It's that time of year again! Bait is very difficult to get. But, not in my world. I stare at 10000's shad on a daily basis while guiding for crappie in the creeks touching the DFW metroplex. If im not near a bait school, im not catching crappie, so I always know where the shad swim. In the video below, this is what I stare at all day long, I close my eyes and all I see is shad and a bobber twitching. Imprinted in my eyes now.....
Shad have a death sentence on thier heads in the winter. When temps get below 45, they start to shut down and die off. So, they go deep or they go up CREEKS. Creeks are "Shallower" than the lake. They are full of boulders, pebbles, dark mud, concrete, sand..... which all retain heat from the mighty sun. So the creeks warm up. Last week I was in a creek and the main lake was 46-47 and the creek I was in was 57-58 degrees. So theres why they do what they do in the winter...
They will be up creeks the whole winter with the moster 15 inchers showing up as soon as another cold front comes through. but there are a few showing up. The cutters ave about 10-13 inches.
Below are two rough vids from TODAY 12/18/2011. If you let the net sink all the way, you get the cutters, sometimes it wont sink all the way and trap the bigger ones on the bottom due to the net fills with hookers and a few cutters.... CRAZY..
Welcome to my office:
Easy way to save some cash knowing where, when, and how to catch your own bait all on your own whenever you want. If you dont know how to throw a net, I will teach you very fast.
Since the shad are so freakin easy to get, I cut my last years price in half. Takes less than an hour or so, to show you multiple locations on where and were not to throw a net.
$75.00/All the personal bait you can get.
Bring a buddy and split the cost! Makes it easier on hauling bait out too....
Email me, PM me, or Text me.
One hour. Learn it. Do it all by yourself whenever you want, without me around. DAY or NIGHT (shad dont care)
Catching shad in the winter sometimes is very hit and miss, especially throwing a net out in the deep water, we catch shad 40-50' deep with big 1 1/2 lb per foot nets and sometimes we just don't do very good, if you want to winter fish, this is a great deal,
Good Luck to Ya!!!
_________________________ 2010-2011 NTTC Rookies of The Year
Springs mostly. Im at 3 diff creeks right now and they all are the same. One creek on Lewisville is so loaded with shad, the prop kills them when i take the boat in it.... Then the sandies and small largemouth start a feeding frenzy for 2 mins, short lived.... 8-12 inch fish, nothing to cast at, but neat to watch..
Chase, just go back and get fresh bait. Take what you need and dont be waistful.
-The less shad in the area, the more freakin crappie I'll catch! But there is no way to come close to putting a dent in them. There's just way to many this year.
Hooker are the threadfins which are couple inches long which you hook whole. Thus the phrase hookers. The cutters are gizzards big enough to fillet or cut into chunks. A small cutter for is 4-6 inches long, medium is 7-8, large 9+.
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formally known cat tracker / dodgeman
Yes Carey. I know I should not have moved this far. but I didn't have a boat back then lol. Now I do and run 100 buck worth of gas each weekend getting to the lake. It's either stay out here where we both wrk and spend 100 bucks on the weekend or move closer and spend 250 bucks surfing the week for gas to get to wrk. I want to move closer and spend more money. Wife wants to stay out here. I say we stay since she don't care how much I fish. I'm sure u married guys feel the same. Lol
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Love The New Boat!!! Now I just gotta find the fish!!!
I'll be back in town Wednesday night. So I'll get back to y'all ASAP, those who contacted me,when I get home. Catching trout at the Lower Mt Fork River today and tomorrow. Creeks should be even more loaded up with the cold and rain....
Finally caught up with everything. Due to the holiday weekend, I moved my trips forward a bit. Crappie fishing at the creek will be combat fishing in the holes. BUT, the shad are always somewhere. They moved during the flood, and had to go look for them. Found them in a reg hole a 100 yards from the last spot..., just deeper today. 35 lbs of 5 inch thread fins with 1-5 Cutters is not bad, On Every Throw, if ur net opens. GET SOME KLEETS when casting in the creeks. They stay slick in the winter cause the water does not evaporate fast enough. Got about 10 good cutter in 15 throws today. The guy that went on the shad trip, got 10 more good ones on his own till he hit a tree. 1 ft rip, nothin bad. Also a Buffalo 3 lber in the net as well......
Bring 2 coolers with you. One, to dump the new catch in and sort out the yellow bass and baby other game fish Put the bait you want in the other cooler. Then dump the rest of the unwanted catch back in the creek as soon as possible so u dont waist bait or game fish. This will prevent the unwanted bait from getting thier slime coat rubbed off, easier to sort through, no mess on the ground making it stink the next day.
So, I still have a couple slots here and there for tomorrow's Shad/Bait Runs and I left all day open Saturday for anyone wanting to bait up. Ill be there all day long. Call me to set up a time slot or text me.
thank you very much for the bait trip today. That was ALOT of shad. We really learned alot today in a short time. It was worth every penny. Working on booking a bank trip for crappie. Thanks again and Merry Christmas...Joe
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2011 fish caught Sandbass 134 Hybrids 2 Blues 12 Channels 3 LMB 7 Crappie 1 Gar 1
Sun was perfect so I could film the massive school of pure Gizzard Shad 2 ft from me in 2 ft of water. -Want some?
