Where are the Shad?

[bunkerjoe4]

Where are the Shad?

Folks, I haven’t touched on the spring shad run in the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers, but it hasn’t been that spectacular this year. I reported that guys were catching them, and when, in my reports. However, most of the people doing the catching were die-hard anglers who target them every year. Many others have gone fishing for them, and have been disappointed.

Now, one year of poor fishing is nothing to raise a fire alarm about, and I want to make this clear to people. There are many reasons why we could have a poor run:

• Cyclical nature of fishing
• Less than optimal weather conditions, ie. Too hot, cold, or rainy. Different streamflow or ocean current conditions as a result of the weather.
• A poor birth rate in the past year or years can contribute to a poor “year class” which affects biomass down the road.
• Predators and disturbances preventing eggs from being fertilized.
• More people targeting them (This is the possibility that few want to talk about, because it promotes strong opinions on both sides, and on many boards ends up with insults or bad feelings.)
• More people joining the community of fishermen, which means more people are fishing overall, or have started to target that species. There is nothing wrong with this. It’s a free country, and every who wants to fish should have the right to do so. However, greater participation by new anglers will probably affect the biomass in years ahead, and we should start talking about how better to share our precious resources.

I decided to begin these specific threads in response feedback about the fishing reports. Some people said: “Joe, how can you be so positive in your WIR reports each week if many people, especially those who don’t have a boat, are going out and catching nothing each time?”

One response to that is they are not fishing at the right times.

In the case of shad, you really need to fish at times when the tide and light conditions are optimal. All other things being equal, you should catch more shad on a cloudy day than a sunny day, unless you are fishing right before a big storm, which changes barometric pressure, and sometimes puts the bite off.

Also, if the current is too strong in the rivers due to rainwater runoff, conditions will be less than optimal. If you can get the right condition of outgoing tide, current, and light, your chances are better.

Unfortunately, many people can’t time all these conditions for optimal effectiveness. We all have jobs, family responsibilities, and other commitments. We fish when we can.

Another response is that the healthy bass populations are eating more shad, which affects the biomass overall. It’s interesting to note that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. A diehard shad fisherman will tell you the shad numbers are down. They will cite many possibilities for this, and the question of whether striped bass eat too many shad comes up time and time again.

A diehard striped bass fisherman, particularly if they have been fishing for decades, will also grudgingly admit that the bass numbers are “possibly” down, and cite many different reasons why they think this is true.

We all have reasons for arriving at different conclusions, and everyone has a right to their opinion. It’s extremely difficult to prove, with science, which opinion is more valid than another.

If you are getting skunked when you fish for striped bass and bluefish from the surf, here is some helpful info:
Large predators, particularly striped bass, are low light feeders that feed predominantly at sunrise, dusk, and in the night. You will always have situations where people catch big striped bass and bluefish in the daytime. However, these mostly involve times where there predators are coaxed into a frenzy by the presence of large bait schools, particularly large bunker schools.
The continued presence of healthy bunker does more to help promote surf fishing than many other factors. Without bunker, pickings would be mighty slim, and some people might give up fishing for good.

I addressed these possibilities to help people catch more fish, but I also want to address the most serious (and hardest to prove) possibility:

What if there are not “more fish” to catch?


What if we are really making a difference in the fish population, and will not know the scientific truth for a few years? Is it pointless to try to talk about it now?

I’m putting this out there for anglers who want to spend a little time, research this topic, learn from the research, and form their own opinions. If I can get you folks to think about these possibilities, even if you disagree in the end, I will have done my job.

We, as anglers and sportsmen, represent a HUGE lobby that could get many things done, if we could all agree at the same time on one or more issues. Yet, we are highly fractionalized into many different groups and clubs.

Some of these groups feel they should not get involved in something if another group is supporting it. Others, who have less than a decade fishing experience, haven’t seen the vast changes that can occur in our different fisheries.

All I’m asking is for people to do some research, educate themselves, and get more involved, before the well-organized members of the PEW trust get involved and try to take our choices away.

(If you have never heard of the PEW Trust, google them and learn how they are behind many of the MPAs and Marine closures in this country.) They also cleverly try to work behind the scenes by putting out money for scientific research, done by "fishermen". this allows every piece of material they publish to have an air of legitimacy. I do not have enough info to stand up and challenge their methods. However, it's my opinion that they are very clever in getting involved "behind the scenes" so people who suspect their goal is to restrict fishing will not sound the alarm.

