Hey guys,

I was fishing today in my local neighborhood lake. I knew there were bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill but I had no idea there were shad in there! I was ultra light fishing for some crappie today when I felt something hit my line. I set the hook immediately and pulled out this guy...

I always thought shad were fish found in well planned out and established reservoirs. So, it's kind of shocking to me that the people who stocked the lake did such a thorough job.

So, what's the deal with shad? Are they pretty common to be stocked into places or do you think this neighborhood lake may have just always natrally existed, so to speak...?

Hey guys,

I was fishing today in my local neighborhood lake. I knew there were bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill but I had no idea there were shad in there! I was ultra light fishing for some crappie today when I felt something hit my line. I set the hook immediately and pulled out this guy...

I always thought shad were fish found in well planned out and established reservoirs. So, it's kind of shocking to me that the people who stocked the lake did such a thorough job.

So, what's the deal with shad? Are they pretty common to be stocked into places or do you think this neighborhood lake may have just always natrally existed, so to speak...?

Hey guys,

I was fishing today in my local neighborhood lake. I knew there were bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill but I had no idea there were shad in there! I was ultra light fishing for some crappie today when I felt something hit my line. I set the hook immediately and pulled out this guy...

I always thought shad were fish found in well planned out and established reservoirs. So, it's kind of shocking to me that the people who stocked the lake did such a thorough job.

So, what's the deal with shad? Are they pretty common to be stocked into places or do you think this neighborhood lake may have just always natrally existed, so to speak...?

Another fishing enthusiast could of introduced them to help fatten up the bass or take pressure off of the bluegill and crappie.  It could very possibly be a natural lake houses were built around. How big is it? Are there any streams running in or out of it? Is it there a dam?

Another fishing enthusiast could of introduced them to help fatten up the bass or take pressure off of the bluegill and crappie.  It could very possibly be a natural lake houses were built around. How big is it? Are there any streams running in or out of it? Is it there a dam?

Another fishing enthusiast could of introduced them to help fatten up the bass or take pressure off of the bluegill and crappie.  It could very possibly be a natural lake houses were built around. How big is it? Are there any streams running in or out of it? Is it there a dam?

First - how did you get the fish through the ice .... ;D

I fish 11 small (4-201 acres) man-made lakes that are about 30 years old. No shad were ever stocked in these lakes that I know of until 2009 when 1,000 were stocked in a 48 acre lake. It's unknown if they managed to get a foothold in that lake or whether the bass and trout got them all the first year...

In general, it seems like most small private lakes work to get a balance of bass and smaller forage fish like "brim", perch, etc. Some add catfish. But I haven't read of any recommendations for adding shad to the mix. Maybe someone with experience in lakes management will chime in. You could also search the net on shad stocking and maybe the Pond Boss website has something on this topic.

In our lakes, over the past 30 years they have stocked LMB, SMB (which no one has seen since they were stocked!), channel cats, warmouth, bluegill, redear, white crappie, and yellow perch. Five of our eleven lakes are deep enough to support trout year-round so we have rainbows in those 5 lakes as well. From time to time, they stock some fathead minnows and the bass club recently raised about 600,000 fatheads in one of the golf-course ponds and then transplanted them to some of the lakes (I had some GREAT fishing just after that when the bass were in the shallows busting those fatheads!). BUT, over all this time, no real attempt to get shad started...

First - how did you get the fish through the ice .... ;D

I fish 11 small (4-201 acres) man-made lakes that are about 30 years old. No shad were ever stocked in these lakes that I know of until 2009 when 1,000 were stocked in a 48 acre lake. It's unknown if they managed to get a foothold in that lake or whether the bass and trout got them all the first year...

In general, it seems like most small private lakes work to get a balance of bass and smaller forage fish like "brim", perch, etc. Some add catfish. But I haven't read of any recommendations for adding shad to the mix. Maybe someone with experience in lakes management will chime in. You could also search the net on shad stocking and maybe the Pond Boss website has something on this topic.

In our lakes, over the past 30 years they have stocked LMB, SMB (which no one has seen since they were stocked!), channel cats, warmouth, bluegill, redear, white crappie, and yellow perch. Five of our eleven lakes are deep enough to support trout year-round so we have rainbows in those 5 lakes as well. From time to time, they stock some fathead minnows and the bass club recently raised about 600,000 fatheads in one of the golf-course ponds and then transplanted them to some of the lakes (I had some GREAT fishing just after that when the bass were in the shallows busting those fatheads!). BUT, over all this time, no real attempt to get shad started...

First - how did you get the fish through the ice .... ;D

I fish 11 small (4-201 acres) man-made lakes that are about 30 years old. No shad were ever stocked in these lakes that I know of until 2009 when 1,000 were stocked in a 48 acre lake. It's unknown if they managed to get a foothold in that lake or whether the bass and trout got them all the first year...

