I took my boat out for the first time this year to a local lake. The lake is only 1200 acres but holds some nice bass. However, i was up in a cove in about 6-10 feet of water when i noticed some motion on the top of the water in the back of the cove. I eased up to take a look and to my amazement it was a huge school of large 6-8inch shad. there were hundreds of them and they were bunched up very tightly. The water temp was aboutn 41 degrees and they were in 2-3 feet of water.

This sparked a few questions:

What are these shad doing?

Why are there this many large shad in this small lake?

Should i be throwning a large swimbait this spring?

-chase

Unfortunately, those are probably gizzard shad and over time will take over the pond/ small lake. In larger reserviors this is the main reason stripers have been introduced. Nothing but a striper will eat a gizzard shad that big.

If I see that in an area that I know has big bass my heart just about jumps out of my chest.  ;DI would throw a swimbait until my arms fall off. I disagree with roadwarrior and most of our govt. employed fisheries managers and biologist. Their info is based on old flawed theorys that have been proven wrong in many cases. I have found that many fisheries guys who own thier own pond management companies agree with me since they get paid for performance and to grow giant bass. Big gizzard shad in that situation become the prefered food of big largemouth and if a lake is full of gizzard shad it will usually have larger bass that look like footballs. There will be fewer of them but they will be big. I don't think it's much different than a trout plant in California when big gizzards move into an area. A 24 inch largemouth can eat a 12 inch gizzard with no problem. Gizzard shad are a soft rayed fish and are easy for largemouth to swallow. I have pulled a 15 inch gizzard shad out of a ten pounder. This gizzard shad is one that a twelve pounder spit out on the way to the boat. I had five fish that went 47.4 pounds that day and every fish had a gizzard shad tail sticking out of its throat.

Here is a good article on gizzard shad.  http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/gizzard_shad.html

Here is a good article on gizzard shad. http://www.bassresource.com/fish_biology/gizzard_shad.html

Randall,

I just read the article which I found fascinating. Thank you.

However, I remain skeptical. I am in no way disputing your

observation that big bass CAN and SOMETIMES will eat a big

shad, I simply wonder if the rest of the professional community

can all be wrong.

I can say that on KY Lake and Barkley the bass definitely eat the larger gizzard shad out on the drops. I've seen them in the fishes' throats.

That's one reason the "big spoon" craze has hit KY and Barkley after Kelly Jordan's sick 9 1/2 minutes on a ledge on KY Lake on Ultimate Bass Fishing. Those big 6" Spait spoons are designed to mimmick a big gizzard shad on the river, and they obviously work.

Every year we have a run of Gizzard Shad into our tidal creeks.  I've seen fish evey bit of a foot long.   They come by the thousands, hundred of thousands, and die in the fish ladders in such numbers they have to be shoveled out.   They croak by the hundreds and I see them floundering at the surface barely alive.  There is only one thing I've ever seen prey on them:

Thanks for all the info. I will say that even though the lake is 1200 acres it has a good population of 5-8 pound bass. I have a feeling i will be throwing a big swimbait this year.

Yo Randall,

that fish looks very unhealthy.

I strongly urge you to contact your local dummy. Have him eat one, and if he doesn't die then by all means chicken fry 'em. (finger lickin' good)

Somebody it's gonna buy some swimbait tacke SSSOOOOOONNN  !!!

With your water temerature below 45 degrees (41?) shad start to die off. Threadfin can grow to 6", however the 41 degree water may rule those out. Gizzard shad can tolerate colder water, but the northern strain LMB rarely target bait fish over 8". Florida and FLMB intergrades will target large baitfish up to about 2lbs or 18", however prefer 6" to 12".

Whatever baitfsih they maybe, a swimbait in the general color contrast and profile should work. It's impossible to claim any exact rule what individaul bass may try to eat. They are called largemouth bass for good reason and a very aggressive bass may try to eat something that doesn't fit down it's throat or gets stuck and the bass dies.

TVA did plant stripers to control gizzard shad because the average size stripers grow much larger and can eat the larger bait easily.

WRB

I'm with Randall on this one. 8 inch gizzard shads are a delight for our fish.  Thats one of the very first things you learn about swimbait fishing.  Size of bait isn't a deterrant to BIG Bass.  You give them the opportunity and they will take it.  I've got 13 inch swimbaits that little 2lb spots just kill it.  Thats the perfect size that Randall is showing..  

Mike