Can someone point me to any posts (or comment here) that can help me? I have two ponds. Both small around a 1/2 acre. Both are stunted with bait size (mostly) Flier Bream and Golden shiner, LMB, and small catfish. The largemouth are mostly around a pound and not more than 2. In one of the ponds I do not believe there are any LMB left.

Ideally I want to fish for Stripers in the Roanoke River chain of lakes, Kerr, Gaston, and Roanoke Rapids Reservoir, and I'd like to stock my ponds with threadfin or gizzard shad. I'm not concerned with damage to any of the other fish because I don't fish the ponds I only net them for the Golden Shiners.

My questions are - will either of these ponds support shad? They're both excavated ponds, never seem to dry out, are in wooded areas so they stay cooler than most ponds with little direct sunlight. Any thoughts? Sure would help my bait needs.

I'm located in Hobgood, NC - Eastern half of the state and a little north.

Are you wanting to net the shad for bait? If so, I would probably lean towards gizzard shad. They grow faster. The ones that get too large can be used for cut bait. They can stand some ice.

There is used to be a pothole that developed at the upper end of a large reservoir. The river deposited the levee and this created the pothole. Been a long time since I was on it but way back then it always had gizzard shad in it unless it dried up. High water would restock it. It tended to be less than 3 feet deep so I don't think the depth would prevent you from having some.

Actually hoping to raise them in my ponds if possible.

What I meant is like your GSh which you net for bait. Are you wanting forage or bait? I wouldn't recommend either for your pond for forage. The TFS usually need more pelagic habitat than provided in a 1/2 acre. The Gizzards really grow to fast for your current pond conditions. But if you want to grow bait to fish with, I think I would go Gizzard shad.

Sorry - I misunderstood. Yes - that's exactly what I want to do - raise shad for bait. Large gizzards could be used for blue cats and smaller sized for rockfish I suppose. I'll have to think it over and thanks for the information!

Check with the DNR there in TN. You may not be able to use live gizzards for baitfish in some of the waters there.

I’m in NC. I think it’s fine here.