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How to catch live bait? #12649017 02/27/18 01:32 PM
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JLight Offline OP
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Is there a previous thread (youtube) that explains how to catch shad with a throw net. Best practices? What type of area? When? Can you use a trap to catch shad? I fished with a guide once in Arkansas that used small perch. Any opinions?

Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: JLight] #12649023 02/27/18 01:38 PM
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Holzer Offline
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If you provide a few more details, you might get the info your looking for.
In a boat? Have sonar? What lake you are going to try on? etc.

Depending on your location, pretty soon you'll be able to catch all the bait you want in about 2 inches of water on grassy banks.


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Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: JLight] #12649164 02/27/18 03:11 PM
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Jlight, the cold weather has killed a few. I think most shad are in deep water. Some gizzards may be up deep creeks. The shad are hard to catch this time of year unless you have a deep water net. If you hit some dock lights at night you might catch some. Most of us deadstick slabs or jigs/ flukes for a few more weeks. Traps normally dont work well for shad. You can try going where you are marking several small schools of shad turn on your new Bobo Thumper and they shad will ball up under your boat first. Drop a slab or jig fluke down to where the shad are and hold on. Sometimes February into March is tough. Fish and bait are transitioning for the spawn.


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Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: JLight] #12649170 02/27/18 03:12 PM
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Ive been catching shad back in the creek. Not a lot but they are there

Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: JLight] #12649278 02/27/18 04:14 PM
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They should be spread out very very soon with the weather warming. Wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if you could catch them again from the bank on any lake.

Eric

Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: JLight] #12649488 02/27/18 06:04 PM
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Get a 5 foot, 1/4 inch mess cast net and use google to learn to throw. Shad are had to find now but plenty of spot-tail minnows and little perch to be caught, at least on LBJ where i fish. I have never caught a shad in a minnow trap but i do catch plenty of small perch.

Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: Holzer] #12650940 02/28/18 01:04 PM
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Hi Holzer,

I live close to Hubbard so I have mostly fished there in the past. It has been a couple of years, I sold my fishing boat to get a family/wakeboard boat. (The sacrifices we make for our kids) I really missed getting out on the lake fishing so I went to the boat show and guess what?? We are now a two boat family smile. I have fished with slabs etc in the past but I want to learn some new skills this time around. For example, I want to learn how to catch live bait and also fish Tawakoni. I have a slip at Chandlers. Right now it is a muddy mess in there given the excavation that is happening but I was hoping that you could use a cast net from the docks later this spring/summer. I also have a perch trap made of chicken wire. I have never used it at LRH but in other areas it works great on small perch.

Thanks for the help!

Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: jbobo] #12650964 02/28/18 01:24 PM
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JLight Offline OP
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Originally Posted By: jbobo
Jlight, the cold weather has killed a few. I think most shad are in deep water. Some gizzards may be up deep creeks. The shad are hard to catch this time of year unless you have a deep water net. If you hit some dock lights at night you might catch some. Most of us deadstick slabs or jigs/ flukes for a few more weeks. Traps normally dont work well for shad. You can try going where you are marking several small schools of shad turn on your new Bobo Thumper and they shad will ball up under your boat first. Drop a slab or jig fluke down to where the shad are and hold on. Sometimes February into March is tough. Fish and bait are transitioning for the spawn.


Sounds like a plan. I've used slabs etc in the past but I have never used the live well on my boat. I am just wanting to try some new stuff this time around. I am hoping to get my boat from the dealer this weekend. One of the first things I will do it turn on the Bobo Thumper. smile!!

Thanks for your help
Jeff

Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: JLight] #12651107 02/28/18 02:48 PM
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I'm no expert but I catch shad all the time at Possum Kingdom. If you have clear water, you can go into creeks and coves and use your trolling motor to position your boat next to the shad and just drop the net over them. If people have been catching them they will be net shy and you'll need to try to go early or late.

