Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Shad in Bush

Well one interesting thing did come out of todays trip to the lake in Bush. One of the guys caught a 5"-6" shad. They called it a threadfin and I wasn't going to argue, but I think we are a little far north for that (we had a cold snap and had ice on the lake for a couple of days).
My best guess was gizzard shad.
No I did not get a picture, but I of course wish I had.
After night fall there was tremendous surface action all over the pond. I took the jon boat out and tried a little fishing, but mostly chased beavers.
I really want to seine this lake even more now, to see what else is in it and also to check on the forage population.
The lake is very bass heavy and will stay that way for a while, until I can convince them other wise.
Time for an age old question-
Any good ways to remove extra large shad?
How badly do they compete with other fish?
I'm assuming that there are ones too large for the bass to eat.
Matt

TShad succumb to cold water at about 42 F. A 5-6 in. shad is about right for an adult TShad. GShad could be that size but they get much bigger like 12 in. I think Bill posted that some up north get 18 - 19 in. . FishBase reports GShad to 40cm = 15.72 in. Yes GShad get to big for all but lunker LMB to eat and they have IMHO other very negative aspects as well in ponds.

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1604 GShad

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1606 TShad

Lusk reports GShad up to 2 lbs IIRC. When their population becomes top-heavy with adults, the pheromone overload shuts down their spawning, so no baby GShad are produced for forage.

Thanks guys,
I thought I remembered something like this, the other guys were happy to see the shad last night, I wasn't so happy, but after the beaver dam and now catch and release I was just keeping my opinions to myself. I wasn't even going to try to enlighten them.
Given the size and age of the lake having shad in there doesn't suprise me, I expect there to be everything that will survive in S. IL in there.
If what I've been told is true the lake was built to fill steam locomotives (and there is the RR bed next to the lake to support that theory, also almost every lake is man made around here).
So what is the best way to survey for shad?
Seineing?
Shocking?
Anyone know of a good fisheries expert in the S. IL area?
This lake needs some expert opinions. Mine sure aren't going to be listened to.
Matt

FYI courtesy Dave Willis about cold water Gshad.

First TShad adults



Next GShad adults



What you can't tell the size of the GShad -- Oh Here you go






18 in.+ and 2lbs. It would take world record LMB to eat one.

Look at the shad. If it has a "nose" it's a gizzard shad. Gizzard shad have a subterminal mouth, just below their "face." Threadfin shad have a terminal mouth, at the very end of their face.
Watch the shad...if they are gizzard (likely), they tend to congregate around docks when the water becomes cold. If and when they do that, a cast net works well.
A full grown threadfin is about 7 inches long. A full grown gizzard is two pounds, maybe more.

Thanks for posting, Ewest. As I mentioned to Ewest earlier, I NEVER saw a gizzard shad this large during 7 years of working in Kansas.

Some of my friends here on the forum might be interested in the students who are in the pictures! The guy in the green vest is Mike Weber. He was an undergraduate here and worked for us as a summer technician when we took that picture out on one of the Missouri River reservoirs in cenral South Dakota. He's now in a Master's program with the Illinois Natural History Survey (Univ of Illinois-Champaign). If any of you Illinois pondmeisters run into him, call him by name and surprise him.

The student in the lab holding the two big gizzard shad was working on a western South Dakota irrigation reservoir for his Master's degree on walleye and gizzard shad interactions. He is now a biologist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources -- Ohio's gain and our loss.

Working with students such as these makes mine a great job.