"How to find the shad."
"After you find them, Cast Your Net, get what you need for the next day or two, go fishing!
Same spot, just 10 ft over in another pocket.
What do we do with the Game Fish we catch in the net? YOU HAVE TO RELEASE ALL GAME FISH, if caught in your cast net. It could cost up to $225 per Game Fish and the warden can impound your truck or car to be actioned off. Its considered Poaching.
A few fish you will catch in the net and what to do with them.
More Shad!
This should help some of ya'll out a bit better. I dont cast my net till I see them! I met my clients at an undisclosed spot and walked down to the creek before this spot and showed them a massive school of over a million shad swarming around. Then we hit the Honey Hole for some bait. 17 mins from the time we got out of the truck to when we got back. 2 throws of the net, all the bait 3 guys needed. Otherwise, one throw will do..... The long part was the 100 yard walk over flat grass..... $75 get you the locations on where its safe to throw the net without loosing it to a tree grouper. Ill show you a couple spots, and they will be there all winter long with more showing up every time it floods! Hope this blog helps!
Registered: 10/27/10
Posts: 1041
Loc: Round Rock Tx
never seen that many on my own in creeks by my home
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Fishing is like fresh air to my daily life can't live with out it. Cristian PB. Buffalo 30# PB. Carp 28#(feb 25 ATC 2012) WBR this year 2011 failed 2012 is the year
Thank you Carey for the info. Last lavon trip was a bummer. Last might was much better. U sent me to the shad and the shad sent the blue to ky livewell. Ended with around 20 fish. Buddy got his first "pb" of 15.30 another went over eight. The rest were 4-6 pounds. All caught on gizzard shad. Still have bait for 2 more trips.. ur the man Carey!!!
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Love The New Boat!!! Now I just gotta find the fish!!!
Please ask questions in this thread about gear and stuff. Let everyone else know what your questions are. That way I dont have to answer the same question in a Private Message everyday. (PM me for openings)
- I wear soccer kleets while on clay banks. It will save ur butt.
- I wear felt bottom boots while walking on limestone. They grip the algea on the rocks preventing me to slip.
- Traveling up the creeks in a watercraft, will spook them.
- Make sure you have your fishing license on you at all times while throwing the net. You are fishing. DL as well.
- Bring a buddy. If you fall by yourself, no one will know where you are.
- If you cant swim, wear a life vest
- I wear my waders, so I can travel through the creeks and wade to the other side if needed. Some of the honey holes, you will need waders. And, you wont smell like shad at the end.
- Polarized glasses are a must. Dont try to come down there w/o them. $12 bucks on average at walmart
The warm weather warmed the creeks up to 51 degrees. So, the shad are swimming everywhere and not in tight balls. So if your in a spot with shad, it might take ten throws to bait up..... Otherwise when the cold comes back it will take one or two.
Today it took about four or five throws, after I showed him how to throw a net, to fill up for the weekend, and he was set up with a bait tank to take live ones to the lake. I guess I need to do a cast net vid too...
When it rains, it floods the creeks. Urban creeks such as White Rock Creek, sits in the middle of dallas. Which is surrounded by concrete. No soil to soak into, so it all runs to the Trinity River or WRC. So, its a dark fast moving creek right now. You will have to wait at least 2 days after a flood. 3-4 days is best, then they will settle in once the water stops moving so fast. Some of the holes where they usually are have changed due to the flood and new debris in the water. So that hole you were casting your net in, might have a tree in it now. With this cold rain, and a lot of rain, I bet a bunch of creeks will now have water in them. I now have 2 creeks on Lewisville that I found some Gizzards at. Hard to get to, but they are there.
Registered: 06/01/10
Posts: 74
Loc: west fort worth
love the videos, is it possible for you to do a video on how to cut the gizzard out of the shad,I remember watching my dad and uncles doing it when i was a youngster i just dont remember how they did it.they would fill fruit jars full and freeze them for later use.
love the videos, is it possible for you to do a video on how to cut the gizzard out of the shad,I remember watching my dad and uncles doing it when i was a youngster i just dont remember how they did it.they would fill fruit jars full and freeze them for later use.
Registered: 10/07/11
Posts: 544
Loc: cedar hill, tx
with this cold front that came through where would the shad be heading out to grapevine tomorrow hoping to get shad last time we did not catch any shad...........any help?
One throw today on the bait trip, produced all the bait needed for the week. Walked to the creek from the truck, one cast, 4 mins. Back at the truck within 15 mins. Easy pickins.
Yes Carey. I know I should not have moved this far. but I didn't have a boat back then lol. Now I do and run 100 buck worth of gas each weekend getting to the lake. It's either stay out here where we both wrk and spend 100 bucks on the weekend or move closer and spend 250 bucks surfing the week for gas to get to wrk. I want to move closer and spend more money. Wife wants to stay out here. I say we stay since she don't care how much I fish. I'm sure u married guys feel the same. Lol
We have lakes with nice fish in them in the westroplex too you know....
on second thought... your right, we aint got no fish over here. keep driving to lavon.
