I'm getting ready for a fishing trip with the kids to Lake Buchannon. Guides are using Shad, but said if they run low, they mix with 4" minnows.

We tried with just Minnows and no worky! We gotta get our own Shad - Anyone who can shed some light on how to do this?

Help.... Andy

do you know how to throw a cast net and idea bait on your graph. ps don/t forget that bait tank it crucial to have a great bait tank to hold shad i/am a striper guide and i can tell you from experience with out a good bait tank you will never keep them alive.

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Seventh Heaven
http://4-seventhheaven.com

Micheal,

Thanks. I've got a live bait well with water refill but no Oxygen.

I've got a fish finder and can probably throw a net. Is there a specific time to catch the Shad?

Think we can keep em alive for a few days.

Thanks.... Andy

I like to throw a castnet a few hours before daylight around lighted, empty stalls at marinas or anywhere else with some light. I have also had success around bridge pillars and boat ramps. I have caught some up in creeks during the day or in other places just before sunset; but early morning seems to work best for me.

I noticed that the last time we were coming in late from from a Striper run - I was running my dock lites and the little buggers were jumping out of the water - you'd thought it was raining shad.

Our minnows lasted, but with little success of catching. We went with a guide and as I said earlier he used a shad/minnow combo and caught, but weren't paying attention to which rods were getting hit first. Does it really matter when the school comes up/by whether is Shad or Minnows?

Andy

When it comes to catching Stripers with live bait Shad is the best hands down in freshwater. At certain times perch may work better but a shad makes up about 90% of a Stripers diet. when using shad, gizzard shad are easier to keep alive although we like to call threadfin shad STRIPER CANDY, This time of year your bait may be a little deeper until the sun comes out then try up in a creek channel, sandy/muddy shore lines are good for Gizzard shad. Shad may be starting to spawn on some area lakes. Sometimes I will get at the mouth of a creek and just start throwing along the channel and herd them to the back of the creek and then hit the mother load. Try not to handle them too much and I always put them in one bucket for a few minutes and let them clean up a little before putting them in my bait tank. Pick you up some shad keeper and follow the instuctions it eliminates ammonia that the shad will spit up and put in a couple of hand fulls of non iodized rock salt, will work as a stress releiver. Keep your bait frisky and you should have good results. Hope I helped, good luck.

The trick to catching shad is really looking at the graph, if they are not on top of the water flipping the water.
If you go into the marinas , you will notice clouds on your fishfinder.
Those are the sahd.
They might be in a straight line or a cloud but you will see them if they are there.
Look for the darker clouds, trun your motor off and watch them bunch up.
Throw the net and let it sink to the bottom.
Bring them in and put them in a round bait tank with current.
It has to have current flowing to keep the shad moving.
If they stay still they die.
In the summer, the large minnows work well becuase the stripers are down deep in the cool water and the shad are up higher in thewarmer water.
In the winter everyone is at the same spot depthwise trying to stay warm.
I like to use shad when you can catch them but minnows work ok if you get a late start or can't find shad...

Hey Fellas'

This is all great info and I will take with me next week. I stopped by academy and I noticed they had this powder called "Shad Saver" - ever used it.

Andy

Yes that takes the amonia out of the water and hardens their scales.

OK, so shad saver is ok!

I've got a retangular bait tank and I just purchased a timer based switch that runs the pump every 1 to 5 mins for 30secs.

I know you guys said it needs water movement to keep the shad lively, if I put the pump to every 3mins wil this be enough.

Andy

A rectangular bait tank will kill your shad w/in an hour or two- you really need a tank w/ no corners or rounded corners. Depending on how many shad you stuff in the tank and the chemicals you add, you could increase this time, but I wouldn't spend a lot of money on shad saver and timers if all you have is a rectangular tank.

No , rectangular won't work for long.
You need a round one and the water needs to be flowing continuosly.
Go to your local Sams club and look at their round keg holders or beverage display holders.
Thses are the large plastic insulated barrels that you see in the 7-11 that hold ice and drinks.
Buy one for $74 and put a 550gph circulation pump in it.
Change the filter often and you will have success.
Then you can use the shad saver ....

OK - good notes.

Nixs the bait tank in the boat and use a round tub - I'm cool. I've got a few of those 55gal plastic drums (food grade) that I'll just cut in half.

Then I get the pump and just let it swirl the water around - right?

Andy

Andy,
If you want to get serious about keeping shad alive, there is a lot to it. The Shad Saver you mentioned is only good in a contained system. I actually prefer the liquid version of it to those blue crystals, but either will work. You also need non-iodinized salt. I use about a cup and a half for 20-25 gallons of water. If you get into it enough to justify it, you can purchase stock salt, or sea salt in large sacks real cheap. Not Rock Salt...Too hard to dissolve. But, if you only use a bait tank every now and again, simply by the cheap, non-iodinized table salt and pour about half a box in. Also, keep some non-dairy coffee creamer handy. If you start getting a foam build up, put enough in to dissolve the foam. Foam kills!!

If you want to make a great bait tank out of those plastic 55 gallon barrels, look at the below:
http://www.texasfishingforum.com/.ubb/Forum4/HTML/002337.html

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Mike
www.WhiskerKitty.com

Careful on your container if it is plastic and has held anything with any type of food product that had chemicals,ie: pickles or what ever the plastic will absorb the chemical and release it into your tank when you add your water. Not to contradict anybody at all but I have hauled many a shad for a couple of marinas at lake Whitney and have learned over the years that the main reason before for the round tank was the shad crowding into a corner, the reason for this is because of static pressure and the shad think it is an escape route, by using the new oxygen systems the oxygen eliminates the static pressure in the tank and also forces out any added bad gasses. I have used tanks with corners and with the addition of oxygen have kept shad alive all day and overnight untill I got them to the tank at the lodge. I do agree that round or oval is better but any will work with the addition of oxygen.