This info took a long time to put together for you folks. I will continue to provide threads like this when I can, because I feel it's worth it to raise awareness. I also welcome comment from any people who can give us proof of positive things organizations like the PEW trust has done for fishermen. Democratic debate encouraged here.

[bunkerjoe4]

Here are some of the comments posted in www.woofish.com. Remember that some of these guys have decades of experience fishing for shad. They seem to feel that the striped bass population is at an all-time high.

Some years ago, I might not had enough of a perspective, or the maturity, to listen to what they had to say. However, it does seem the shad population is declining, if you take the time to sift through the scientific reports.

I don't know if striped bass is the single highest cause of the shad numbers declining, as they claim, but their logic makes sense, at least partially.

Here's the dilemma: How can you have declining striped bass, and shad population, at the same time?.

Does the acceptance of one assumption negate the other?

I don't have the answers, but thought all these issues should be brought up for debate by fishermen, before legislators backed by special interest groups decide "they" know what's best for us.

Following are the comments:

[bunkerjoe4]

Comments from people on shad fishing 2008:
(taken from www.woofish.com This is a great site run by a guy who does an exceptional job of putting shad fishing reports out there. Visit it when you get a chance.)

New_Hips

Thursday, 5/29/08, 12:22 PM

How bad is the shad? Small run raises conservation concerns Wednesday, May 28, 2008

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS Steve Meserve's numbers tell the story. With the celebrated American shad run finished in the Delaware River, Meserve's catch count is down this year. Way down. Meserve and his family run Lewis Fishery in Lambertville, the only licensed shad fishery on the Delaware River. The eight- to 10-week run will wrap up this week with the fishery's last haul. So far, it has netted a total of 70 keepers -- down from 500 five years ago and thousands in the early 1990s. "We're not catching as many fish as we used to. I can say that with confidence," said Meserve, whose family has been running the fishery since 1888. "They're not there. And we're doing it the same way we've been doing it for decades."

The shad's decline up and down the East Coast has alarmed biologists and led to calls for new fishing limits or moratoriums to protect the silvery, oily fish once so common it was a staple of the Colonial- era American diet. Shad, which swim upstream from the Atlantic Ocean to spawn, are the subject of much pomp in the Easton area, where a fishing tournament and parade is held each spring on the Delaware.

Pic Schoenek says while the numbers caught may be down somewhat, so are the numbers of anglers since the tournament began 26 years ago. She said she hasn't noticed a significant drop-off in fish. "I didn't see any less shad come into the weigh station, although I'm not out there counting them," said Schoenek, executive director of the Forks of the Delaware Shad Fishing Tournament. "The guys are saying it's harder to fish for the shad, but by the same respect, they're seeing them coming through on their fish finders. They're just not able to catch them. The numbers are still coming through."

On the Susquehanna River, which stretches from Maryland into central Pennsylvania, scientists say the shad population has dropped more than 90 percent over the past seven years. Researchers in Maryland count shad in April and May as the fish swim through a fish elevator that allows them to pass over a dam in Harford County to go upstream to spawn.

"We've seen decreases in American shad at fish lifts all along the East Coast, suggesting it's not just at the Conowingo Dam," said Erica Robbins, fisheries management plan coordinator at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. Fishing for the species is already banned in Maryland and in some Pennsylvania waters, but not in New Jersey, Delaware, North Carolina and other states.

The fisheries commission, which coordinates conservation and management for 15 Atlantic coast states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is planning public hearings to consider whether uniform restrictions are needed. Meserve said he wouldn't necessarily be opposed to such a move, though some anglers in pursuit of the tough-fighting fish likely would say otherwise. "Those guys catch way more shad than I do," Meserve said. "They're out there all the time." /// Uniform restrictions being planned; anglers and netters (at least the one in this article) conceding this already.




Tom M

Wednesday, 5/28/08, 8:32 PM

There is an article in todays (5/28) Williamsport Sun-Gazette about the Shad population in the Susquehanna has dropped more than 90% over the last 7 years. This number is based on the Conowingo Dam lift count managed by "the same fisheries biologist for decades". He notes the increase in striped bass and the correlation in the shad population decline. Other "experts" argue to the contrary, and it also speaks of this problem in other east coast rivers. Check it out at www.sungazette.com although it's not our Delaware it does provide more statistics and names of "experts". Hope this helps our cause.













Mark B.

Tuesday, 5/27/08, 12:31 PM

Victor A. Crecco (860) 447-4332 victor.crecco@po.state.ct.us with the state of Connecticut's Marine Fisheries is a big proponent of the resurgent striped bass population's predation on A. shad & river herring. He's on, or has been on, ASMFC's techical committee for all of the above species. Often, political stuff +/or infighting quashes such views. You should probably contact him.



