If you can use a throw net and get some shad in the 2-4" range they will out fish the minnows. I caught a crappie and he spit out a 4" shad so I thought what the heck I put on my jig head in the mouth and out the top of the head and I caught 5 crappie on that shad before I got bit on the other rods with minnows. Just wondering is there a trap you can use to catch shad?