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Shad
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Common
Name:
Shad
Other
Names:
Elf
Scientific
Name: Pomatomus
saltatrix
Size: Shad can grow to be 120 cm long
with a weight of 14 kg. Shad of this size would be 10 to 15 years old -
but with the intensity of fishing along our coastline few fish survive
to attain this age. One year old shad are 25 to 30 cm long and at two
years they are over 35 cm and are sexually mature.
Habitat:
Shad are
mainly found on sandy bottoms in clear water. They are also found close
to reefs and rocky ledges where there is foamy water.
Distribution:
This fish occurs along the entire South Africa coastline. It is a
migratory species with juveniles shoaling in the Western Cape and
adults migrate to Kwazulu-Natal to spawn. Shad can also be found in
Australia and along parts of the American coast.
Bait:
Spinning is the
usual way of catching shad when they are on the bite. Otherwise shore
anglers can use a whole or cut sardine as bait. Karanteen
is a good
live bait to catch large shad with.
Fishing
Strategy:
They
often tug at the bait which pulls the rod tip up, or on other occasions
they might nibble on the bait and so careful judgement is need to
consider when to strike.
Eating
Quality:
The fresh flesh of a shad is excellent to eat, but not after being
frozen so only keep what you can eat.
Tackle:
- Heavy tackle is not required
- Standard beach rod
- 6 - 8kg line
- Hook sizes vary from 3/0 to about 6/0
- Use a short (+-10cm) light steel trace on your
hook as shad often bite off the hook
Also
See:
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