Has anyone caught any Shad or Herring in the tail race? I know it’s still early but with this weather I was curious.
The shad circulate the area from bushy park to the (**() from thanksgiving till January you can catch the roaming. There is a article about Christmas shad.
Thanks 40incher for response. I was just curious, I know that I have seen some schools of little what looked like menhaden around the tail race. Thanks again for the info.
I bet my fish is bigger than yours…
Any reports yet?
2010 17’ JVX Carolina Skiff 40 Yamaha tiller
2002 14’ Alumacraft 30 Yamaha tiller
Saw two boats fishing yesterday morning, but don’t know their success rate. This drop in water temperature does not bode well for shad moving up yet.
I went out on Monday, and there was no sign of fish or water movement. There wasn’t even anything showing up on the fish finder. So I will give it another 2-3 weeks before I try again.
I bet my fish is bigger than yours…
I wouldn’t go for shad until the harbor temps get into the 50s atleast. The shad run is dictated by water temp. With the cold water we have the shad won’t be heading in early this year. Based off what I’ve read when the water hits 58 or 59 the run should be strong. That will probably be mid to late February.
Every year for as long as I can remember, there is always a run around Valentines Day-Presidents Day.
The shad will be moving in good when it is warm enough to make the trees start to bloom. Every year there is a clown that mentions Valentines Day on here, and every year that is about 3 weeks too early if you want to catch more than 1.
^ So True!
March is where it’s at
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.eyestrikefishing.com #predatorsstriketheeye
I’m going to show my ignorance on this topic so please forgive me. Other than a tug on the line, what’s the deal with shad fishing? Are they good table fare? What’s the deal?
“…be a man and PM me.”
They fight hard and you can catch a lot. No table fare, some freeze and use as cut bait. Some keep the roe fish and make shad roe (yuck - yes, i’ve tried it)
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.eyestrikefishing.com #predatorsstriketheeye
Most people judge things without giving them a fair chance. I ate a shad I caught and it was fine. They Filet easy and a lot of meat for 1 fish. Its a white meat with good texture and it is a little greasy and bloody but I bleed all my fish I plan to eat anyway. I think the worst fish I’ve eaten was bluefish. I’m not afraid to try stuff, worst case scenario I don’t like it
When the shad run is on its like fishing 2 to 5lb tuna on ultra lite gear. You hear drags getting pulled all over and people getting excited and fish hitting decks and coolers. I’m looking forward to the shad run.
Shad roe is the best,even better than sturgeon roe in my opinion .I got one the other day to start the new year right.Not at tail race ,a little ways down river ,hang in there fellas they’re on the way.When i drifted nets by Bessie Reeves fish camp we fried them up fresh and loved it.The bones are a pain though.
I always figured it was just the outdoor addict’s stopgap between ducks and turkeys, or late trout and early sheeps… otherwise we’re relegated to bivalves or #7 1/2’s to stave off the cabin crazy. And with 4-6lb gear, you gotta love the action.
An old man on the edisto told me if you cut the meat up the shape of French fries and fry them hot, you can’t tell there were bones there. He also said his old lady wouldn’t let him in the house because he’d eaten only shad for 4 days straight.
Ain’t nothin wrong with some eggs and eggs though, throw it on a biscuit then go shoot a squirrel or 10.
I’cr had plenty of success early, so maybe this ignorant 
has gotten lucky. Yes, it’s normally hit or miss in February, but the moon and weather will push them early sometimes. Also, Wilson’s Landing is a fun place to fish from the bank, especially during the week without crowds of people.
both shad and herring are a blast to reel in and it makes for a fast day when theyre running hard. ive tried the roe a few times and wrapped in bacon it was fairly decent, but im sure a lowcountry old timer thats worked with it a lot more than me would prepare it better than i did. you can also throw a chunk of cut bait down and pull up catfish to add into the mix as well. both shad and herring work amazing for crab bait, catfish bait, and shark bait. ive also caught several 6-7 foot sharks on a whole herring although for big sharks i prefer a whole shad. below is a picture of some of the aftermath of using shad/herring as bait.
It’s a shame so much trash is left behind at Wilson Landing, no wonder it’s now closed at night.
i hear you there! i went there a couple times last year for my annual sc trip and picked up at least a full bag of trash right near the ramp after pulling my kayak out…only to not look like i did anything at all by the end of the next trip the next day.
just an idea but perhaps a cf.com river cleanup could be organized right after the shad run? this isnt the first post ive seen by any means of frustration of trash at wilson’s landing and hopefully it would look better for the honest fisherman if we showed up in numbers to take care of the problem.
Here, here, I’m in for several bags and a transport boat. Name the date.