Just a quick word on shad fishing etiquette for those who might not be familiar with it:
For the most part, you’ll find shad anglers do not mind having someone step into the water right next to them — even if there is plenty of room elsewhere. This is the nature of shore fishing for shad, and you’ll find it’s generally accepted to be a little more “tight-quartered” than when striper fishing. The polite thing to do is the obvious thing: introduce yourself and ask if you can set-up to the left/right of them. “Excuse me, do you mind if I step in to your right…”
When there are a lot of people shad fishing side-by-side, you become responsible for timing your cast relevant to the people on either side of you. The goal is to try to ensure your swing doesn’t foul others. In general, the most polite thing to do is to not cross another’s line with your cast…but this is rarely possible when the spots are packed. If you’re unsure, just pause and/or ask the person if it’s OK to cast. Nearly 100% of the time you’ll get the go-ahead, and the person will be impressed with your etiquette.
When wading, try to stay in line with those around you. If you’re standing too far forward or back from everyone else, your swing will have a greater impact on everyone else.
Try to cast out at the same angle as those around you. If you cast too far upstream or downstream than the people adjacent to you, you greatly increase the chances of fouling. If you need to cast downstream because you’re hitting the bottom too much, it’s time to lighten your casting weight with the dropping tide.
Lastly, you will surely get tangled with someone else at some point. If you think the crossed lures are closest to you, ask the other person to give slack so you can reel up to the entanglement to unwrap it. If the other person wants to unwrap it, give line to them so they have enough slack to work out the mess. If you have to cut lines to fix the issue, always cut your own casting rig off and try to leave the other’s intact. If it makes the most sense to cut the other’s line(s), ask them first. Once untangled, make sure the person is ready to reel in their line before you drop their rig in the water; if you don’t, the person could immediately snag something in the shallow water. Always offer an apology — even if you believe the other person caused the crossed lines.
A lot of this is pretty basic, but you can tell when someone new joins the line and isn’t sure of the “rules”. It’s even tougher seeing new shad anglers stay far away from everyone else (and the action) because they really aren’t sure how to join the line. The above suggestions should help. These etiquette rules are also completely relevant anywhere anglers fish current in a line, such as fishing for stripers at Plum Island Point or the Cape Cod Canal.
