Fishing The Shad Spawn

By Garrett Wade

As the water continues to warm and the bass spawn winds down it’s fast approaching one of my favorite times to fish. The Shad spawn can be some of the most exciting fishing of the year. But you better get up early because it starts at daylight and is usually over by the time the sun breaks the tree line.

Shad start spawning in mid to late April in Mississippi and Alabama. They spawn along riprap, shoreline grass and docks. One of the best ways to locate a shad spawn is to look for birds. They will be in groups along the bank waiting for an easy meal.

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Best baits for targeting bass during the shad spawn are spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and swim jigs. My go to is going to be a white Z-Man’s SlingBladeZ spinnerbait with double willow leaf blades. A close second is the Z-Man Jackhammer. I’ll throw it in either a Clearwater shad or dirty white and pair it with a small swimbait for a trailer or the new Southern Salt Hoodwink. With either of these baits it’s important not to fish too fast. You need to fish them slow enough to make contact with the grass and many of the bites will come when it gets caught up and jerked free. Another fun way to target these fish is with a white popping frog. Working the frog quickly with small short jerks resemble shad flickering on top of the water and can draw some incredible blow ups. So next time you’re out on the water keep an eye out for signs of a shad spawn for some fast paced action.

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251.824.1776 www.firstclassarmstraining.org ld wives’ tales caution against eating oysters from month’s lacking the letter R. Watery shellfish or even a nasty case of food poisoning could befall one who doesn’t heed this warning. Of course these tales are from times before refrigeration and awesome ice chests, so Gulf Coast residents can feel safe eating oysters year round. Isle Dauphine oysters are great farmed oysters from the Alabama coast. They’re available in Rouse’s seafood section. Pick up a pint or two and make some chargrilled oysters! This appetizer is impressive, fun, and easy to prepare. Just make sure to try one before you bring the tray to your guests!

1 stick unsalted butter, softened not melted

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning or rub

O2 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping

Splash of lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Few cracks of black pepper

Ceramic shells or oyster dishes for grilling

1 pint Gulf oysters or a dozen shucked, save the shells if you don’t have oyster dishes

1. Mix everything except the oysters into the softened butter. Make sure ingredients are evenly distributed throughout and taste for flavor. You may need more lemon juice or salt or even Cajun seasoning. This is a compound butter, so you can also form the mixture into a stick using Saran Wrap. It would be great on steaks or any grilled vegetables, but we’re using it on fresh oysters.

2. Place an oyster into each shell. You can double up if they’re smaller oysters.

3. Place on 450 degree grill and cook covered for 2 mins.

4. Add a generous dollop of the butter mixture to each sizzling oyster and grill, covered, for a couple more minutes.

5. Finish with more grated Parmesan while the oysters are still on the grill.

6. Place oysters in their “shells” atop a platter covered in rock salt and serve hot. The hotter the better! Don’t wait on these to cool down.