We're trying to plan a trip to Toledo Bend to fish for Stripers. It will be hot. Does anyone know what temperature and or conditions they should be kept at to keep they healthy?

Any and all replies appreciated.

Insulated shad tank, oxygen injected would be nice, lots of ice

Thanks TreeBass, should the ice be added inside with the fish or wrapped around the tank?

I hate to say it, but this time of year, its almost impossible to keep them alive for any amount of time.
Ice/oxygen/shad saver and a lot of hope

Thanks Fish Killer, I'm starting to get that idea too.

Try this in the striper section--some of the guides might chime in.

BassBorder, Keep the water temps around 62F to 65F. Make sure
you have a round bait tank. Use Shad-Keeper. There is a big
sporting good store in Dennison that carries bait tanks, and
Shad-Keeper. Grayline makes an EXCELLENT bait tank for shad,
probably one of the best on the market.

www.graylinebaittanks.com
He has alot of good information for keeping shad alive on his
site. Shad are delicate fish, but you can keep them alive if
you have the right tanks, keep them cool and use the right products. The are very sensitive to ammonia. I would add salt
in addition to the Shad-Keeper this time of year. Hope this info
helps.

salt, a GOOD aerator and a 5 gallon bucket keeps a dozen alive for me in the heat of the summer. I have to shove them up under the console to keep the sun off. I like the aerator to be strong enough to keep the water moving so the lil boogers HAVE to swim....

http://www.arkansasstripers.com/keeping_shad_alive.htm

Give this one a read.

Matt

The ammonia absorbing material is called ZEOLITE. We sell it
to the bait dealers that have to keep a significant amount of shad alive for an extended period of time. Many times it is
the copper tubing used to make ice that actually kills the shad.
The only way to remove this metal is through chelation. Heavy
metals disrupt the immune system in most fish. That is why ALL
of our products contain chelating agents. He should do o.k. if
he gets the right tank,etc.

If you can figure it out you will be a millionaire OVER NIGHT? That has been one of the 7 wonders in fishing for as long as fish have been alive. GOOD LUCK !!!

In Arkansas you cannot kill a gizzard shad.Two hours on the bank wont kill one.Stomping your foot on it and ripping your crankbait out of its side and kicking it back into the lake wont do it.One pound shad are not uncommon here,there so prolific they over croud every water way they inhabit.But Lane might be on to something you might try.Good Luck!

Gizzard shad do get VERY big!!!!!! The threadfins are their
smaller cousins. Most of the bait dealers that handle shad
carry the threadfin shad. I recently saw some schooling
Gizzard shad at Amistad and they were definately well over
a pound!

I used to striper fish. Tawakoni and Texoma mostly. I made my own fish tank and I would put 20 to 25 shad that were as long as your hand inside and keep them for hours.

It was all powered by a 500gph bilge pump and used charcoal filters and another screen to pull the gunk out of the water. When you first put the shad in a good bit of stuff will get into the filters but after the initial cleanout the tank would stay good for hours.
Shad need plenty of air and the tank should have water moving.

I always added a couple cups of salt to the tank. Insulating would probably help to keep the oxygen level up but if you put enough air in the tank they seemed to good for me.

Shad die as soon as you touch them. When you cast net shad, they are dead before you dump them out of the net lol.