Some outstanding fishing is occurring on the St. Johns River during the annual shad spawning run. Many of the anglers are participating in a three month long catch photo and release (CPR) derby. The derby is free to all anglers and all they have to do is register at participating derby sponsor sign-up locations.
American and Hickory shad are an anadromous species that return to the St. Johns River every spring to spawn. Think of this as being similar to the salmon runs that occur in the northeastern and northwestern coasts of North America.
It is a little hard to believe, but experts say the shad are not biting to eat, but rather out of aggression. Anglers can use small jigs and flies to do quite well catching shad. One lure in particular that has found good success this year is the Road Runner lures from TTI Blakemore. Either the very small 1/32 ounce or the 1/16 ounce have been very productive. Pink and orange colors have both been reported as good color choices.
One of the most popular methods for catching shad is to use light tackle while trolling the lures behind a boat at about 1.2 miles per hour for a sure hookup. Troll 3 or 4 lines to increase productivity. If the shad seems to be particularly large, have a partner clear all the other trolling lines to avoid messy tangles. If you leave them out with a big shad on it is sure to tangle them all before coming to the boat.
Flyfishing anglers also do well with small brighly colored flies.
Anglers can take advantage of this unusual fishing opportunity each year from around January through March. Anglers wishing to join in the fun with the Shad and Crappie Derby have until March 15 to log into and upload their photos to www.cfshadderby.com. All photos must be taken using the official derby measuring device and include the official derby sponsor token which can be picked up for free at participating sponsors.
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Angler Alert: Don’t forget to log you catch online at the Angler Action Program.
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