WG

Tuesday, 5/27/08, 11:33 AM

I just spoke with Erika Robbins (noted at the bottom ofMark B's last comment) and spoke at length of the shadpopulation, stripers, etc......also about commentscoming from a group like DRSFA or individuals. She said all comments will be regarded, and that a group effort should include the number of people they represent (membership #'s). Guys, we all need to make our thought known to this agency, as they are at least trying to addres the problem!!......however, she did state that they dont see a correlation between the rise in striper population with the decline in shad numbers????.....I let her know that IMHO there most certainly was a correlation!!......come on guys help out! Pappy look for an email from me!




tom

Sunday, 5/25/08, 4:45 PM

Lets face it ,the shad numbers are way down. I've been fishing for these fish since 1975 and have not seen it this bad. There are much less fishermen onthe river but this might be that many of the old timers are passing away or possibly many are discouraged by the lack of success. No matter what the State says the stripers are wiping out the young shad. They can deny ,deny and deny but we the regulars know whats going on. Woo was smart and moved away at the right time.

I fish between the bay and the gap and its getting to the point where I'll pass up the gap. Those blow hards who are catching some fish in there boats are staying out for 10 hrs including punola and are not telling you about having 6 rods out while sleeping thru drifts.he fishing stinks an won't get better until they get rid of stripers and it will take about 3 yrs after that to get back to where it should be.Stick with smallmouth bass as the river is loaded with them and no one cares.

[bunkerjoe4]

tom

Saturday, 5/24/08, 5:58 PM

Fished milford this morning from 6 - 9am . Not one hit. Only saw 1 other person fishing from shore. Only 2 boats arrived during this period. I think i am done shad fishing on the delaware. There are no fish here anymore. Usually this time of year there is alot of activity with the shad splashing the surface and there should be dead ones floating down river after spawning. I am not going to waste my time driving to the river. I have been coming here since 1981 and the last four years have been getting progressively worse.




Stuart

Thursday, 5/22/08, 6:47 PM

5/22 Fished south of Dingmans Bridge from both sides of the river. Using a noodle rod that covers alot of ground. No shad, one bass. I remember the good old days of shad fishing when a bad day was 11 and a good day was 18. I am begining to wonder if it is worth the 4 hours of driving to go shad fishing anymore. I used to drive 8 hours to fish Hancock in May and June. Back then it was worth it. Now it is hardly worth it to drive 4 hours to the Delaware Gap. Used to always see at least 5 or more Shad fisherman where ever you fished. Now you don't see anyone else fishing and very few boats in the river.



Mark B.

Thursday, 5/22/08, 12:28 PM

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Shad & River Herring Management Board has approved the release of the Public Information Document (PID) for Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Shad and River Herring for public review and comment

. As the first step in the development of an amendment, the PID presents a broad overview of the affecting American shad. It provides the public with the opportunity to tell the Commission about changes observed in the fishery; things that should or should not be done in terms of management, regulation, enforcement, research, development, and enhancement; and any other concerns about the resource or the fishery.

The PID can be obtained via the Commission's website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News. It is anticipated that several of coastal states will be conducting public meetings on the PID; information on those meetings will be released once they become finalized.

*****The PID and subsequent amendment are being developed in response to the findings of the 2007 benchmark stock assessment for American shad, which indicates that American shad stocks are currently at all-time lows and do not appear to be recovering.

Specific issues addressed in the PID are (1) incorporating the biological reference points and stock restoration goals identified in the 2007 benchmark stock assessment; (2) not increasing directed fisheries for American shad; and (3) restricting fisheries operating on stocks where total mortality is increasing and relative abundance is decreasing.

The PID has been developed to address these issues by seeking public comment on the restoration of American shad fisheries and American shad fisheries management. Following the initial phase of information- gathering and public comment, the Commission will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop a draft amendment for public review. Following that review and public comment, the Commission will specify the management measures to be included in the final amendment. A tentative schedule for the completion of the Amendment 3 is included in PID. Fishermen and other interested groups are encouraged to provide input on the PID, either through attending public hearings or providing written comments.

Copies can be obtained by contacting the Commission at (202) 289-6400 or via the Commission's website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News. Public comment will be accepted until 5:00 PM on July 25, 2008 and should be forwarded to Erika Robbins, Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator, 1444 'Eye' Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 289-6051 (FAX) or at comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: American Shad).

