Identify This Baitfish?

[BankBassing]

I have been seeing a lot of these baitfish around lately, and many of them are pretty good sized.  Seems like the fishing has been tough since these large meals are easy to come by right now.  What kind of fish are these?  Does seeing less of our typical shad and more of these indicate anything important?

[pawpaw]

I can't really tell at all from that pic but they seem to be acting alot like the big gizzard shad do in the Fall around here. The gizzards get in small-ish schools and feed on the algae growing on the big rocks.  When I see this I feel I'm in the right area to catch better than average sized fish. I typically start with reaction baits around them. My go to reaction baits are usually crankbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, swimjigs or swimbaits etc. Some days a jig or shakyhead is what it takes. The better fish are usually just out of sight in deeper water waiting for one of those gizzards to wander out a little. Every now and then they go up there in the rocks and get em one. 

Not saying that's what you have going on but it looks like it. Alot

[Penguino]

Is it possible you could get a better picture or even catch one of the fish? All i see is a dark fish that has a relatively fusiform shape, leading me to believe that it is some type of sunfish.

[pawpaw]

2 minutes ago, Penguino said:

Is it possible you could get a better picture or even catch one of the fish? All i see is a dark fish that has a relatively fusiform shape, leading me to believe that it is some type of sunfish.

If you look out off the bank a little you can see 3 more or so that look to be gizzards

[BankBassing]

I tried to get a better pic but just wasn't able to today.  Maybe next time.  These fish are extremely shiny, almost like a mirror on the sides, and their body almost looks like a little shark swimming around.  There is no spot on the side or anything.

[BankBassing]

Doing a little research tonight, I think it might be an "American Shad."  I've seen some of these about the size of your hand. 

[pawpaw]

Do they look like this

[BankBassing]

Definitely similar to that.  I'm looking at some pics of American Shad and they resemble those as well.  Not sure which yet.

[pawpaw]

I doubt it matters if its American shad or gizzard shad to the bass. If you have them around the banks this time of year the bigger bass know it. I would try to capitonlize on that.

[BankBassing]

The strange thing is, I've been doing what everyone is suggesting.  Fishing moving baits (spinners, cranks) just off shore, and I am getting NOTHING.  Spinnerbait was irresistable to them before I started seeing these shad, and as soon as I started seeing them, it's like the bite has turned off.  Granted it coincides with a major temperature drop, but still weird.  Here are the baitfish I am used to seeing until recently:

When these were abundant, the bite was great.

[flyfisher]

I highly doubt they are american shad as they are an anadromous fish and if you are fishing in WV as per your profile location, i am 99% sure they don't migrate that far inland.

[BankBassing]

Just now, flyfisher said:

I highly doubt they are american shad as they are an anadromous fish and if you are fishing in WV as per your profile location, i am 99% sure they don't migrate that far inland.

Ok, thanks!

[Bluebasser86]

Gizzard shad. They get up on the rocks like that and feed on algae this time of year. They're everywhere doing that on some of our local lakes, and you can bet there's bass and hybrids close by. 

[pawpaw]

Is there any chance your lake has recently turned over? Here in Missouri the gizzards heading to the banks seems to peak just after the turnover. That would explain why fishing has suddenly fallen off. I think if you give it a week or 2 all should be good again.

[BankBassing]

5 hours ago, pawpaw said:

Is there any chance your lake has recently turned over? Here in Missouri the gizzards heading to the banks seems to peak just after the turnover. That would explain why fishing has suddenly fallen off. I think if you give it a week or 2 all should be good again.

This is the Ohio River.  What does "turning over" mean?  I'm relatively new to bass fishing, and have heard this term a few times, but never heard it explained.

[everythingthatswims]

Gizzard shad

[pawpaw]

1 hour ago, BankBassing said:

This is the Ohio River.  What does "turning over" mean?  I'm relatively new to bass fishing, and have heard this term a few times, but never heard it explained.

It's the de-stratification of the different temperature layers of the lake. It would be lengthy to explain while typing on a phone. Do a google search or search this site and I'm sure you will find a ton of info. Anyway, if you're not fishing a low current or back water area of the Ohio I don't know if turnover would be the reason for your fish to suddenly quit biting when the gizzards moved in. Current typically stirs the water up enough as to not allow stratification to occur enough for a turn over. So.... In other words, I doubt turnover is the culprit. 

[J Francho]

Those are gizzard shad.

[mrmacwvu1]

On 11/15/2016 at 1:21 PM, pawpaw said:

It's the de-stratification of the different temperature layers of the lake. It would be lengthy to explain while typing on a phone. Do a google search or search this site and I'm sure you will find a ton of info. Anyway, if you're not fishing a low current or back water area of the Ohio I don't know if turnover would be the reason for your fish to suddenly quit biting when the gizzards moved in. Current typically stirs the water up enough as to not allow stratification to occur enough for a turn over. So.... In other words, I doubt turnover is the culprit. 

There has been no flow on the ohio the last few months as there has been no rain

The ohio is basically a series of 20 mile lakes

There is always some current but not much at all some times

[pawpaw]

17 minutes ago, mrmacwvu1 said:

There has been no flow on the ohio the last few months as there has been no rain

The ohio is basically a series of 20 mile lakes

There is always some current but not much at all some times

Well, if that's the case, it seems entirely possible your pool may have turned over.

[trick worms]

Gizzard shad