Bob and Greg:
Thanks for all your help. I received approx. 150 lbs. of 3" - 6" threadfin shad to the lake last month. Drive time was approx. 3 1/2 hours and I don't think I lost more than 10 lbs. total of dead shad. The hauler caught and transported the shad under the guidelines you provided me Bob. The hauler himself was impressed with the load he brought to me and how well they did. Thanks again for all your help with this.
The shad were put in the tanks by bucket at a ration of 20 lbs. per 100 gallons of water and he used the catch, temper and hauling with salt as you directed and a low pure oxygen flow. The shad came off the truck through the chute and were shot into a spot with 12' of water with close access to over 25' of water. The shad then almost immediately balled up and I saw three different balls swim toward the center of the lake. I cringed as I watched their bubble trail swim toward one of the basses favorite haunts, a long extended point. Once they went there I saw a bass boil, a fish hawk dive and then they veered off back to the safe zone of 60 feet of water. Last week, one of my guys saw three big shad balls moving through the trees back near the mouth of a old creek channel. He approached them and the groups converged into a 6' round ball and kept on their path through the trees in 10' of water. He said they were looking good and bouncing through the trees, unmolested by the bass. Sounds to me like they may have been spawning through this area. Water temp was a steady 65 degrees in the morning and even warmer later in the day. Anyhow, that was all great news to me! I have my fingers crossed that they have already or will be spawing soon.
P.S. - I LOVE SHAD!!!!!!!
Dave