For more information, please contact Erika Robbins at (202) 289-6400. *************************
Tina Berger Public Affairs Specialist Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 1444 I Street. NW, Sixth Floor Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202)289-6400 FAX: (202)289-6051 Email: tberger@asmfc.org www.asmfc.org




Mark B.

Wednesday, 5/21/08, 5:05 AM

Lewis has been doing poorly. His "big" haul was 16 A. shad. I believe, as does Pappy, that the recent floods altered the shads' migration route there. That, in combination with the overall reduced population, is very frustrating for Steve. He's doing everything his grandfather did. The warm up starting this Sat., should get 'em hitting!




Mark B.

Tuesday, 5/20/08, 5:30 AM

cold / cool weather = shad lockjaw

[bunkerjoe4]

shaddummy

Monday, 5/19/08, 11:50 AM

This is my first year fishing for shad. I've been out 8 times this year fishing several spots from 1/2 mile above Easton to just north of Belvedere. Fished spoons and darts. Total of about 24 hours of fishing all from shore/wading. I've yet to even get a hit from a shad let alone hook one. Not only that, but I've yet to see anyone catch a shad from the shore or wading while I've been fishing. Ive seen a total of about 8 shad caught from boats during those 24 hours of fishing. Those have been my observations. I guess I'm never in the right place at the right time. I'd pay $50 for someone to tell me where I can catch one of these elusive fish....












Riverwolf

Monday, 5/19/08, 10:09 AM

WG, still have to disagree with you. I've been out 2to 3 times a week since the middle of April and haven't been skunked yet. This is one of the best years that I've had in the last few years. Yea, the numbers are down from the early eighties, anyone remmember, 25 to 30 fish days were common. The fish are there just not in the same places as before. Everyone, fish the FAST WATER you'll pick up fish.



Capt. Alex Craig

Thursday, 5/15/08, 8:08 AM

Mike & I fished a spot north of Shawnee again that has produced very well for us in the past. We fished hard from 9:00 AM until 7:00 PM. Mike went 2 for 4 and I went 2 for 3. At first we thought it might be a decent day as all the action was in the AM. It was a verrrrrryyy looooonnnggg afternoon. There is little doubt that has been the toughest year yet for shad in the 30+ years I've been chasin' the critters.




Mother of all Shads

Wednesday, 5/14/08, 10:18 AM

Talk, talk, talk,................it is good, but you must direct it to ones who set all the regs. that the States must follow : The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission http://www.asmfc.org/ There are avenues for public comment on the above web site. They also hold public meetings, welcoming comments.



WG

Tuesday, 5/13/08, 6:18 AM

WOW, there is a ton of documentation of striper predation on Atlantic Salmon on the net, a species that is Endangered!!......Look at the following article that documents the 10X increase in stripers population that directly correlates with the decline in shad (and everthing else!!)..... Anadromous populations of striped bass occur along the Atlantic coast of the US from Maine to North Carolina. Recruitment overfishing and declining water quality led to substantial reductions in striped bass abundance during the 1970s and 1980s. Cooperative interstate fishery management of striped bass began in 1981, with the development of a fishery management plan by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, an organization of Atlantic coastal states. Effective fishery management and additional research and monitoring contributed to a tenfold increase in abundance of striped bass stocks by the late 1990s. This dramatic increase resulted in increased predation on a variety of anadromous fish species including American shad, blueback herring, and alewives. Predation by striped bass on Atlantic salmon smolts in North America has been documented, but the impact of this predation has not been quantified. Moderate to strong correlations were found between estimates of striped bass abundance and the return of Atlantic salmon to three of the four major New England salmon rivers. Further research is required to quantify the proportion of smolt production consumed by striped bass, particularly for salmon populations listed as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act.




River Rat

Monday, 5/12/08, 6:31 PM

WG, one thing that you forget to consider is how much impact the commercial netters have had on the runs. I never dismissed the fact that the stripers eat plenty of shad (both adults and juvenile). However, you can't ignore the fact that the commercial guy's really started overfishing the shad once the stripers were declared a gamefish back in the early 90's. If you look at the hydroacustic numbers for the Delaware, they dropped 4 fold for the late runners during the time period following the moratorium. I believe that the situation that we have now is depleted run that is being further stressed by the over exploding striper population. My opinion: There needs to be more balance in the fisheries, We need to take out more of the smaller bass, this is where I am definitely in favor of a "slot fish" type of harvest. However, we need to reduce the population so not only to allow the shad to return but to allow balance between the two species. Let me know what I can do to get more involved. Rat.



