For threadfin shad - what is their physical requirements that causes them to need open room of 3 acres to best succeed? The 3 acres recommendation is probably for optimum reproduction and survival as an ongoing forage fish not just as a summer forage crop to be used each fall.
I think FishinRod has a good point using some creative thinking that threadfin could be used as a small pond summer residents that would produce some nice forage fish that should be able to grow well in a small fertilized pond that has abundant plankton of both large phytoplankton and zooplankton. Pond could be stocked with shad and then drained each fall when shad are harvested and added to the main sport fish pond. The main hurdle and trick for success would be maintaining a good fertile bloom in the small pond to keep the shad well fed and growing.
This from Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Aquaculture, Fisheries, & Pond Management Teaching, Research, Extension and Service
Biology and Life History: ..... threadfin shad are a warm water species that will die if water temperatures go below 6 degrees Celsius (43F). They can be found in open brackish waters, as well as large ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. They are dependent on light for foraging and will stay high in the water column. Very tolerant of salinity, threadfin shad can even live in salt water environments. They can be found in organized schools based on size. Threadfin shad feed exclusively on plankton but have two methods of obtaining it, leading to a diversity of diet. They can spawn as early as their first summer of life but often wait till their second summer to mate. Mating occurs between August and July. The lay sticky egg masses that clump to the substrate or floating objects. Few of these fish live to be older than 2 years or grow over 10cm long.
https://fisheries.tamu.edu/files/20...-Forage-Fish-Introdution-and-Species.pdfThreadfin shad, Dorsoma petenense, are used as forage fish because they remain relatively small, usually less than 7 inches. Threadfin are a schooling, open-water fish and grow well in productive ponds. Shad are filter feeders and feed mainly on zooplankton and some larger phytoplankton. Larger threadfin may consume some detritus as well. They eat fish feed only incidentally. High mortalities occur at 45 ºF (7 ºC), and most fish die at 40 ºF (4.4 ºC).
What makes a good forage fish?
https://fisheries.tamu.edu/files/20...-Forage-Fish-Introdution-and-Species.pdf