Shad Fishing

On October 25, 2010, In Fish, Freshwater, By Avid Angler

Shad Fishing

Shad Fishing Introduction

Shad are valued as a sport fish. The male shad is an excellent game fish, showing multiple jumps and an occasional end-over-end; it has been called a “freshwater tarpon”. The pregnant female does not fight much, but is often kept for the roe. The current world record is listed by the IGFA as 11 pounds 4 ounces. The shad spends most of its life at sea, but swims up fresh rivers to spawn. The fish survive breeding and can return to the sea; they do not inhabit fresh water except to spawn. At sea, shad are schooling fish; thousands are often seen at the surface in spring, summer, and autumn. They are hard to find in the winter, as they tend to go deeper before spawning season. When planning your next Shad fishing trip visit our fishing charter directory, Shad fishing guide or Shad fishing charter page to link up with the right professional fishing charter to give you that memorable experience you have been dreaming about.

Shad Fishing Charters

Shad Fishing Locations And Seasons

Native to the East Coast, shad were transplanted to the West in the 1800′s and have flourished since. Out West, the Columbia River plays host to the largest runs followed by the Sacramento River and her main tributaries, the American, Feather and Yuba rivers. On the east coast Shad are fished from New York all the way down to Florida. n the north, April through June is when shad spawn in coastal rivers and estuaries once water temperatures have reached 58 degrees. Fishing conditions typically improve as water temperatures warm and flow decreases. Visit our shad fishing guide and shad fishing charter page to find a professional to get you on the good shad fishing.

Shad Fishing Guide

Shad Fishing Techniques

When they run upstream to spawn, shad aren’t programmed to feed, so there’s no natural food source to match when fishing for them. Spin anglers do very well with 1/2-inch chartreuse, pink, yellow and red/white mini grubs fished on 1/32- to 1/16-ounce lead head jigs. To get the jig down, splitshot is often needed about 20 inches above the lure. You can also run the same rig with small Dick Nite Spoons in the same color schemes. Cast slightly upstream and let the jig sink down to the bottom. You’ll know you have the right amount of lead when the lure lightly “ticks” the bottom. Too much lead and you’ll hand up; too little and you won’t get down where the fish are. A good outfit for shad fishing is a 6-foot ultralight rod rated for 4- to 6-pound test line and a spinning reel with a quality drag system. When planning your next Shad fishing trip visit our fishing charter directory, Shad fishing guide or Shad fishing charter page to link up with the right professional fishing charter to give you that memorable experience you have been dreaming about.

Shad Flavor And Cooking

The American or Atlantic shad is a valued food fish. It weighs between 3 and 8 pounds and has a delicate flavour when cooked. It is considered flavorful enough to not require sauces, herbs or spices. It can be boiled, filleted and fried in butter or baked. Traditionally a little vinegar is sprinkled over it on the plate. In the eastern United States roe shad (females) are prized because the eggs are considered a delicacy. Ask your shad fishing guide or shad fishing charter captain for their favorite recipe and they will usually be happy to share one with you.

Shad Fishing Charters

Shad Fishing

Most freshwater fishermen are familiar with shad – they are one of the most popular baitfish in lakes. Biologists stock them to improve forage base. While even the most casual anglers can discuss the merits of their favorite fish species such as bass, catfish or crappie, very few anglers have much to say for the lowly shad. Shad Fishing can provide a great day on the water for the angler. Visit our Shad fishing guide and Shad fishing charter service page today to find the right professional for your next Shad fishing adventure. When planning your next Shad fishing trip visit our fishing charter directory, Shad fishing guide or Shad fishing charter page to link up with the right professional fishing charter to give you that memorable experience you have been dreaming about.

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Rainbow Trout Fishing

On October 6, 2010, In Fish, Freshwater, Salmon, By Avid Angler

Rainbow Trout Fishing

Rainbow Trout Fishing Introduction

The rainbow trout is native only to the rivers and lakes of North America, west of the Rocky Mountains, but its value as a hard-fighting game fish and tasty meal has led to its introduction throughout the world. Rainbow trout, also called redband trout, are gorgeous fish, with coloring and patterns that vary widely depending on habitat, age, and spawning condition. They are torpedo-shaped and generally blue-green or yellow-green in color with a pink or red streak along their sides, white underbelly, and small black spots on their back and fins.They are members of the salmon family and, like their salmon cousins, can grow quite large. They average about 20 to 30 inches long and around 8 pounds, but can grow as long as 4 feet and weigh up to 53 pounds. When planning your next Rainbow Trout fishing trip visit our fishing charter directory or Rainbow Trout fishing charter page to link up with the right professional fishing charter to give you that memorable experience you have been dreaming about.

