Hickory Shad (Alosa mediocris)

The Hickory Shad or Alosa mediocris is a fish that can survive both freshwater and saltwater from the Clupeidae family of Herring.  It goes by a few different names including Fall Herring, Bonejack, Shad Herring and the Freshwater Taylor.  These fish are long and slender reaching about 2' in length and weighing up to 6lbs.  This fish has an oblique mouth and a lower jaw that sticks out further then its upper jaw.   

The Hickory Shad spends the majority of its life in the ocean.  Once it matures it returns to the freshwater streams and rivers in which it was born to spawn in the spring and summer months.  Once these fish hatch they will often make their way to the sea in the fall and early winter.   You can learn a bit more about Hickory Shad in the video below.


They are found exclusively on the Atlantic coast of North America and is often found in schools.  They will feed on small fish, squid, fish eggs, crustaceans and crabs.  If you have any additional information about the Hickory Shad please leave us a comment below.

 

Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)

The Alewife or Alosa pseudoharengus is just one of the over 200 different species of Herring. This fish is anadromous, which means that they can survive in both freshwater and saltwater. Alewife go by a few different names including Grayback, Sawbelly, Kiack, Gaspereau, LY and Gray Herring. They can be differentiated from other Herring by their lower jaw which is longer than their upper jaw.

Alewife are silver or gray with a green or blue tinge. They will normally have at least one small shoulder spot which is darker than the rest of their bodies. These fish are often used as bait fish, because they only grow to about 15" maximum and can weigh about 1/2lbs. This fish is also edible, and is considered to be quite tasty when smoked. These fish are schooling fish that can be caught with nets fairly easily with a little practice.  You can learn more about the Alewife in the video below... 

Alewife will spawn from April to June and will often make their way into freshwater rivers to lay their eggs. The landlocked Alewife will simply retreat to deeper waters to spawn. Their eggs are left unattended and hatch in about a week. The fry will feed on diatoms, copepods, plants and ostracods. As they grow older, they will begin to eat small fish and shrimp.

If you have any additional information about the Alewife please leave us a comment.

Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasi)

The Pacific Herring or Clupea pallasi is just one of the over 180 different species of Herring. Pacific Herring have a blueish green upper body with silver sides. They are relatively thin and have larger scales compared to their body size than a lot of fish.

Pacific Herring can grow to about 18" in maximum length and are an important food source for mammals, birds and lots of different fish, not to mention they are often used as baiting by many fisherman to catch much larger fish like Halibut.Often found in schools near the shores, the Pacific Herring is found from San Diego Bay to the Bering Sea and Japan. These fish will often spawn in the during the Spring months after the fish has reach sexual maturity at 3 or 4 years old. Spawning occurs in very shallow, highly vegetated areas. They will lay about 20,000 eggs that are sticky and will often stick to aquatic plants. After this the male of the species will come in and fertilize the eggs. They take about two weeks or so for the fry to hatch. This fish will live up to 16 years old in the right conditions.

If you are thinking of fishing for the Pacific Herring you should take into consideration the fact that they tend to spend their days close to the bottom and then come up to the surface during the evening to feed on zooplankton and small crustaceans. If you have any fishing tips or recipes for Pacific Herring please leave us a comment!