I don’t know about you but for me at least, the first three weeks in February is our winter here in the lowcountry. Maybe it will be different this year but if history repeats itself, February usually means the coldest water temperatures of the year and cloudy gray days. So what can avid anglers like myself do to quell our urge to go fishing?
I struggled with this dilemma for years until I found an alternative to chasing lockjaw redfish and an occasional sheepshead. American Shad! Shad you say, around here? If you hailed from Delaware or somewhere thereabouts, then you know that shad fishing is a huge sport with anglers elbow to elbow on the rivers as the shad migrate upstream to spawn. Actually a member of the tarpon family, shad are an absolute hoot to catch on light tackle. They make blistering runs like a tarpon, jump like a tarpon and because they have wafer thin mouths, they can easily spit a hook if the angler horses them at all.
So where do you find them? Rivers like the Diversion Canal just below Lake Moultrie are full of shad as are the Savannah and Ogeechee Rivers. Usually beginning around Valentine’s Day, shad begin their epic journey up these fast flowing rivers and amazingly this journey begins in the ocean and ends in waters that are 100% fresh water.
So how do you catch them? It will take some prospecting but it is really fairly easy. Using ultra light spinning gear loaded with six or eight pound test monofilament, you troll into the current as slow as your boat will go. It used to be that shad fisherman used a lure called a “shad dart” but I have found that small chartreuse screwtails with glitter specks in them and small gold spoons out fish shad darts every time. To keep thee small lures down, I use 1/4oz. to 1/2oz. trolling weights (depending on the current’s speed) with a two-foot leader.
Shad love to find spots along the shoreline that act as eddies, especially behind fallen trees. The smaller shad, maybe 1-2 pounds are the males (Bucks) but the females (I call “Sally’s) can reach six pounds or more. The roe sacks in these females are pure gold in my book. Dosed in flour and sautéed in butter and often served with bacon, shad roe is absolutely fabulous. Very rich, it’s not something you will eat every day but to me at least, it is as fine as it gets.
February is also the month when you should start getting ready for the fishing season to kick into high gear. Pull out your rods and reels, dump that old line off your reels, oil them and put new line on. There is nothing worse than heading out for that first trip of the year, finding a wad of fish and “ping!” the line pops on every fish. This is especially true if you store your rods outside in the garage where they are subject to cold weather. Another mistake many fisherman make when they put up there rods is when they don’t back the drag off on the reels. The drag plates wear down and often freeze in place. So get your gear in shape for the upcoming season and give shad fishing a try. Take it from me, it’s a great way to scratch that February fishing itch!
By Collins Doughtie