Shad, it's NOT for dinner

I think the shad offspring are being devoured by the Striper's.

Small shad make excellent striper bait.
 
You hit it on the nose. They are using a number from the 80's when the stripers were at a low. Now that they are returning they need to eat, shad being the easy meal for them. Next we will be hearing catch and release for eel since they are dropping off as well. Oh thats right, stripers eat them as well.

Quess that means another striper run with limited bait available again. Wont be able to get any shad and with catch and release wont be able to go for fresh. Im not sure if last years program of live bait having to come from same water source is still going on so herring can be a problem as well. No choice for us other than blood worms or trolling which we dont do often on the river.

Oh well...If they have nothing to do they will find a reason we wont be able to do the striper run...
 
The biggest challenge to the herring and shad stocks are the off shore commercial fishermen who consider them by-catch or sell them for whatever non-table grade fish can be sold for.

Given game fish status like the stripers have earned in most states (now nationally) the herring and shad populations would have no problem keeping up with the stripers. But as a food source for the ever growing population of stripers plus the fishing is really doing major damage.

Darn shame. I always manage to catch a striper or two on big chunks or slaps of shad up here and they are a lot of fun to catch when the striper bite is off. At least we can still fish for them, even if it is catch and release only.

We will be in serious trouble as sportsmen if they put the nix on the herring on the Hudson though!
 
I'll do my part to save the Shad by boating and eating my share of Bass. As many as I can keep, I'm gonna keep and eat.

That's some great table fare and a blast to catch.
 
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