Are Shad Still Running In The James River?

Shad was so ever-present in Virginia and along the East Coast that writer John McPhee christened it America’s “founding fish.” But as the years have passed, late February and early March on the James have become progressively more still, increasingly more quiet. And 2021 was the stillest year yet.

Are shad still running?

California’s shad runs generally start in early to mid-April and last through at least June.

What fish are in the James River right now?

Smallmouth bass are the dominant game species, but spotted and largemouth bass can also be caught. Smallmouth bass fishing will be good throughout the river.

What is the best time to catch shad?

Shad spend their autumns and winters in the ocean, so the best time to fish them is during the spring and summer, when they return to the rivers for much easier access. Most people begin fishing shad in April and May.

How far up the James do shad run?

Every year, the waterway that twists through the heart of Virginia suddenly would be transformed into a muscular line of flesh as schools of American shad numbering more than a million fought their way upriver 250 miles from the Chesapeake Bay to Lynchburg.

What fish are biting in the James River now?

Catfish (Blue)
The tidal James River provides the best fishing for blue catfish in the state, and recently anglers from around the country have begun to travel to Virginia to fish for the abundant large blue catfish found here.

What’s the best bait to use in the James River?

Use fresh cut bait (various species of the shad family) in deep holes, on shallow flats, along dropoffs, and all sorts of other places. The river is full of blue catfish, and if you keep trying different locations, you’ll find some.

What fish are running in the James River at that pier?

About James River Bridge Fishing Pier
Croaker and spot are caught year-round, while striped bass, flounder, grey trout and red drum are caught seasonally.

What is the best bait for shad?

The best bait for American shad are small, artificial lures including jigs, spinners, spoons and similar lures. Shiny or brightly colored lures work best, although shad also are known to bite a shiny bare hook, especially attached to a swivel to give it some swaying action.

Where do shad go during the day?

Often, it is to a mossbed, treeline or other type of vegetation; it is not simply to open, shallow water. “Then, early in the morning, these same shad leave and head toward deeper water, where they roam throughout the day.

Are shad good to eat?

“Shad is a great fish to eat, it’s very healthy for you, and you’re supporting a local fishery that’s sustainable.” Shad, a large member of the herring family, are famously bony fish. Cooks get around that by baking the fish to soften the bones. But for most people, the real prize is the shad roe.

What shad can you keep in VA?

The benefit of fishing there is you can keep a hickory shad or two for dinner. Actually, you can keep as many as you want. In Virginia rivers, as in Maryland and the District, it’s illegal to keep the larger American shad, but hickories are fair game with no daily creel limit in the Old Dominion.

How deep is the James River in Virginia?

The James River provides depths of 25 feet to the Richmond Deepwater Terminal and in the Terminal Turning Basin; 18 feet to and in the Richmond Harbor Turning Basin; 18 feet to the Lock at Richmond.

What does a shad dart look like?

For those of you who don’t know, the shad dart is a small, lead headed jig that is cone shaped with but a whisp of hair or feathers tied at hooks end. They have been a long-time, East Coast standard for many decades and were originally designed to catch the fish for its namesake – hickory and white shad.

How do you catch fish on a shad spawn?

The square bill crankbait is one of most effective baits for targeting the shad spawn. A squarebill crankbait looks like a shad scurrying around in the shallows. Use squarebill crankbaits to cover water and target active fish during the shad spawn. Cast parallel to the bank along rocky or wooded shorelines.

Are there sharks in the James River?

(WTVR)—Two bull sharks were caught in the Potomac River, and it wouldn’t be the first time a shark was caught in a Virginia river. He is a fixture along the banks of the James River, and “Catfish TC”, as he is known, is quite content on solid ground, thank you very much.

Where is the best place to catfish on the James River?

Some of Jones’ favorite catfish lairs are the 295-bridge area on the main stem of the river, Deep Bottom, Hopewell and the Benjamin Harrison Bridge area. The Hopewell area and the Benjamin Harrison Bridge are located near the mouth of the Appomattox River, which is the home of the former state-record blue cat.

Are there eels in the James River?

Forest Service research charts an amazing journey. “Eel wrangler” holding American eel found in recent survey of James River in Virginia.

Are sturgeon in the James River?

Atlantic sturgeon are an anadromous fish species meaning they spend their adult lives in the ocean and return to the rivers in which they were born to spawn. Atlantic sturgeon can be found on the James River, from the Chesapeake Bay to the Falls of the James, during their spring and fall migrations.

Are there catfish in the James River?

Fishing for Flathead Catfish
My top two favorite destinations for Flathead Catfish are the James River around the boulders of the fall line in Richmond and the Dan River in southern Virginia. I fish for Flathead Catfish in the same manner as I do Blue Catfish except the bait used is the major difference.

What is biting at the James River Pier?

James River: Wilcox Bait and Tackle says the croaker bite has begun. Striped bass are in the river and can be found around lit structures at night. Puppy drum and some gray and speckled trout are also being caught. Catfish action remains strong upriver.