Follow the shad (photo)

Whether you are freshwater or saltwater fishing shad (or their cousins the menhaden) are a crucial part of the successful pursuit of game fish.

Everything from largemouth bass to flounder eat them so you need to understand their importance and how to respond to their presence. I could go on for weeks worth of blogs about fishing shad in different applications but for today I will leave you with the following.

Tiny shad trapped against a bank or blown into a bank always have some kind of predator working them. The big winds we have had on the coast the last few weeks have pushed the shad/menhaden against a few banks I fish and the flounder bite has been strong there. Look for shad, especially small shad and you will find predators nearby.

Use small shad-colored curltails or shad imitations fished on a 1/16-oz or 1/8-oz jigheads and rigged or 8- or 10-pound fluorocarbon line. You will not be dissapointed.