I went on a chartered trip last year wherein the guide had a huge tank of shad. Knowing that I don't have the adequate means nor space to keep shad alive from more than a singe day trip how many should I keep for lets say a 8-10 hour fishing day? Also what size do you suggest that I keep for stripers? Do bigger shad work better or should I stick to the 3-4"?

I really just don't want to waste what seems like an endless supply of good bait. I jig my freshly dead shad like you would a plastic swim bait and its fair results. Usually resulting in short strikes and missing the fish all together.

All I have is two common minnow bucket (yea, I know slam me) but I'm poor like that and I want to use shad but not waste them? Finally, I know some of the stores sell frozen shad. Is it worth the freezer space to use dead shad or is it fairly poor results? Finally, has anyone ever eaten a shad? I know up north people actually fish for these bad boys?

My target fish is obviously that 40# striper waiting for me to catch em'.. tee-hee-hee...

Thanks Folks

I am no stripper guide but you might look into a floating mesh net type bait keeper. I don't know what they are called exactly but it is a foam ring with a large mesh net. When you put it in the water the foam ring floats and the mesh net hange down below. I think they are only like $15 at Acedemy.

I purchased a bait tank for about 250 from bass pro and it works great but expensive.
I was at Walmart and puchased a foam bucket that had an air pump and an air stone. It fits into a five gallon pale. My friend has used it can it could keep 25-30 over night if he wanted it to. It cost about $15. It runs on batteries. I think like AA.

weve got a private cove that always seems to hold good Therafin Shad. I mean one cast it I will literally pull in 20+/- 4"s. I figure I would do that before every trip. Use em, freezem, eatem or let'em go....

I really just want to start smackin those 20" stripers again...

right now big fish shallow early on artificials and you can almost always get em on lures so spend that bait tank money on fuel fishing and learning their patterns instead of castnets etc unless you love the shad fishing and if so get a GOOD tank and don't mess around with cheap stuff.