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By GEORGE SMITH; Times Leader Outdoors Editor
Sunday, May 05, 1996     Page:

Anglers equipped for trout or bass fishing have the basic gear needed to
cast for shad.
   
A 6-foot spinning rod and a reel spooled with 6-pound test monofilament is
all that’s required.
    Add about two dozen colorful shad “darts” and a handful of flutter spoons
to the outfit and you’re ready to hit the water.
   
Some Delaware River angles have been seen using long, 8- or 9-foot rods
equipped with reels spooled with light lines.
   
Such outfits work well, but if you plan to fish for shad no more than a few
times, purchasing such specialized gear is not necessary.
   
The weight of the line best suited for shad always sparks controversy among
experienced anglers.
   
Some swear that 4-pound test is most productive, while others insist that
nothing short of 6-pound test will handle the heavy fish that swim in heavy
current.
   
But almost every veteran shad angler seems to agree that the fish will
disregard darts or flutter spoons presented on a heavier line.
   
Eight-pound test? It’s just not done!
   
For lures, use shad darts, elongated lead jigs with calf’s tail, bucktail
or plastic twister-style grubs added to the hook.
   
They come in various colors, sizes and weights to accommodate changing
water conditions.
   
Jigs weighing as much as 3/8-ounce are used in high, rough water, while
jigs as light as 1/64-ounce are commonly used in clear, quite pools or when
the water is low.
   
Classic shad darts have a white body, red head and white or yellow tail,
but vibrant colors are becoming more popular.
   
Fluorescent orange, red and pink jigs with black heads and yellow, orange
or white tails are now in vogue, as are jigs painted hot chartreuse trailing
yellow or green tails.
   
When the fish seem to refuse almost every color, veteran anglers pull dark
blue or black jigs from their tackle boxes. Sometimes the darker colors make
all the difference.
   
The fluttering motion of colorful shad spoons seldom fails to attract fish.
Use a light spoon in tandem with a 1/4-ounce dart to create a deadly “dropper”
combination.
   
As shad have delicate mouths which give up hooks readily, a long-handled
boat net is helpful when landing fish after a long battle.
   
When wading, tuck the net handle behind you, in a wading belt, and keep the
net’s head pointing upward.
   
TIMES LEADER/GEORGE SMITH
   
This angler proved that basic fishing tackle can handle shad.