In general, it seems like most small private lakes work to get a balance of bass and smaller forage fish like "brim", perch, etc. Some add catfish. But I haven't read of any recommendations for adding shad to the mix. Maybe someone with experience in lakes management will chime in. You could also search the net on shad stocking and maybe the Pond Boss website has something on this topic.

In our lakes, over the past 30 years they have stocked LMB, SMB (which no one has seen since they were stocked!), channel cats, warmouth, bluegill, redear, white crappie, and yellow perch. Five of our eleven lakes are deep enough to support trout year-round so we have rainbows in those 5 lakes as well. From time to time, they stock some fathead minnows and the bass club recently raised about 600,000 fatheads in one of the golf-course ponds and then transplanted them to some of the lakes (I had some GREAT fishing just after that when the bass were in the shallows busting those fatheads!). BUT, over all this time, no real attempt to get shad started...

Could be a gizzard shad, big threadfin shad or a blueback herring. If the small lake/pond freezes over, shad are not likely to survive; the herring can withstand colder water. More than likely bucket biologist at work.

WRB

Could be a gizzard shad, big threadfin shad or a blueback herring. If the small lake/pond freezes over, shad are not likely to survive; the herring can withstand colder water. More than likely bucket biologist at work.

WRB

Could be a gizzard shad, big threadfin shad or a blueback herring. If the small lake/pond freezes over, shad are not likely to survive; the herring can withstand colder water. More than likely bucket biologist at work.

WRB

I believe the native range of the Gizzard Shad extends to the Great Lakes so they can handle some cold as well.  The Threadfin generally isn't found north of the Ohio River Valley and the southern portions of Missouri.  Threadfin Shad have difficulty surviving in water temperatures equal to or less than the mid to lower 40s. 

I believe the native range of the Gizzard Shad extends to the Great Lakes so they can handle some cold as well.  The Threadfin generally isn't found north of the Ohio River Valley and the southern portions of Missouri.  Threadfin Shad have difficulty surviving in water temperatures equal to or less than the mid to lower 40s. 

I believe the native range of the Gizzard Shad extends to the Great Lakes so they can handle some cold as well.  The Threadfin generally isn't found north of the Ohio River Valley and the southern portions of Missouri.  Threadfin Shad have difficulty surviving in water temperatures equal to or less than the mid to lower 40s. 

Down here in south Fl. all the freshwater has saltwater fish in it. State biologists say wading birds get fish eggs on their feet/legs and introduce them into freshwaters they might fly to next. I never agreed with that notion but maybe......

Down here in south Fl. all the freshwater has saltwater fish in it. State biologists say wading birds get fish eggs on their feet/legs and introduce them into freshwaters they might fly to next. I never agreed with that notion but maybe......

Down here in south Fl. all the freshwater has saltwater fish in it. State biologists say wading birds get fish eggs on their feet/legs and introduce them into freshwaters they might fly to next. I never agreed with that notion but maybe......

looks like a threadfin to me but they look so similar

looks like a threadfin to me but they look so similar

looks like a threadfin to me but they look so similar

My neighborhood pond is just 3 acres, but it has seen populations of shad come and go through the years. Either some were brought in by birds or a fisherman with live bait dumped some in. I was amazed two summers ago to see shad swirling the surface off shore in June being pounded by bass.  All during that summer the pond bass acted like roaming reservoir bass and fed in the middle of the pond, a very unusal sight! Anyway, a hard winter with lots of ice must have killed off the last of them, and now the bass are back to roaming the banks. Lots of fun while it lasted, so yes, shad can populate small bodies of water.

My neighborhood pond is just 3 acres, but it has seen populations of shad come and go through the years. Either some were brought in by birds or a fisherman with live bait dumped some in. I was amazed two summers ago to see shad swirling the surface off shore in June being pounded by bass.  All during that summer the pond bass acted like roaming reservoir bass and fed in the middle of the pond, a very unusal sight! Anyway, a hard winter with lots of ice must have killed off the last of them, and now the bass are back to roaming the banks. Lots of fun while it lasted, so yes, shad can populate small bodies of water.

My neighborhood pond is just 3 acres, but it has seen populations of shad come and go through the years. Either some were brought in by birds or a fisherman with live bait dumped some in. I was amazed two summers ago to see shad swirling the surface off shore in June being pounded by bass.  All during that summer the pond bass acted like roaming reservoir bass and fed in the middle of the pond, a very unusal sight! Anyway, a hard winter with lots of ice must have killed off the last of them, and now the bass are back to roaming the banks. Lots of fun while it lasted, so yes, shad can populate small bodies of water.

There are several strip pits that have huge Am. Shad in them up here.  Some are a foot long and pound or so.