SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 



107 



appearance. For instaiice, the Asliopoo and Edisto rivers are many 

 miles nortli of tlie Altamalia or tlie Savannah, and yet the rnn of shad 

 in the former is nsnally coincident with the run in the two latter. 

 Explanation of this is fonnd in the fact that the Ashepoo and the 

 Edisto rise in the sand hills and swami)s, while tlie two latter streams 

 have their sonrces in the mountains of northern Georgia and South 

 Carolina; consequently at a given date the waters of the two former 

 ave warmer than those of the Altamaha or Savannah. Hence it 

 appears that the season of migration is determined by the temperature 

 of the water rather than by geographical location. 



The following summary shows for the principal water areas of the 

 Atlantic coast the approximate dates at which shad fishing began in 

 1896: 



While the principal motive for, or rather the chief result accomplished 

 by, the migration of shad into the rivers is the reproduction of the 

 si)ecies, yet it appears that their movements are more immediately 

 governed by the comparative temperature of the waters than by the 

 approaching ripeness of the spawn. For instance, although they enter 

 the St. Johns about December 1, spawning does not take place there 

 until some time in March or April. In the sounds of North Carolina, 

 and in Chesapeake and Delaware bays, sh.ad enter a month or two 

 before they begin to spawn. But in more northerly streams, as the 

 Connecticut and Kennebec, where the entrance of the fish is delayed 

 by low temperature caused by melting ice flowing down the river, 

 spawning occurs shortly after the shad enter. 



An interesting fact in connection with the migratory movements of 

 shad is the arrival of the males several days before the females. This 

 appears common to all the waters of the coast, the bucks constituting 

 nearly two-thirds of the catch during the first third of the season and 

 the roes being equally predominant during the last third. 



The great bulk of shad appearing in the rivers are mature fish, 

 weighing 2 pounds and upwards, and averaging about 3 pounds for 

 the males and 4j| pounds for the females. But in the lower portion of 

 the estuaries and along the coast there are numerous schools of smaller 



