I used to chase them in the Delaware River with a behemoth 9'6" 8wt Leonard Bamboo rod I owned paired with a St. Aden reel, a combo that weighed close to 16 ounces.
I made my own shooting head from a sinking line and yellow Stren and I used heavily weighted shad darts I fabricated using yellow and white Mylar piping pulled over a hook wrapped in lead. There was no such thing as dumbbell eyes or bead and cone heads in those days.
However, the combo of a sinking shooting head and lead got the darts down.
It was a blast when you hooked up, but at least in Pennsylvania on the Delaware it could be feast or famine depending or where you were and when.
Congratulations on hooking up your first time out!!