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Originally Posted By: chikenfrie
i like to go to party city and stay lit for 2 nights.
The bigger ones were in a pool 20 yards up, but, he was fine with what he got in the 1st cast. About 15-20 were 11-12 inches. The rest were 6-8 inches on average in this school.
Yeah I've been doing good out there.. lots of cats.. found em on lavon..
I Hung my net on a stump at wrc after the rain. Had to cut it all up and re tie it all. Was fun to do but I am gonna need a new one soon lol. Got me all new crime rods and reels now!! I'm rdy for all them cats now..
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Love The New Boat!!! Now I just gotta find the fish!!!
Registered: 10/27/10
Posts: 1041
Loc: Round Rock Tx
Originally Posted By: big10
Dang. I wish there was a way I could get a netfull of that shipped down here! Finding shad has been KILLING me this winter.
Originally Posted By: Angler in Training
That is a great idea. I would pay for that.
me 3
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Fishing is like fresh air to my daily life can't live with out it. Cristian PB. Buffalo 30# PB. Carp 28#(feb 25 ATC 2012) WBR this year 2011 failed 2012 is the year
My brother in law is moving in an apartment in that area. I can get him to go with me. No one would likely mess with the two of us. He is a big guy. Plus I wouldn't be out there that late.
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Fighting Texas Aggie Class 2001
Registered: 09/19/09
Posts: 2155
Loc: Red Oak, Tx. (North Texas)
I have went there all times of the day except dark and never had any problem except the mud. Everyone I have seen on the trails have been friendly or say nothing at all.
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Formerly bbop1111- (and still not really sure why)
I have never had an issue there..... But you never know at night....
Today's shad trip was really good. Found lots of 7-9 inchers, but we were looking for the big boys today. My guy this morning took home about 75-100 11-13 inch gizzards. Three throws of the net and the third throw was the spot. Found a 4 lb bass yesterday, biggest I have ever seen in the creek. After the rain, the creek will be loaded again. With even more fish. They are not in short supply at the moment or anything, but with a good rain, a messed up throw of the net will catch all you need for the week.
If it rains good, like they said it is, that will be enough water for most of the creeks to load up with gizzards.
My Mom asked if I could take her shad hunting this morning. So I said let's go. Her first throw hit 6 12 inchers and a baby sand bass! Nice goin Mom!
I can't crappie fish the creeks for about a week, so look like I'll be doin some drifting or hitting the shallows with y'all.
Shad made me work for them today. The warm water had them spread out. I'd get about 6-10 per throw, plus whatever Mom would catch on her own. I think she got about 15 to 20 all by herself.
Ran into another forum member at the right time. He needed bait and I needed help.
All bagged and in the freezer. I'm good to go for the week. And some of my buddy's got a early Xmas present for the weekend too.
If it rains good, like they said it is, that will be enough water for most of the creeks to load up with gizzards.
My Mom asked if I could take her shad hunting this morning. So I said let's go. Her first throw hit 6 12 inchers and a baby sand bass! Nice goin Mom!
I can't crappie fish the creeks for about a week, so look like I'll be doin some drifting or hitting the shallows with y'all.
Shad made me work for them today. The warm water had them spread out. I'd get about 6-10 per throw, plus whatever Mom would catch on her own. I think she got about 15 to 20 all by herself.
Ran into another forum member at the right time. He needed bait and I needed help.
All bagged and in the freezer. I'm good to go for the week. And some of my buddy's got a early Xmas present for the weekend too.
I would just keep them on top of ice if you are going to use them this week.
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Fighting Texas Aggie Class 2001
Sun was perfect so I could film the massive school of pure Gizzard Shad 2 ft from me in 2 ft of water. -Want some?
"How to find the shad."
"After you find them, Cast Your Net, get what you need for the next day or two, go fishing!
Same spot, just 10 ft over in another pocket.
What do we do with the Game Fish we catch in the net? YOU HAVE TO RELEASE ALL GAME FISH, if caught in your cast net. It could cost up to $225 per Game Fish and the warden can impound your truck or car to be actioned off. Its considered Poaching.
A few fish you will catch in the net and what to do with them.
More Shad!
This should help some of ya'll out a bit better. I dont cast my net till I see them! I met my clients at an undisclosed spot and walked down to the creek before this spot and showed them a massive school of over a million shad swarming around. Then we hit the Honey Hole for some bait. 17 mins from the time we got out of the truck to when we got back. 2 throws of the net, all the bait 3 guys needed. Otherwise, one throw will do..... The long part was the 100 yard walk over flat grass..... $75 get you the locations on where its safe to throw the net without loosing it to a tree grouper. Ill show you a couple spots, and they will be there all winter long with more showing up every time it floods! Hope this blog helps!
Just happened upon this. Soo... does this make you a master-baiter?
_________________________ www.texasoklahomafishingguide.com Whisker-Getter Catfish Bait $12.00/jar $20.00/2 jars. Order by PM or Text (214)422-6827
Thats a ton of shad. Your doing an awesome job!
You been catching any fish man?
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