River Rat

Sunday, 5/11/08, 7:26 PM

Pappy, I couldn't agree with you more! I said it once and I will say it again: POLITICS AND CONSERVATION DON'T MIX! The entire fishery up and down the east cost is unbalanced and mismanaged! Anyone who understands the ecosystem knows that once the population exceeds the amount that the environment can support the entire population suffers. That's what is happening to the bass! I fish for the strippers as much as I do the shad and I can tell you that there has been a steady decline int the number of the bigger fish. The 25 + lb bass have disappeared! Bottom line, No shad, no herring NO FOOD! Same goes with other species like whitetail deer. Too many deer + not enough food = undernourished hear subject to disease! If we don't do something soon we will be trying to reestablish both the shad and the bass. (Mark I hope you read this!) That brings me to my next point. I started posting on this site about 4 years ago, at that time I argued the point that the shad were in great decline mainly in the Delaware. However, there were several post's for rebuttal that there were "plenty of shad" in the river. ARE WE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE NOW! Rat

[bunkerjoe4]

Pappy

Sunday, 5/11/08, 6:17 PM

Fact:Stripers is a 6 Billion dollar industry and the Am. Shad is a 3 million dollar industry. so you just know who wins out with the states and the agencys..But River Rat your right, what happens to them when the forage food runs out.. their {ASMFC} is worrying now that the striper are not getting big and what is reported to be in bad health.with millions of striper fighting for food, one would think that some or most fish would be in poor health.. I feel sorry for them,,Sure I do..If the striper guys want bigger fish than the smaller ones should be harvested so they wont compete for the forage fish...Hey Mr. Savoy and Mr.Crecco..lower the size and raise the creel limit on these SEB..Pappy





Pappy

Sunday, 5/11/08, 8:25 AM

Wg, thanks for the heads up on that report,went on and read the whole article.. it's about time that someone is actually stating that stripers do effect the shad Pop.aqnd yes if it's on the Connecticut Rvr. then it just as well be on all our rivers...but if you read on, right now they are more worried about the size of Stripers than abundance...and they need more forage fish to be healthy..Good material to hold on and to use in the very near future. Had a very good day yesterday with the Lilac shad running thru.. 24 fish and landed 14, mostly roe and some 6 lbr's mixed in.Tom Mcdermott had his first boating fishing trip and had a ball..Blk/Org and Specially plain Chartruse small spoons worked all day long.we only had a one hour lull period all day..Pappy




WG

Sunday, 5/11/08, 5:58 AM

My friend New_Hips found this great document for striper predation in the Connecticutt River, and I know River Rat was looking for some published data.......Here's a quote from a study on the Connecticut River. This could easily apply to any coastal river on the East Coast: "Published striped bass food habits studies in the Connecticut River and elsewhere showed that alosids were a primary food source of larger (>26 in.) stripers during April and May. Moreover, it was emphasized that striped bass, unlike other marine finfish predators, were rising to very high abundance (from 407,300 to 1,154,000 fish) in the upper (>50 km.) Connecticut River during April and May. This large and ever rising striper population occurred in the upper river coincident with the peak shad blueback herring spawning runs. Finally, the number of larger (>28 in.) stripers in the river during April and May was estimated to have risen from 197,100 fish in 1994 to over 507,700 fish in 1997. These stripers were of sufficient size to have heavily preyed on adult blueback herring and American shad. A striped bass population of this magnitude (between 197,000 and 507,700 stripers) could have easily reduced the Connecticut River shad population by one million or more fish each year since 1992. A combination of evidence including statistical, food habits, striped bass size frequency and population abundance in the Connecticut River strongly suggest a direct linkage between increased striped bass abundance and predation and the recent dramatic drop in shad and blueback herring abundance in the Connecticut River."

http://www.asmfc.org/speciesDocument...ssworkshop.pd f






Rob F

Friday, 5/9/08, 3:11 PM

Tom H, I fished 3-5 hours a day during the Easton tournament. I did not hook a fish. 3 weeks before the tournament April 11-13 I hooked 27 shad 6 roe. All my fishing done from shore south of Easton. Every shore fisherman I talked to had nothing good to say all bad. I figure just a bad run this year, hot water then cold. Boats didnt do much better that I saw. I wish I knew. I find the thought of 2 different runs from late march till early April. And then another makes a lot of sense. Looking at my notes I caught a lot of fish in cold water below 50. More foul hooks, and LDRs but the water is cold. I start fishing early got to love those shad like I do. Going out sat morning maybe if the river is not too muddy. Rob F




From:
Easton