If you are fishing below dams from shore, be prepared to loose your cast net. It might get hung up on the rocks. I have used piscator rigs to catch shad and skip jacks. I was in a boat; But if you can cast to the right places you can catch them from shore, too. I suggest keeping a rod rigged with the piscator and another for fishing the shad. You can catch a couple shad then fish with them. When you need some fresh shad your ready to catch some more. Here is what a piscator rig looks like. You will need a sinker on the bottom for casting.

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/st...136+4294966969

I hope this will give you another option.