Don’t wait to long to enjoy the once a year American shad run on the St. Johns River. This years run has been exceptional with catches coming on fly and spinning tackle. The shad are here only during their migration when they come into the river to spawn. Experts say the shad should be around until at least mid March.
One way to locate shad is to long line troll. This method allows anglers to cover a lot of water while tracking down the migrating shad. Ultra light tackle provides angers with the most fun when hooked up to a feisty shad. They will run, jump, and take some drag on light equipment.
Anglers have had great success trolling a 1/32 or 1/16 Road Runner lures. If a couple fish are caught in the same general area anglers can anchor up and catch them by casting. Cast a brightly colored Road Runner, say pink or orange, across the current and retrieve it at different speeds until you find the one that works.
Many fly fishing anglers like to get out of the boat or kayak and wade fish for the shad. Small flies seem to work best. Change out colors if you are not getting strikes until you find the color that works best.
If you are the competitive type there is still time to enter the Shad and Crappie Derby hosted by Coastal Angler Magazine-Orlando. See the details on the Shad and Crappie Derby website.
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Angler Alert: Don’t forget to log you catch online at the Angler Action Program.
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