In this episode, TJ and I demonstrate how to find shad in the winter and then catch them with a cast net. This method will work in the fall as well or as long as the water is cold.
I never had a boat without sonar. However, I didn’t always need it to catch them, it depends on the season. In the winter, it can be really hard because they go deep and you do need sonar to know where they are. In the warmer seasons, look for them as they flip on the surface inside marinas or creeks. They usually flip at sunrise in shallower water. When you see it, move in stealthily as they spook easily in shallow water and throw your cast net where you see the flips. Another technique is look for large flocks of water birds like cormorants or pelicans. They’re usually near the shad or actively hunting them.
Great net work!
Thanks! It took me a lot of practice time to get the technique down.
Very Nice
Thanks
So how did you find them before sonar?
I never had a boat without sonar. However, I didn’t always need it to catch them, it depends on the season. In the winter, it can be really hard because they go deep and you do need sonar to know where they are. In the warmer seasons, look for them as they flip on the surface inside marinas or creeks. They usually flip at sunrise in shallower water. When you see it, move in stealthily as they spook easily in shallow water and throw your cast net where you see the flips. Another technique is look for large flocks of water birds like cormorants or pelicans. They’re usually near the shad or actively hunting them.