Comments on: Shad and Stripers – Catching the Run

By: codfish

codfish — Sat, 30 May 2009 12:11:44 +0000

Love the idea of American maple syrup on the shad, whether the smoking worked out or not, sounds so patriotic.

The area that I live in celebrates shad season with an annual shad festival; which, unfortunately, is a pretty dreary affair nowadays (all commercialized and without much shad present) but all the old guys tell me about the times when the shad festival was all about fishing shad and the Native American guys would come to show everyone the best ways to fish it and all the people up on shore would cook for the town, with lots of music and dancing. We’re thinking to start a campaign going to get us back to that kind of festival, so we’ll see.

By: Garrett

Garrett — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:22:46 +0000

The roe was amazing! Prepared just the way you say it was an amazing meal! Thanks Hank!

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:20:32 +0000

You know, I may know some earlier dates for stripers, really close to home…

As for shad, I’ve had bad luck so far. I hope to do better soon, though. You keep inspiring/frustrating me.

By: kindred spirit

kindred spirit — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:39:02 +0000

Damnation if y’all can’t take a pretty picture of a dead fish! What a great frame for that striper. That kind of art doesn’t happen accidentally. Just another layer of excellence to this blog.

By: hank

hank — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:44:43 +0000

Bushwacker: Breakfasts were once VERY regional: Fried oysters on Long Island, NY and salted herring and cormeal pancackes in Tidewater, Virginia, are just two examples. Why fish fell from favor as a breakfast food is a mystery to me. Maybe it is a breath thing? Fishy breath for work is not so good…

Fishguy: Ever found a way to deal with sorrel where it does NOT turn olive drab instantly? Love the plant, hate that color.

Lang: You will have to send me some “shad on a shingle.”

Wishbone: My luck won’t change on stripers until I hit the SF Bay in July. Then we’ll see…

Lynn: Fish for shad with casting gear and small jig heads with chartreuse grubs attached. Go find a line of anglers on the American River and join them; try Howe Ave. Don’t bother going out until 5 p.m., though — shad like the last hours of daylight.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:53:48 +0000

Reading about your adventure reminds me of fishing with my dad when I was young. I’d get up with him at the crack of dawn and off we’d go. I’m not familiar with Shad but will need to seek it out. Any suggestions where in Sac?

By: Lang

Lang — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:43:35 +0000

Good action on the striper. I’ll be heading down to the Columbia for my annual shad trip in a couple weeks. No limits: It’s like a throwback to the days of yore. Mostly I smoke mine. A little pineapple juice in a standard brine gives them a bright, tropical flavor. There’s a fishmonger near Portland that will smoke and pressure-can your fish, rendering the bones soft. For a fee, of course.

By: wishbone

wishbone — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:29:29 +0000

Nice job on the shad. Smoking shad using maple syrup, and then making shad cakes sounds delicious! Hope your luck changes on the stripers.

By: fishguy

fishguy — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:19:36 +0000

Hank,
Great story and pics. Makes me want to go out to the garden and pick a bunch of Sorrel – great w/shad. Our shad run (and striper run) in VA is about over. We catch a lot more hickory shad than Americans now but are hoping that the American shad will recover. Keep fishin!