Shad

[einscodek]

Was fishing the other day and threw my hudd shad a few times didnt catch anything on it..

but looking at the banks I noticed.. a dead shad .. looked alot like my hudd shad.

I had not ever seen shad in this particular body of water..

Question:

Do they sell shad as live bait?  Could someone have brought this shad here as bait?

OR

Is this resident shad?

 

I've not heard of buying shad as bait before?

Im pretty sure it was a gizzard shad..

[TBO]

not sure if they sell them for bait, but they could have brought it their. i sometimes throw out my minnow trap and bring in some live bait  to use.

[roadwarrior]

Most likely resident shad.

[fishva]

I've bought frozen shad for catfishing many times. You just hook it through the eye with a circle hook, so sometimes they come loose on a cast. Maybe that?

[Paul Roberts]

Most likely resident shad.

Ditto. And lots of waters were stocked long ago and hold small popns of ... all kinds of things. Gizzard shad are common in many, often surprisingly small, waters. They are fecund but a somewhat fragile fish susceptible to dying in stressful conditions -esp in late winter. And mature ones -too big for predators to eat, die and wash up.

 

fishva could be right too.

[einscodek]

This body of water doesnt get stocked so I'm hoping shad survive the winter here and are resident

I'd assume this portends schooling bass attacking schools of shad in this body of water..

without shad I'd assume their primary forage are bluegills and shiners

[Paul Roberts]

Gizzard shad are open water fish -at least when they are young enough for bass to eat. When they mature they become bottom detritus feeders and are often too big then for bass to eat.

 

I fish some ponds that have a few shad. A very few. These ponds are shallow and weedy. Never knew they were there until I saw a large one or two washed up on occasion like you did. Doubt they contribute much as bass prey, except as fry. Likely very few survive and popns are very low. In these ponds, bluegills are the main course.

 

I fish small reservoirs too though that have some deep open water areas, as well as shallow weedy areas. These hold more shad and I sometimes see schools of them, or find bass-prey-sized ones freshly dead.

[einscodek]

One I found was exactly the size of the hudd shad..looked almost exactly the same (kudos to Ken)

4" so it mustaf been a youngun

To match the hatch I will aim to throw it more often

I hope that lotsa shad will mean the potential for supporting lots of state record size fish

[Fish_Whisperer]

Ditto. And lots of waters were stocked long ago and hold small popns of ... all kinds of things. Gizzard shad are common in many, often surprisingly small, waters. They are fecund but a somewhat fragile fish susceptible to dying in stressful conditions -esp in late winter. And mature ones -too big for predators to eat, die and wash up.

 

fishva could be right too.

Nasty.... them Gizzard shad.

[FrogTosser88]

I definately have shad in my waters.. In the CA delta.

This is the first time I have seen them this year or ever.

They are in several schools up in the pockets between the weeds.

Since seeing them arrive. A spinnerbait has been hot!! I have been landing nice fish on every outing.

A rattletrap is out of the question because how thick the weeds are here.

[Fish_Whisperer]

My catch rate increased when I got the idea to get a cast net and catch some baitfish in waters I frequent.  It showed me exactly what colors I needed to look for my crankbaits and swimbaits.  Try to match the size if possible.

[boostr]

I think it might be bought bait, I've never seen shad in any of the lakes and reservoirs I've fished up this way. Ive been told there might be shad at Overpeck park because that's fed by the Hackensack river.

[einscodek]

ya I thought it strange as well never seen any in these parts but there it was and I never saw anyone selling shad as bait

shiners yea but shad?

another possibility is someone else raised it and used them as bait.. but that seems an awful lotta trouble when shiners are alot easier way to go

[Bluebasser86]

Shad are very difficult to keep alive and therefore not a very good baitfish for bait shops to try to keep and sell. They're illegal to sell in some states because they look so similar to juvenile Asian carp that there is a concern vendors might accidentally assist with the spread of them. 

[Driftb]

You didn't mention where you were fishing.  The Delaware river has American shad and gizzard shad as well as hickory shad.  They are all important forage species.  Some of the  lakes in the NJ/Pa area contain gizzard shad and alewifes, which are a herring. (AKA sawbellies).  There are shops that sell sawbellies for bait in NY and Pa, but I bet the one you saw was from the lake.  You cannot legally sell herring for bait in NJ, but in some lakes you can net your own and you have to release the unused sawbellies at the end of the day.

[einscodek]

Twas a small lake around Round Valley/ Spruce Run area.  I think there are alewives in there and now that I am looking at an alewive pic I think thats what it was.. course I'm no baitfish expert I dont fish live

Couldve been an alewive or gizzard shad.. but seeing how they dont sell either round here.. must be resident..

[einscodek]

I think it might be bought bait, I've never seen shad in any of the lakes and reservoirs I've fished up this way. Ive been told there might be shad at Overpeck park because that's fed by the Hackensack river.

boostr btw thu is supposed to be pouring all day.. GREAT FRONTAL conditions for some fishing!  Big uns come out in the rain!

[Catch and Grease]

You could try asking whoever takes care of that lake what species of fish are in it, after multiple emails/phone calls I finally got someone to send me a list of every single fish species in the lake I fish.

[einscodek]

The main lakes I fish I've no problem getting info on.. its the smaller township reservoirs and ponds I'm trying to figure out theres little info.

I dont know the first thing about baitfish.. looks like alewives are saltwaters migrating up river and its prob not that.. backt o gizzard shad me thinks.