Like the glorious shadbush, the Chesapeake Bay and its coastal rivers are bursting with vigor.
The herring spawn run is in full bloom throughout these fish’s historic range, ospreys are engaged in seasonal nest building and hundreds of other bay critters are busily going about their spring rituals.
My buddy, who guides more than 200 trips a year on the upper James River, saw his first Prothonotary Warbler of the year. The colorful little fella perched on his boat’s all-round light, taking in the day.
It is also in these upper reaches of the tributaries where American and hickory shad are a favorite among the angling crowd this time of year. The reason is simple: they have profuse game fish qualities in some of the bay watershed’s prettiest places.
And because Maryland now outlaws targeting rockfish (even just catch-and-release) until mid-May, no doubt more anglers are discovering the joys of shad fishing. Oh, and by the way: the silly mandate thrust upon us by Maryland’s fishery leaders to prohibit striper fishing in April makes about as much sense as the 18th Amendment, and we all know how that ended.
But I digress. All four species of river herring — American, hickory, alewife and blueback — are important fuel for migrating stripers and other game fish, birds and even bears. Herrings are a crucial forage link in the Bay and Atlantic’s ecosystem. American shad, occasionally called white shad, are likely the Bay’s most well-known river herring.
The life cycle of American shad is nothing short of incredible. Spawned in the watershed’s freshwater rivers and streams – the James, Potomac, Rappahannock, Susquehanna and York being the major ones – they spend up to five years in the ocean avoiding all manner of danger from apex predators and nets, returning to their ancestral waters to repeat a ritual that’s gone on for centuries.
The transfer of natural energy generated by these spawning runs is astonishing, one we’ve taken for granted and have not been good stewards of.
Most East Coast states have conservation protections in place protecting herrings, especially for American shad. Maryland’s American shad fisheries have been closed since 1980; today, it is strictly a catch-and-release recreational fishery.
Overall, herring numbers are very low relative to historic abundance. The decline of American shad is the same sad story that’s befallen many of the Bay’s fish and shellfish species: Death by a thousand cuts.
Let’s take Virginia’s James River, a historic river for American shad runs. Based on the most recent monitoring data, American shad scored 0% on the Chesapeake Bay Program’s abundance goal for the James. If that doesn’t scream “We Need Help!” nothing does.
That’s why conservation groups along with state and federal partners have kicked off a major restoration initiative to bring back American shad in the James River. These efforts received a jolt of much-needed funding after lawmakers were convinced this endeavor is worthy of taxpayer money.
Key elements include identifying major factors that continue to hamstring efforts to restore American shad and then implement best practices to rebuild the population. The usual suspects include overfishing, access to spawning grounds due to dam blockage, water pollution and water withdrawals.
Somewhat new to the mix is predation from invasive fish such as blue catfish and the effects of a changing climate. Introduced in the ’70s to the James River as a sport fish, no doubt blue cats gobble up young shads and herrings. However, to what extent this influences American shad abundance isn’t so clear.
Oddly, hickories remain a relatively unprotected species in Virginia, meaning presently there are no limits on the size or number of fish that can be harvested. That could change if a plan created by volunteers from Coastal Conservation Association Virginia is implemented.
For many years, members of this state conservation group have witnessed large numbers of hickories being hauled out of their spring spawning waters with cast nets, hook and line, and other means available without regard for the future health of the species.
They first raised this threat to the fishery with state regulators just before the pandemic and discussions began on how best to remedy the situation. The pandemic had other plans, of course, and progress stalled. Then in early 2024, CCA Virginia’s shad conservation team proposed to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission that they consider amending current regulations on the hickory shad harvest. (Disclosure: I drafted the basic framework for the hickory shad campaign in late 2023 as part of my fishery consulting business.)
Wayne Young, a volunteer with CCA Virginia, is running point on the campaign. He spent his career in various government positions in the marine field, so he has a firm grasp of how to navigate government regulatory channels. You may also recognize his name from his book series on artificial reefs that he has penned over the years.
When I reached out to him the other day for an update, Young said he was encouraged that things are moving ahead. Specifically, CCA Virginia is asking state fishery regulators to better manage this popular recreational fishery in Virginia by adjusting the regulations that might include a 10-fish daily creel limit and perhaps limit the gear used by recreational anglers. In no way would the new rules impact the existing harvest by Native tribes.
“The objective is to establish guardrails that mitigate the risk of overfishing hickory shad,” said Young, adding that streamlining Virginia’s current regulations should “better protect and conserve a quality recreational fishery.”
Over the 30 years that I’ve been involved in conservation work, I’ve held steadfast to the belief that nature — and time well spent immersed in it — almost always makes everything else in life a lot better.
Calendar
Through May 16: Closed season for stripers in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries including Maryland’s side of the Potomac.
April 16: Anglers’ Night Out at Olde Town Pub in Leonardtown. Food, drinks and a talk by local fishing expert Captain Dennis Fleming starting at 6 p.m. followed by a question and answer session.
April 17: Annapolis Anglers Club. Monthly meeting at 7 p.m. at the American Legion in Crownsville.
April 18-21: Free State Fly Fishers Club outing. Western Maryland rivers and streams to chase trout. For questions, email rybeer@gmail.com.
April 20: Wicomico Invasive Fishing Tournament. A day of fishing, food, live music and education on local invasive fish species. wicomicoenvironment.org/wicomico-events/fishing-derby.
April 27: Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fishing Rodeo (9 a.m.) at Howard’s Pond in Cecil County. Sponsor: Town of Elkton. Ages 3 through 15. Contact: Dan Handley, 410-392-6636.
May 15: Annapolis Anglers Club. Monthly meeting at 7 p.m. at the American Legion in Crownsville.
May 24-26: Smith Island Tournament: Three-day tournament benefits the Smith Island Fire Department and its first responders. Entry $225 per team (max of 4 anglers), $100 for individual anglers. Register: ianglertournament.com.
June 16: Maryland DNR Fishing Rodeo at 10 a.m. Cypress Branch State Park in Kent County. Sponsor: Maryland Park Service. Ages 3-15. Contact: Erin Gale, 410-820-1668.
July 13-14: CCA Maryland partners with Defensores de la Cuenca to host a two-day artificial reef ball building project at Sandy Point State Park.
Send outdoors calendar listings and photos to cdollarchesapeake@gmail.com.