herring I think. Herring have one spot which is what the second fish seems to be.

http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/fishfacts/hickoryshad.gif

http://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/fishfacts/river_herring.gif


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

Thanks Jerry, I though you would know. The creek were I live is loaded with them. pretty easy to catch too. With all this wind It feels very cold for 1st week of April.


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## Jerry Norris (Oct 14, 2016)

You're welcome Andy. Yes, it has been very cold indeed. I have had a fire in the stove several days and it felt very good, especially on the days that it was cold and rainy. I am waiting for the Susky to drop and clear. The shad have to be there and the perch too for that matter. I love to catch shad on ultra light tackle. They don't call them "poor man's tarpon" for nothing! Enjoy them while you can, you can always catch the WP, crappie and bass after the shad are gone.


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

After two days of catching shad, I looked out the window to see frost on the roof across the street. The cold weather last night turned the shad off. Only caught one this morning. They will be back tomorrow, I think.


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## Gnatman (Sep 15, 2005)

Andy,

Herring are now illegal to keep, due to Federal Regs.
Shad are illegal to keep due to Md. regs


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## CYT (Nov 9, 2015)

look at the date of this thread......what the heck???


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## Pajigging machin (Oct 3, 2015)

I don't know what they are but I bet they make awesome cutbait


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## CYT (Nov 9, 2015)

The're all Bluebacks. Mouths are too small to be Hickories...I think.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

Yes, an older post. I'm also not sure what they are. If they're juvenile it's often hard to tell. 

I'm wondering about the remark made by Gnatman, about the closed Shad season due to "Federal Regs". The season has been closed in MD for some years, but seems it's legal to keep American Shad here in SC. Why would the feds close it in MD and not the entire coast? 

On another site, local here, some guys are already asking about whether or not anyone is catching any Shad in the tail race canal for the Santee Cooper Lakes.


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## Jerry Norris (Oct 14, 2016)

It is a Maryland closure and not federal in response to a regional population decline. Have a happy Thanksgiving.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

Thanks Jerry, that's what I thought. Hope you have a safe & blessed Thanksgiving too!


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

A moratorium was placed on both American (White) shad & hickory shad by the MD DNR following the 1972 Hurricane Agnes which completely wiped out the shad population. On Dec 26th, 2012 the MD DNR declared a moratorium on herring.


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## Jerry Norris (Oct 14, 2016)

This is from the Maryland DNR web site: "A statewide moratorium on the harvest of hickory shad in Maryland waters was implemented in 1980 in order*to*aid State and coast-wide recovery efforts.
A catch and release recreational fishery is permitted in Maryland." http://dnr.maryland.gov/Fisheries/Pages/Fish-Facts.aspx?fishname=Hickory Shad


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

Thanks Jerry, that's some good info.


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## andypat (Jan 7, 2004)

Gnatman said:


> Andy,
> 
> Herring are now illegal to keep, due to Federal Regs.
> Shad are illegal to keep due to Md. regs


----------Catch and release is allowed for shad and herring in Md. That is what I do. Try it, it's fun on light spinning.


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## Jerry Norris (Oct 14, 2016)

andypat said:


> ----------Catch and release is allowed for shad and herring in Md. That is what I do. Try it, it's fun on light spinning.


Poor man's tarpon!


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