Rainbow Trout Fishing

Rainbow Trout Fishing Locations

Rainbow Trout prefer cool, clear rivers, streams, and lakes, though some will leave their freshwater homes and follow a river out to the sea. These migratory adults, called steelheads because they acquire more silvery markings, will spend several years in the ocean, but must return to the stream of their birth to spawn. The Rainbow Trout has been introduced for food or sport to at least 45 countries, and every continent except Antarctica. Alaska has one of the largest Rainbow Trout fisheries in the United States spawning and releasing over One Million hatchery fish every year.

Rainbow Trout Fishing

Rainbow Trout Fishing Techniques

Rainbow Trout fishing success is typically greatest in late spring after spawning and fall. Rainbow trout are voracious feeders and strong swimmers willing to hit a wide variety of lures, baits, and flies. Weighted spinners, wobbling spoons and bait (where regulations allowed) such as salmon roe or shrimp are preferred by anglers using conventional gear for Rainbow Trout. In some of the larger rivers plug fishing has become popular because it can be an effective method to fish deep fast water that is not easily fished by other methods. Rainbow trout fly fishers find that streamers, muddlers, and egg patterns fished near the bottom can be depended on to do the trick, and numerous patterns in a variety of colors will work. In some clear water rivers during mid-summer traditional dry flies such as various stone and caddis fly imitations often produce good catches. While salmon are spawning fly fishing enthusiasts employ egg patterns to enjoy what many consider to provide the best rainbow trout fishing of the year. When planning your next Rainbow Trout fishing trip visit our fishing charter directory or Rainbow Trout fishing charter page to link up with the right professional fishing charter to give you that memorable experience you have been dreaming about.

Rainbow Trout Fishing

Rainbow Trout Cooking & Flavor

Rainbow trout is popular in Western cuisine and is caught wild and farmed. It has tender flesh and a mild, somewhat nutty flavor. However, farmed trout and those taken from certain lakes have a renounced earthy flavor which many people find unappealing. Wild rainbow trout that eat scuds (freshwater shrimp), insects such as flies, and crayfish are the most appealing. Dark red/orange meat indicates that it is either an anadromous steelhead or a farmed Rainbow trout given a supplemental diet with a high fat content. The resulting pink flesh is marketed under monikers like Ruby Red or Carolina Red. Ask your Rainbow Trout guide or Rainbow Trout charter service for their favorite recipes.

Rainbow Trout Sub-Species

The Steelhead is the common name for Rainbow Trout that migrate to spend their juvenile lives in saltwater. Like Salmon, they return to their original hatching ground to spawn. Similar to Atlantic Salmon, but unlike their Pacific salmonid kin, steelhead breed many times, each time separated by months and make several spawning trips between fresh and salt water. The steelhead smolts (immature or young fish) remain in the river for about a year before heading to sea, whereas salmon typically return to the seas as smolts. Different steelhead populations migrate upriver at different times of the year. “Summer-run steelhead” migrate between May and October, before their reproductive organs are fully mature. They mature in freshwater before spawning in the spring. Most Columbia river steelhead are “summer-run”. “Winter-run steelhead” mature fully in the ocean before migrating, between November and April, and spawn shortly after returning. The maximum recorded life-span for a Steelhead (rainbow Trout) is 11 years.

Rainbow Trout Fishing

The Rainbow Trout is one of the most sought after fish species for sporting. With Rainbow Trout guides and Rainbow Trout charter services in almost every state in the United States and most of greater North America as well there is no shortage of pristine locations for Rainbow Trout fishing. From streams small enough to jump over to some of the largest rivers and lakes in the world, Rainbow Trout fishing can provide anglers with endless days of memorable fishing. Visit our Rainbow Trout guide and Rainbow Trout charter services page today to find the right guide or charter for your next Rainbow Trout fishing excursion. When planning your next Rainbow Trout fishing trip visit our fishing charter directory or Rainbow Trout fishing charter page to link up with the right professional fishing charter to give you that memorable experience you have been dreaming about.