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Thread: Shad

  1. #1
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    Default Shad


    I bought my first small cast net probably 2 years ago and yesterday decided I was going to finally break it out. Practiced a few throws in the yard and then went to the lake with my kids. The shad are super thick right now on my local lake and found a massive school right by the boat launch as soon as we put in. My first throw was terrible but still caught about 50 nice 3-5" threadfin. I dropped them in the floor of my jon boat and put a couple dozen in my minnow bucket and tossed the rest back. I know shad are finicky and not very tough but they started keeling over after just 10 min or so. I replaced the water and most somewhat revitalized temporarily but then started turning over pretty quick. I've done some research lately on netting and keeping shad as I would like to get more into using them as live bait for largemouth, cats, and striper but I'm not anywhere close to ready to pull the trigger on a legit bait tank. My boat is a 1648 flatbottom with no livewell - I typically put eating fish straight on ice and I do have a ~50 qt cooler with a recirculating pump and spray bar I can use as a traditional livewell. Any suggestions on how to keep shad I net given what I currently have to work with? A lot of what I saw online for the guys with bait tanks said they would drop the shad out of the cast net into their boats livewell for a few minutes while they shed scales and then transfer to the bait tank which has current and additives. I can get salt and other additives but I can't create current with what I have nor do I have a good setup to let them shed scales in first. I saw a neat video on Youtube where a guy made a bait tank out of a cooler and made a copycat version of the Striper Soup bait tanks filtration system which I may try to build. It makes some current (best as can I guess for a rectangular type cooler) and then has a Danco air infuser for oxygen and a multi layer filter standpipe system to really do a good job. Only issue is still no separate livewell to put them in straight from the lake. Maybe that isn't as necessary as some seem to make it out to be though.

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    I believe Richard Gene did a YouTube video on his setup. Best I can remember he uses a 5 gallon bucket with pool noodle around the top to float it and a bunch of holes drilled in it to allow water to flow through it.
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    Quote Originally Posted by DockShootinJack View Post
    I believe Richard Gene did a YouTube video on his setup. Best I can remember he uses a 5 gallon bucket with pool noodle around the top to float it and a bunch of holes drilled in it to allow water to flow through it.
    I've seen that in some of his videos. That is definitely something I can try in the meantime. I do wonder what he does with them when he moves spots or if he cant catch the bait where he plans to fish.

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    I have also seen him with a large round bait tank. I have heard shad needed a round tank to keep them from beating themselves up running into the corners. Kinda makes sense. Shad are always swimming in a circle
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    I believe the one is has is the Marine Metal super bait saver.
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  6. #6
    S10CHEVY is offline Crappie.com 3K Star General - Moderator Pennsylvania
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    A guy here also only uses round tanks, for the reason DSJ mentions. Even minnow buckets are round.

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    Quote Originally Posted by DockShootinJack View Post
    I have also seen him with a large round bait tank. I have heard shad needed a round tank to keep them from beating themselves up running into the corners. Kinda makes sense. Shad are always swimming in a circle
    Yeah when I put these shad in my minnow bucket, even with no current they all turned the same direction and were trying to swim together.

    That rectangular cooler bait tank I saw looked like the corners wouldn't be ideal but then again they are slightly rounded. A traditional boat livewell has pretty sharp corners though.

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    I know I saw Richard fishing with a guy once and they used a Creek Bank round bait tank but goodness those things are about $1000 shipped lol. I think it was owned by whomever his fishing partner was for that specific video.
    Likes jumping jack LIKED above post

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    There are some videos on making tanks for shad. They are hard to keep alive. When I would set up under the bridges and fish at night with lights. I would use a long handled dip net and catch a few as needed. I liked them about an inch long for crappie
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    Quote Originally Posted by DockShootinJack View Post
    There are some videos on making tanks for shad. They are hard to keep alive. When I would set up under the bridges and fish at night with lights. I would use a long handled dip net and catch a few as needed. I liked them about an inch long for crappie
    Yeah, I believe I will try to make one first and go from there. I don't want to kill bait unnecessarily but I was thinking if I end up killing some they would make great crawfish bait for my creek traps. Maybe once I get the feel for it I can purchase one or build a slightly higher end tank myself.

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