Don't you dare scoff at the idea of catching shad. Maybe they don't have the prestige of steelhead or largemouth, and perhaps many just see them as bait fish, but until you've actually hooked a pissed-off 7-pound American shad, you can't understand just how challenging it is to get it in the boat. These fish are on a mission to breed, and having to fight with you is wasting their precious travel time. So what do they do? Scream drags, jump, dog, speed right at you...whatever it takes to shake the hook. That's why I thought it best to get some help from a local shad sharpie.