When Opportunity Knocks

Type: Nontidal
Region: Eastern Shore
Location: Upper Choptank River

You should never overlook the fishing opportunities close to home. That is my story today. When I got home last night at 6:30 pm, my neighbor came over to tell me that he caught about 30 hickory shad in 1 hour at Red Bridges (Upper Choptank) in Greensboro on Sunday. My wife and kids were at a school function, and so, I said I want to go back tonight, and he didn�t hesitate to say yes. Red Bridges is near my kids school, so I told my wife and kids to meet us there. In about 1 hour of fishing, we caught about 15 hickory shad, 2 blueback herring, 3 white perch and a bluegill. We were all using a light (1/8 oz) tube jig (green head, chartreuse �tail�) and red/white shad dart. I had 2 lb test line, and what a fight those hickory shad gave us, jumping out of the water like rainbow trout. Reflecting on our fishing trip last night, I was thankful to have such a great fishing spot within 10 minutes from my house. I was thankful to share the fishing trip with my family. Interesting, however, I was most thankful to spend an evening with my neighbor for whom I get along with well but don�t spend too much time with. It was our common interest and passion for fishing, that allowed us to spend a quality evening together. While it was only 1 hour together, I ended the evening feeling like I knew my neighbor much better than I did before the evening. As many of you know, fishing isn�t always about catching fish, it�s about getting away from life�s distractions and have quality time with family and friends. So, get out and enjoy the spring and great fishing opportunities in Maryland. And, for those of you who don�t want to fight the stream bank congestion at more well known hickory shad areas, give Red Bridges a try � we were the only ones their fishing besides two great blue heron. Here are the GPS coordinates for Red Bridges N38 degrees 59.838 minutes and W075 degrees and 47.173 minutes. In closing, I wanted to let you know that the reason we have hickory shad at Red Bridges today is due to hard work of Fisheries Services� shad restoration program staff and the tax dollars of recreational fishermen. This morning I asked Brian Richardson, who manages our shad restoration program, if their stocking efforts were the reason why hickory shad were present at Red Bridges in high numbers. His response is included below:

When we first began Choptank hickory shad restoration in 1996, we observed no juveniles and only a few adults during targeted sampling. As stocked hatchery larvae and juveniles recruited to the spawning population, we observed large numbers of adults and nearly 100% hatchery origin. We also began to regularly capture wild juveniles that were spawned by the hatchery-origin adults. As the wild offspring of hatchery adults began to recruit to the spawning population, we observed an increase in the adult wild component. This trend continues as the hatchery component decreases each year. When that hatchery component remains at less than 20% for three consecutive years, we will cease stocking.

PS � Don�t tell my wife, but I stopped by Red Bridges on my way to work this morning and fished for a half hour. My goal was to catch one on a fly rod. That didn�t happen, but I managed to catch two hickory shad on my spinning rod before leaving. What a great way to start the day