If the water is stained, you can just look for flips ( little ripples where the shad come to the surface). With practice you can learn to throw a good circle. Quite often a single throw will put more shad in the boat than you can use. You'll need to get a shad tank with a good filter in order to keep them alive for any length of time. You can keep them alive for short periods in a big 5 gallon bucket put you will need to change the water about every 10-15 minutes. Note, this may keep them alive but they will have red nose and not be very lively from all the ammonia they kick off. The very first thing they do when you catch them is poop and puke up whatever they have eaten. I normally put the shad from the throw net in a five gallon bucket first before dipping them out to place in my shad tank. This keeps a lot of the gunk they generate out of the tank. If you put 3-4 dozen shad in a five gallon bucket you'll quickly get 1/2 to a full inch of [censored] at the bottom of the bucket.

Invest in some shad keeper or good non iodized salt. I have to catch my shad the evening before and they stay very lively in my shad tank overnight. You'll also need to get a shad tank net, those little minnow nets will not work for lively shad in a big shad tank.

Good luck. For what it's worth, I used to fish with lures all the time but quit once I got the shad tank. Pitifully easy to catch stripers with shad. At PK I normally cannot fish with two poles because the first pole will have a fish before I can bait the second. Once you start fishing with shad you won't go back to lures.


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Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: JLight] #12651195 02/28/18 03:22 PM
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There is a forum member that has a website that has lots of information about it. I am not plugging, or not intending to anyway, but it did help me. His name is Chad Ferguson and his website is texascatfishingguide.com I believe... he has a whole write up on catching shad. I think there is great advice above as well so you might already have what you need.

Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: JLight] #12653604 03/01/18 06:55 PM
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Originally Posted By: JLight
Hi Holzer,

I live close to Hubbard so I have mostly fished there in the past. It has been a couple of years, I sold my fishing boat to get a family/wakeboard boat. (The sacrifices we make for our kids) I really missed getting out on the lake fishing so I went to the boat show and guess what?? We are now a two boat family smile. I have fished with slabs etc in the past but I want to learn some new skills this time around. For example, I want to learn how to catch live bait and also fish Tawakoni. I have a slip at Chandlers. Right now it is a muddy mess in there given the excavation that is happening but I was hoping that you could use a cast net from the docks later this spring/summer. I also have a perch trap made of chicken wire. I have never used it at LRH but in other areas it works great on small perch.

Thanks for the help!
I have more luck on Hubbard outside the marinas. I do catch some at times over at the marina by the power plant. Easiest time on Hubbard is when they spawn in May. The shoreline on northwest side between the I30 bridge and the ramp is good then. Just watch for trees. Look for birds running along shoreline. Don't even mess with anything less than a 6' net. I would recommend a 6' over a 7'. Once you get good with the 6 you might try a 7. I have never had a need for one. Another good spot early in the day is around the heath boat ramp. Some times I will catch them between the bouys and what is now the Bayside ramp right on the weed line. That area may get a little better since I hardly ever see anyone launching there. The only decent ramp in the park and they take it away. I guess with all of the parking they built they expect a lot of traffic. Not sure I want to even be on Hubbard if that lot is full. I guess Bayside kept their promise to Rowlett to keep one ramp open. Hubbard was already lacking in public ramps.


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Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: JLight] #12653974 03/01/18 10:36 PM
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First thing is get a 7 cast net and teach yourself to throw it.
Practice at the lake and in the yard.

One method Is to look for stained water. There easy to catch if they dont see you or the net first.
Stained water and abundant shad can almost always be found on the lower end of most lakes. This at times means trailering or long boat rides to the fish. Often shad fishing in clear water lakes means two separate fishing trips. One for bait and another to take the bait to the fish.


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Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: RANDY WOOD] #12654990 03/02/18 03:34 PM
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That is true Randy. What you are really saying is PK is a pain to fish. between the clear water and all these petrified lure eating cedar trees, PK is not for the novice.

By the way, I think those TPWD guys actually have a law against us transporting bait. That said it would be one heck of a long boat trip for me to Rock creek.


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Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: JLight] #12655048 03/02/18 03:59 PM
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Re: How to catch live bait? [Re: JLight] #12655539 03/02/18 09:54 PM
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Hey Everyone,

Thanks for all the information. I may keep this thread alive and post my newby experiences as I give this a try. BTW - if you see someone all tangled up in a net it's ok to laugh smile.

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