May 05, 2008 09:24 pm Outdoors Dave Sartwell Each spring as the cold inland waters of Northern New England come pouring out into the ocean, an incredible variety of life forms struggle their way upstream to renew their life cycle. The herring, for example, are already in the Merrimack River, being followed in by the shad and stripers. Each has its own complicated rhythm and all interact with each other in their own special way. The shad and herring come in great numbers first, with the stripers soon to follow. The herring are already running to the dam in Lawrence and the shad are starting to move upstream in numbers. Many have already been caught at Rock Village in Newburyport. Although there are a few stripers moving, the big migration is yet to move in from the ocean. The high water makes it a challenge to fish for anything right now, but it is just that increased flow that makes it easier for the fish to run upstream. Historically the shad has been an important food source, while the eggs are considered to be a delicacy. But lately fewer and fewer fishermen target them directly. This is unfortunate because they are a great eating fish. The American shad begin their run up the coastline, moving into the larger rivers where they slowly adjust to the change from salt to fresh water. Found in waters from Florida to Labrador, this largest member of the herring family is one of the most abundant fish on the East Coast. Shad are considered the world's boniest fish. In most fish there is a small row of "y" bones that run along the side of the fish. In a shad there are three such rows, which demand skillful knife-work to clean. The shad is very unusual in that it's life cycle depends on where it is found along the coast. Fish native to Florida and the Carolinas are semelparous, that is they return to their natal rivers to spawn at four-years-old and die soon after. They lay between 300,000 to 400,000 eggs. For example, in the Delaware river the number of adults that survive to spawn a second time is 15-percent, while somewhere between 30 to 50-percent return in our Massachusetts rivers. In the St. John's River in Canada almost 80-percent return to spawn. In the Merrimack and Connecticut rivers, the average age of the first spawners moves to five. However, the number of eggs released drops to between 125,000 to 250,000. Since the shad eggs cannot survive in salt water, the spawning adults will often run hundreds of miles upstream into fresh water to lay their eggs. The eggs mature in anywhere from four to nine days. It is good that the females lay so many eggs, as the young produced become a major food source for almost every other fish in the river system. The young migrate out of the rivers in the early fall, having grown to become two to three inches long and weighing about half an ounce. When they hit the ocean, they fall prey to stripers, bluefish and numerous other ocean fishes. They are an important part of the natural food chain. These tiny fish slowly migrate to a place in the ocean off the Carolinas where they spend the winter. In the spring they migrate north as young fish, summering in the Bay of Funday. At age four or five they return to their natal rivers to spawn. By this time they range in size from two to seven pounds with the females being larger than the males. The spawning fish have to overcome many obstacles as they head upstream. The first in the Merrimack River is the dam in Lawrence. Here a fish ladder has been constructed to help them move up the river. From there they run north, laying eggs all along the route. Catching these fish as they head upstream can be a bit of a challenge, as they put up a good fight before they come to the rail. Using spinning gear with a four to eight-pound test line works well. Although they will come to spinners and spoons, shad darts probably work the best. Darts range in size from very tiny to up to a half-ounce. Because you want to fish for shad near the bottom of the river, the terminal rig must be heavy enough to reach down to them. Using heavier darts will do that, but the fish prefer smaller bait. To get the small darts down, use split shot up the line about 18 inches. The darts come in a host of colors. However, the traditional one is a red-headed, white-bodied dart with a white or yellow bucktail. If the fishing is slow, switch colors or use a set in tandem. Fly fishermen often use a quick-rate sinking line, a short leader, and a weighted, short-shanked streamer that is brightly colored. Don't be afraid to ask others on the river what is working for them. Look for a point of land along the river and fish in the slower water behind it. The shad will often move into a spot like that to rest as they migrate upstream. The whole coastline is alive with migrating fish. Now is the time to get your gear oiled and your boat in the water.
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