I wonder if I bought a bag of the preserved shad and sprayed or marinated the peices with dead red blood spray do y'all think this will work almost as good as fresh shad

No but it's better than nothin! If your having a problem catching shad then catch some bluegill and chop em up. They are easy to catch,stay on the hook, and I only use 4-5 for a half day trip and sometimes catch 5-6 fish on the same chunk. I'm dragging 7 rigs and 5 gills will last me most days.. This time of year they aren't picky and I usually catch 20-30 blues on a morning trip and I'm off the water by 10:30-11. Sometimes in the winter the bigguns only want Gizzard shad but summer cats love chopped Bluegills.

The bags of shad from the store are a waste of money. Nothing is as good or even close to fresh bait. Do like Gato said and figure out the shad or use something else like gill or carp. I don't catch near as many as a lot of these guys, but I'm confident if I was using prepped bait my catch rate would be really bad.

I thought you meant frozen shad Those preserved shad will catch absolutely ZERO blues! You would be completely wasting your time and flushing your hard earned $$ down the drain.

This time of year they also begin feeding on mussels. I like to use filleted bluegill or drum in small chunks or strips and soak them overnight in clam juice. Not as good as fresh shad for drifting but if you are set fishing I have had days where it outfished shad by a lot.

KQT..try fishing those gills chopped fresh instead of soaked over night in juice. Then fish em side by side with your soaked bait and I bet the fresh will outperform the soaked. I don't have any problem catching shad at any time of year but I prefer gills over shad starting around June 1st cause I fish primarily under sandbass all summer and sandies will pick shad off the hook fast. Hate reeling up and half my rigs are empty. Guys sometimes get too hung up on shad. i have great success fishing with gizzards but I catch just as many on Gills and drum. I have buddies that drag the same runs as me and my gills often outfish my buddies who are running shad. I'm not saying blues prefer gills over shad but you will rarely ever get picked clean with gills and you can't catch em too good with empty hooks.

Thanks EGA I will do that. Your catches are awesome! As is your beautiful fishing partner! Lol. Just a old guy who appreciates all of natures beauty. Btw I married way up too!

You talkin bout my cowdog or my wife! LMAO your on to me bud!! I will be the first to admit I'm a lucky SOB

Not even close to being close to close.

No LOL

So in other words it doesn't matter if you spray Dead red on preserved shad it won't make a bit of difference they still won't bit them?

Sorry, man, fresh is the only way to go.

Ok