The List: 5 Things to Know about Shad

A type of herring that has long been fished locally, shad are spawned in freshwater, but spend most of their lives in the saltwater of the ocean.

The 'shad run' is the 6 to 8 week period, usually in April or May, when the shad return to the Delaware River to spawn.

When they run, the fish may be as long as 30 inches, and the average shad weighs 6 to 8 pounds.

When the shad are running, "(they) don't eat. They react," said shad fisherman Ted Strzepek, of Harmony Township, N.J.

Strzepek added that shad are aggressive when breeding season hits, and are more interested in fighting anything that gets in the way of their upstream swim.

So what kind of bait should be used to catch fish that aren't actually hungry?

The main types of shad bait are called "spoons" or "darts."

Shad still run when the Delaware floods, but they don't bite much. This is because they can't see the bait well in the muddy waters, fishermen say. 

What about eating shad?

"They're really boney," said Billy Freeman, of Easton, who has been shad fishing for about three years.

"It's not that they taste bad. They're just a pain," added Strzepek. "The best way to prepare them is to grind them up and make patties."

Smoking them is also a recommended way of preparing shad for consumption.