American Shad in Arkansas?

[Quillback]

Picked up a bit of fishing trivia from the latest issue of Arkansas Wildlife.

"American Shad were one of the first fish ever stocked in Arkansas by the US Fish and Wildlife Commision.  In July 1877, 80,000 American shad fry were stocked in the Red River at Fulton.  This was followed up in 1878 by stockings of the Saline River at Benton and the Caddo River at Arkadelphia of 50,000 American shad fry."

They didn't take obviously.  It worked on the west coast, Columbia River is full of them when they come in to spawn.  

[tjm]

I've forgotten the details, but shad was the biggest or one of the biggest exports from the USA for a hundred years or so. A IIRC the decline of shad along the east coast was one of the reasons for establishing the US Fish Commission in 1871, the same folks that brought us common carp and brown trout from Germany, and redband trout from California.

 

[Quillback]

Doing a little reading - Shad were introduced into the Sacramento River in 1871 also.  I don't see how 50,000 fry would've stood a chance in the AR rivers, mkaes me wonder how many they put in the Sacramento as that was successful.

Looks like they are spreading north on the west coast, quite a few were seen in the Lake Washington tributaries last year which is on the west side of Seattle. They weren't there when I lived there.

[tjm]

A "funny story", when I lived in the east, I had been there 8-10 years and was an avid fly fisher when one of the national fishing magazines did a feature story about fly fishing (using "shad darts") for shad as they made their spawning run up a river three miles from my house, and before reading that article I had not been aware that anyone ever fly fished that river or that it was a "destination".  In the past the shad had been so numerous there that a shad processing factory had stood there. I had heard of the "Shad Factory Pond" and knew that salt anglers dip netted  bait fish there.

After reading that, I did stop there a few times each year until we moved, but I never caught it when the shad were active; I did talk to guys that had caught them and they said that if anyone shouts 'fish on' that everyone else should reel up and get out of the water as the shad tend to make several long fast runs and the angler would have to chase it. Since that time the shad have declined to the point that the last time I checked, likely 20 years ago, there was doubt that shad were still returning there.

Shad are said to have been George Washington's favorite food, and  may have saved his troops from starvation.

 

[Quillback]

Confederate loss of the battle of Five Forks was partially blamed on General George Pickett being away on a shad bake:

"When George Pickett accepted Rosser’s invitation to what would become a terribly infamous shad bake, it was regional rite of spring for tidewater Virginians. It was just after the shad run has been made and so the local tradition was in process. Pickett, probably desperate for a hot meal and a little relaxation after many stressful months, eagerly accepted the invitation. For this, it’s hard to retroactively blame the man, even with the union so close. He was an experienced commander and should have known what was coming. However, that he failed to tell anyone in his camp where he would be is slightly hard not to judge. He did not tell his second in command nor any other soldier that he’d be in Rosser’s camp, which has been hypothesized as trying not to deplete the shad.

While Pickett was enjoying his shad and probably a few beverages, Warren attacked. The full assault occurred without Pickett and, since he had failed to tell anyone where he was going, nobody could find him. Also, between Rosser’s camp and Five Forks there was a thick forest that dampened the sound. So nobody in Rosser’s camp knew what was happening. By the time they (he and Pickett) were alerted, there was nothing they could do. By the time Pickett got to his men, nearly a half of them were wounded, dead, or captured. In concert with the Third Battle of Petersburg the following day, Lee was forced to abandon Petersburg, which led to the capture of Richmond and surrender of his army on April 9 at Appomattox."

[Johnsfolly]

I go on this website/forum every year to track shad catches from FL to CT. 

Fishing Log | Shad Fishing

Maybe when I retire, I would like to fish for shad starting in Feb in FL and catch them all along the eastern seaboard as the spawn runs proceed northward ending up in NH or ME in June(?)

[Quillback]

1 minute ago, Johnsfolly said:

I go on this website/forum every year to track shad catches from FL to CT. 

Fishing Log | Shad Fishing

Maybe when I retire, I would like to fish for shad starting in Feb in FL and catch them all along the eastern seaboard as the spawn runs proceed northward ending up in NH or ME in June(?)

Didn't know they ran in FL, that would give me an excuse to make a Feb. trip down there.  

[Johnsfolly]

2 minutes ago, Quillback said:

Didn't know they ran in FL, that would give me an excuse to make a Feb. trip down there.  

Jeff they catch american and hickory shad in the St Johns river system.