Casted for about an hour straight the other day for a total of 15 shad in the bucket. Location is key im sure but are they just really deep right now? Belton lake sandflats area.

I know on Buchanan if I go at 2am I can catch all I need in just a few throws. If I go at 4am I have to triple the amount of throws. If I go at sunrise I'm out of luck...even if I catch a few they are way too small.

Try the 36 Bridge area.

Catching mine in the back of coves at night or in 8' to 12' on the first drop after daylight. I usually catch them in the back of the coves in 2' of water mid day but that hasn't been the case the last couple weeks. I'm talking about gizzards. Mid to upper ends of lakes usually hold more shad in the summer than southern ends, or at least lasts been my experience on most lakes.

I don't fish Belton but on the lakes I do fish, shad have been tough to catch for me this year. Like every other fish, the high(er) water, no winter, inflow, outflow has changed pretty much every pattern we have become accustomed to the last few years. I've yet to find a consistent daytime spot to catch shad on any of the lakes I fish. I've started catching all of my shad by anchoring up in a cove and dropping a green light at about 5am. If you are in a good area you will have all the shad you could ever catch under your boat in about 10 minutes. A good many will be threadfin shad, but I don't mind fishing with big threadfin.

Shad are super easy at PK right now. Water has cleared and you can see them. I got mine yesterday with one cast. Caught so many that I probably set 10 dozen loose when I came in last night. Gotta love those Greyline bait tanks for keeping shad alive.

Here's what I do. I go into the creeks and coves and look along the sides for shad. If you see fish chasing bait use your trolling motor to get you close. many times the shad will come right by you close to the surface and you can just drop a net over them.