Reproduction and Life Cycle Shad are anadromous, which means they live in the ocean but spawn in freshwater rivers and streams. In spring, adults migrate to the waterway in which they were born to spawn. Females lay 100,000 to 600,000 eggs over the course of several days.
How do you know when Shads are spawning?
“One way to tell if the shad are spawning is to throw a spinnerbait,” he said. “You’ll actually see the shad follow your spinnerbait back to the boat, and you’ll feel them nipping the blades on your spinnerbait. “You see that and you know you’re in the right area.”
Where do shad spawn in a river?
Spawning occurs in the main channels of the river where the flow is between 31 and 91 cm/s, dissolved oxygen is greater than 5 mg/L, and the water depth is anywhere between 1 and 10 m, but usually under 3 m. Sand or gravel bottoms are preferred but a variety of substrates can be used.
Where do shad usually spawn?
Spawning Locations: Gizzard shad can spawn just about anywhere on a lake, including weedy shallow backwaters. On the main lake, they like hard-bottom pockets with laydowns or riprap banks. Look For: Excessive baitfish activity at the surface, blackbirds and other birds on the shoreline.
How many times a year do shad spawn?
Shad spawn each spring/summer when the water temperatures reach above 70 degrees. Instead of creating spawning nests or ‘beds’ like bass and bluegill, Shad spawn by swimming around and dumping their eggs in shallow water.
What is the best shad bait?
The best bait for American shad are small, artificial lures including jigs, spinners, spoons and similar lures. Shiny or brightly colored lures work best, although shad also are known to bite a shiny bare hook, especially attached to a swivel to give it some swaying action.
What do you throw during shad spawn?
Here is the list of my top 10 baits to throw during the shad spawn.
- #1 – Spinnerbait. The spinnerbait is the best.
- #2 – Swim Jig. I love a white swim jig here.
- #3 – Swimbait. This is a 4” to 7” size tail thumping swim bait.
- #4 – Finesse Swim Bait.
- #5 – Hollow Frog.
- #6 – Shallow Crankbait.
- #7 – Buzzbait.
- #8 – Chatterbait.
How long does a shad spawn last?
“The shad spawn will last two, three, or maybe four weeks. It usually starts in one area of the lake and you might go to the other end of the lake and find nothing, so you have to be moving until you see the activity.”
How do you find shad on a lake?
Shad are easier to catch on warm days, locations would be the backs of coves and creeks where the water has been warmed by the sun all day. Look for stained water since shad will rarely be in clear shallow water and even if they are there they are very hard to get a net on.
Where do shad go in the winter?
In the winter, when the water grows much colder, the shad migrate back out of the creeks and into main lake depths. On some lakes, this can easily be 40 to 60 feet deep.
Where do shad go in the fall?
In both cases, the game fish and their primary food source threadfin shad will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition).
What do shad fish eat?
Gizzard shad eat microscopic phytoplankton and zooplankton. Larger fish add algae and decaying organic matter to that diet. They also eat sand, which probably helps grind up food in their gizzard-like stomach.
What does a fresh water shad look like?
Description of Threadfin Shad
Color is bluish gray on the back with a persistent black or purple spot just behind the head. The lower side is silver to creamy white. The fins have a yellow tint, which gives it the local name of “yellowtails”).
Why do shad swim in circles?
I explained to Bassrider that old adult gizzard shad often spend their last day in the lake by circling on the surface. They are trying to swim into deeper water but their air bladder is to full and they can’t go back down. So they spin on the surface until their time in Lake Powell is finished.
How big does a shad fish get?
Common length for female adult shad is 24.3 in and common length for male adult shad is 19.7 inches. The maximum reported length for an American shad is 29.9 inches. The American shad’s body is blue or green in color along the top of its body with silvery sides.
Will gizzard shad live in a pond?
Gizzard shad (Dorsoma cepedianum) also are a member of the herring family – Clupeidae. They occur in many rivers and reservoirs across the southeast and are occasionally stocked in ponds managed for trophy largemouth bass.
What is the best time to catch shad?
Fish in the spring and summer.
Shad spend their autumns and winters in the ocean, so the best time to fish them is during the spring and summer, when they return to the rivers for much easier access. Most people begin fishing shad in April and May.
What do you throw when bass eats shad?
A fluke is a great throw-back bait when a bass is interested but unwilling to hit a speedier lure. Why they work: Wide-bodied crankbaits are deadly. The balsa-wood, Rapala Shad Rap is a go-to of mine.
Are shad good to eat?
“Shad is a great fish to eat, it’s very healthy for you, and you’re supporting a local fishery that’s sustainable.” Shad, a large member of the herring family, are famously bony fish. Cooks get around that by baking the fish to soften the bones.
Is shad good for bass fishing?
A flurry of shad breaking the surface means that there are larger fish feeding on them from below. This tight schooling activity means that shad can provide a great deal of food for the bass even though each individual shad may only be 3 to 4 inches long.
What triggers the shad spawn?
Threadfin shad generally grow to a size of four to six inches and inhabit a wide range of water depths and temperatures. Typically the shad are triggered to start their spawn when the water temperature ranges between 68-76 degrees. The shad will spawn in various habitats, depending upon the type of lake.