As I get older I can’t remember a lot of things too well. I recall some discussion last year about Shad in the rivers and much earlier than I had experienced in MD. Can’t seem to find any of those posts with a search. I want to get some Shad darts poured & painted, and need some recommendations on what weights & colors would have the most use here. I can pour most sizes.
Back in MD, when I fished for Shad with spinning tackle I used 1/8 oz or lighter most, usually with #2 or #4 hooks, unless fishing some place like the Susquehanna River, then darts up to 1/4 oz were used since the currents were stronger. Some who trolled used even heavier at times in the deeper sections of the river. Light wire hooks were fine for Hickory Shad, but most folks preferred a stronger hook for American Shad.
So, any suggestions would be appreciated. Also, what type hooks & sizes. I have molds that will take the Aberdeens, but also have molds that will take a stronger O’Shaughnessy hook.
Thanks in advance! 
I’m also going to tie some flies, but want to get the darts made first. 
I think most the ones I’ve seen used for shad here are little chartreuse green, white or pink curly tale grubs on chartreuse white or pink heads in like a 1/8oz to 1/16oz, like a inch to two. Typically the shad and herring run is from like late January thru April with the herring arriving first and the shad later. Followed by small school striper in April in May Same gear just a little larger lures. The herring like the small white sabikis and try clipping them smaller if yours are kind of big and you aren’t getting hits and tip one or 2 with the tail half of a grub for the occasional shad while herring fishing. I have had a lot of fun herring and shad fishing but never fished for or caught the mini striper run. I say mini because they are not thick in there like the herring and shad but you can catch a few and the fish are all around 18 inches for the most part from what I was told. Most the shad I caught where around 4 or 5lbs and I caught a monster that was over 6lbs and you can fill a sabiki with like 8oz herring easily. South Carolina American shad are big in general with the tailrace getting the larger ones most of the time, the information I am giving is for my experience on the tailrace canal. Get your ultra-lite, your ice rod and fly rod ready. I also recently found out that they are already here if you know where they are just not as easy to fish as when they are stacked at the dam. I plan to go this week to see if the information I found was right. Hopefully I’ll catch something if I go.
Thanks a lot for the reply & information! I plan to make some of the darts with tied tails of hair & other materials, but can certainly make jig heads for curl tail grubs too.
I’ve caught Shad in MD on grubs, fishing on safety pin type spinner & usually while targeting perch or Crappies.
I don’t use Sabaki rigs much, but do own a couple. Actually. I bought them to try the “fly” with my fly rod for panfishing. I’ve done this before, but it means cutting apart the rig, but based on your reply may have to re-think that! It’s been a long time since I’ve caught a Herring.
Please, let us know how you do with seeking the shad!
its been a bit since i made it to the tailrace but if i remember right they start showing up in reasonable numbers mid february or so (can be caught earlier of course) but theyre very easy to catch when theyre biting.
for shad i like to set up near the bank and cast out towards the middle, but i see plenty of other boats do the opposite with great success too. i rig up 2 small chartruese twister tail jigs about 18" apart with a large split shot in between them. cast slightly upstream, let it sink a few seconds, and just shut the bail. let the rig drift with the current reeling only fast enough to keep the line tight and most of the time theyll hit the last 1/3 of the drift.
for herring just anchor in the middle of the channel and drop a small sabiki to the bottom and bounce it. you should have no problem catching them 3 or 4 at a time if theyre in thick, but pelicans will try to snatch them right under your face. tailrace pelicans are fearless!
also bring a heavier rod and feel free to put out a chunk of herring as you very well might pick up some nice blue cats along the way.
good luck and hopefully see you there this spring!
I mostly fish with the 2 inch Chartreuse/metal flake curly tail grub, using 1/8 oz and even 1/4 oz jig heads, depending on current. I make Shad Darts as well with green head and chartreuse tail, in 1/16 - 1/8 and 1/4 oz.
Thanks stlhunr! Nice looking jig! Did you paint the eye? I was just discussing painted versus stick on eyes on another site with a fellow I’ve known for several years who also makes tackle.
Looks like you’ve got that talent for painting!
What is the material you’re using for the tail? I usually tie with real hair, but have some craft hair I want to try too.
OhioNavyNuke, thank you too for the reply & information! My one son lives in Charleston, he was a Nuke in the Navy. Spent 6 1/2 years & ruptured a disc in his back. He was going to make it a career, but wasn’t meant to be. He was stationed in HI, on the USS Key West. Now he’s attending the Citadel to get his degree in Electrical Engineering.
Yes, I paint the eyes. I don’t use an eye dot/bottle, I just cut tooth picks to the size eye I want, and dip in the paint and dot the eye. After all painting is done I apply a clear coat as well.
The tail is synthetic hair with a little mylar.
Cool! Yes, that’s one of the things my friend & I discussed, we both also use various things to make the eye dots on ours. I’ve used round tooth picks in the past, and have finishing nails, and both metal & wooden rods that I’ve been using for years to make different size dots for eyes. These have all been filed, ground or otherwise shaped to get the dot the way I want it. I’ve never used one of those dot bottles either.
I used to paint some jigs with enamels & clear coat with epoxy & a fine glitter. Haven’t done that in awhile. It’s not really needed on powder painted heads, but I really like how it looks.
I have several colors I’m going to try, and the green I’m going to use is a chartreuse green. That’s going to have to do, because the only other green I have is watermelon I use on bass jigs & not sure that would be a good color for shad.
Thanks for posting your dart, it really looks great!
I got started on some shad darts yesterday. Didn’t pour any, as I had found a box of heads I had poured previously. A few were not great, where the mold cavity didn’t pour completely, but for testing they’ll be fine. I had bought some powder paints in various colors that I hadn’t tried yet, so this gave me the chance to see how they looked. I’m happy with most of the colors, but a couple are not what I wanted.
Red, white, chartreuse green, yellow, orange, & pink. The red is darker than I like, and the pink not as bright as I had wanted, but I’ll tie them anyway & see how they work out. I still need to get some “wet” paint to dip them for a second color. I haven’t had very good success trying that with the powder paint.
Here’s the painted jigs. 1/8 oz with a #2 gold hook.
I’ll post them again once I have the painting complete & get them tied.