Damn Good Shad Fishing Guides

The best shad fishing trips are:

• Arrow-In Addiction Bowfishing, guided by Joe W.
• Goldline Bowfishing guided by John P.
• LIT Outfitters guided by Randy H.
• Resinater Bowfishing Charters guided by Dustin H.
• First light exotic species charters guided by Timothy Q.

Our Damn Good Guides currently offer 14 shad trips, and the most popular trips are Cheshire & Sullivan County Drifts guided by Joe, Bowfishing Trip SW Missouri guided by John, and Columbia Basin Guided Trips guided by Elmer.

Our guides are rated a 4.92 out of 5 based on 8854 verified reviews on Captain Experiences.

All guides on Captain Experiences are vetted by our team. You can access their reviews, click through trip photos, read bios to get to know them, and preview trip details like species, techniques, group sizes, boat specs and more.

Looking for kid friendly shad guides / fishing lessons? Check out our beginner and family friendly shad guides.

River fishing is the most popular type of fishing for shad as well as lake fishing, inshore fishing, and nearshore fishing.

The most common fishing techniques are light tackle fishing, drift fishing, and artificial lure fishing but live bait fishing and bottom fishing are popular as well.

Prices for shad can range anywhere from about $435 to $1,500, but the average price for a half day trip for shad is $911. The average price for a full day trip for shad is $943.

Hiring a guide provides a number of benefits and many choose to book a fishing guide for a combination of experience, local knowledge, convenience, and cost-effectiveness.

Working with experienced fishing guides who know the best local spots and techniques can dramatically increase your odds of a great day. Having someone who is on the water every day and knows the area like the back of their hand is going to give you the best chances of success.

Booking a guide is also more cost effective, especially if you only get out a handful of times per year. When you consider all of the costs you would incur on your own such as the price of a boat, maintenance, insurance, gas, high-quality gear and tackle, repairs, and more, you’ll find that DIY is sometimes not worth the expense.

Even if you’ve got a great setup already in your home waters, booking a guide also provides a great opportunity to experience new techniques, new locations, or even a chance at a new target species to knock off the bucket list.

The most popular season for shad fishing is summer, and most anglers book their trips 19 days in advance.

See here for more information on shad fishing licenses, shad bag limits, and fishing season regulations for shad. When in doubt, your guide will always know all the relevant shad rules and regulations.