Baitfish ID Help?

[AJ Hauser]

Hey guys! Water here is finally warming up to about 50 degrees. I took the kids out to the lake for a walk the other day and my youngest picked up this dead baitfish. Any idea what kind this is? We're in Illinois. I know part is covered up by the dried muck but I'm pretty sure this isn't a gizzard shad (don't think we have them here). 

 

Any ideas?

 

Follow up: would this by chance influence the lures you started fishing with? ?

 

Thanks!

[TnRiver46]

Shiner 

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Shiner 

That would be my thought as well.

[AJ Hauser]

Like this dude? 

 

https://www.britannica.com/animal/shiner-fish

[TnRiver46]

Just now, AJH said:

Like this dude? 

 

https://www.britannica.com/animal/shiner-fish

There are several dozen kinds of shiner in TN, most of which are tough to tell apart. You typically have to do some serious research to find the exact species around here, not sure about Illinois 

[AJ Hauser]

Got it - thanks guys - I really appreciate the input! Shiners are different than shad, then? Do shad typically have wider bodies? I've never really looked into baitfish before, I'm thinking that has been a big oversight on my part considering it's what the bass actually eat. 

 

Whoops. 

[TnRiver46]

20 minutes ago, AJH said:

Got it - thanks guys - I really appreciate the input! Shiners are different than shad, then? Do shad typically have wider bodies? I've never really looked into baitfish before, I'm thinking that has been a big oversight on my part considering it's what the bass actually eat. 

 

Whoops. 

Yes shiner is not a shad 

[roadwarrior]

The internet is your friend:

https://www.google.com/search?q=freshwater+baitfish&rlz=1CAWPBA_enUS944&oq=freshwater+baitfish&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3j0i22i30j0i10i22i30j0i22i30l4.7838j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[AJ Hauser]

5 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

The internet is your friend:

https://www.google.com/search?q=freshwater+baitfish&rlz=1CAWPBA_enUS944&oq=freshwater+baitfish&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3j0i22i30j0i10i22i30j0i22i30l4.7838j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Yeah but you guys are smarter than the dopes on the internet! 

[Tennessee Boy]

2 hours ago, AJH said:

 

Yeah but you guys are smarter than the dopes on the internet! 

We are the dopes on the Internet ?

[AJ Hauser]

HA! ?

[Spankey]

7 hours ago, AJH said:

Hey guys! Water here is finally warming up to about 50 degrees. I took the kids out to the lake for a walk the other day and my youngest picked up this dead baitfish. Any idea what kind this is? We're in Illinois. I know part is covered up by the dried muck but I'm pretty sure this isn't a gizzard shad (don't think we have them here). 

 

Any ideas?

 

Follow up: would this by chance influence the lures you started fishing with? ?

 

Thanks!

That shiner has a bit of pinkish/purplish hue to it? Thanks. 

[AJ Hauser]

31 minutes ago, Spankey said:

That shiner has a bit of pinkish/purplish hue to it? Thanks. 

Yes, purplish or even slightly blue. I think it's a silver shiner based on what I've read - we have golden shiners around for sure so I'm not 100% on that, but the golden shiners I've seen are really clearly golden in color - but I've also only seen them in the summer months. Not really early spring like this. What do you think?

[Spankey]

I’ll be honest I don’t get into a lot of the biology of different species. But I do try to throw baits close to the natural colors of the Shad in lakes up here. There are golden shiners in the lake I fish. There were more years ago but a lot of gizzard Shad here now. Good size to them. 
 

The pic you posted caught my eye. A lot of my favorite baits have that pink purple rose tint to them. But Tennessee Shad versions works good up there also. 

[BASS302]

Like @roadwarrior said, the internet is your friend.

 

There are photos and range maps for most of them:

https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/education/Pages/WAFMinnow.aspx

[Bluebasser86]

Don't know how it works there, but here we're required to dump bait out when done fishing unless saving them for later trips (no releasing into the body of water you're fishing). To me, it looks like a dried up common shiner you buy at a bait store and would in no way influence my bait selection.

[AJ Hauser]

Gotcha - thanks all - I really appreciate the feedback!