Herring as Freshwater Bait (Saltwater & River Herring)

shad as catfish bait — Blueback shad are a species of freshwater river herring that can make great fishing bait for a variety of species.

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I was reading an online forum and someone was asking if they could use herring as freshwater bait. I thought that was a great question and worthy of its own article on my site.

Can you use herring as freshwater bait? Saltwater and freshwater (river) herring can make excellent freshwater baits for catfish, striped bass, largemouth bass, muskies, and walleye. River herring include various species of shad which makes up a huge portion of many gamefish’s regular diets.

Let’s take a closer look at this topic and show you how you can fish effectively with both types of herring. Herring, most commonly referred to as shad in freshwater, can be a magnificent bait for freshwater fishing.

Some predatory fish like walleye, lake trout, catfish, largemouth bass, alligator gar, northern pike, and muskies rely heavily on large populations of shad and other schooling baitfish for food in big lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. You can find success fishing with dead saltwater or river herring all times of the year.

Click here to learn how to catch fish using marshmallows as bait. You may also be interested in using PowerBait as fishing bait.

Can You Use Herring as Freshwater Bait?

Using Saltwater Herring as Freshwater Bait

Saltwater herring will not be able to live more than a minute or two in freshwater, therefore, you will be fishing with dead herring very quickly. My recommendation is to freeze your herring ahead of time and cut them in half before running a hook through them.

I think a 1 through 4/0 circle or bait hook would be great but use bait thread to wrap around the bait if you notice it turning to mush.

Anchovies have this problem most but herring should hold together better. You should be able to catch catfish, striped bass, and bullheads with dead saltwater herring.

How to Acquire Dead Saltwater Herring

The best way to acquire dead saltwater species of herring is either from seafood markets, bait shops, or canneries direct. You could also stop by the local dock or marina and buy them right off fishermen.

How to Rig Saltwater Herring

The best way to rig saltwater herring for freshwater fish is either through the lip or through the back. You can troll or jig herring by hooking it through the lips.

I recommend cutting the herring in half and using each half as bait for catfish or striped bass. You could also hook a full-herring through the back for big flatheads.

Using River (Freshwater) Herring as Freshwater Bait

Believe it or not, most species of freshwater shad found in America are actually members of the river herring grouping. I’m talking about large American shad, gizzard shad, Alabama shad, blueback shad, hickory shad, and skipjack shad.

Alewives also fit into this category as well. Threadfin shad are true shad and don’t technically fit into this category but they make great freshwater bait too.

You can fish species of river herring both alive or dead for various species to include largemouth bass, walleye, catfish, striped bass, and muskies. For catfish especially, shad cut in half is one of the best baits around.

How to Acquire Live Freshwater Herring

I don’t think many bait shops will carry live shad since they are very hard to keep alive after catching them, even in a well-aerated live well. Shiners and minnows keep pretty well in captivity but shad just die.

Your best bet for acquiring fresh live freshwater shad is using a casting net after locating a sizable school on your boat’s sonar.

You could also catch shad using a small jig or a piece of worm. Make sure you drop your bait into the center of a school or you’ll be catching only small trout and panfish.

How to Acquire Dead Freshwater Herring

Dead shad are available for sale in bait shops both salted or cured or frozen fresh. I personally prefer the frozen shad as they are adulterated and not covered in preservatives and enhancers.

I have found the fresher the bait, the better it works for catfish, striped bass, and others.

Even better than buying dead shad is to catch your own with a casting net or small worm on a hook. This way you could fish with live shad or cut them up and use cut shad that is way freshwater than anything you can buy from the store.

How to Rig Freshwater Herring

There are a variety of ways to rig freshwater herring on the hook. You can hook live and dead shad through the lips for trolling, bait fishing, and jigging. You can also run a large circle hook through their back behind the dorsal fin for drift fishing for catfish and striped bass down deep.

Probably your best option is to cut shad in half and use either the head or tail section with a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook for channel and blue catfish. Fresh cut shad is one of the very best big catfish baits out there.

5 Tips for Fishing with Herring in Freshwater

1. Identify Present Species of River Herring

Just about every major river and reservoir nowadays has some form of river herring in it. These baitfish are typically one of the most sought after food sources available to large fish. Determine which species of shad is present in your system will greatly help you fish with them.

2. Fresher is Better

You can buy frozen or cured shad in stores but it is nowhere near as effective as fresh caught shad. Always choose fresh shad when possible.

3. Cut Shad in Half for Cats

Blue and channel catfish love cut shad that is freshly caught. You can catch monster cats this way.

4. Use Whole Live Shad for Flathead Catfish

Flathead catfish prefer whole live bait like bluegills and shad. If you manage to keep your shad alive, a hungry flathead may make a meal of it.

5. Use Bait Thread if Needed

If you are using frozen or thawed shad and you’re having trouble keeping it on the hook, simple bait thread or even dental floss can work to hold it in place. Bait thread is a couple of dollars and will last you a long time.

In Conclusion

There are a variety of species of “river herring” such as alewives, American shad, gizzard shad, blueback shad, hickory shad, and skipjack shad which are commonly found in freshwater rivers and reservoirs.

As a result, they have become huge forage bases for a variety of large predatory fish like bass, striped bass, muskies, catfish, walleye, and northern pike. In waterways where these species of river herring are plentiful, predators will be feeding on them.

If you can catch these baitfish with a casting net or hook-and-line, you are sure to draw the attention of hungry gamefish who are accustomed to eating them already. You can have great success with river herring as freshwater bait, both dead and alive.