Fishing Forum

This is my attempt to post with pictures: Here's some information on live bait fishing. The picture below shows the set-up that I favor. A sliding sinker tube on the main line, a swivel separating the main line from the leader, and a live bait hook tied to the leader. The tube allows the weight to be changed without a retieng the line. Monofiliment for the main line and fluorocarbon for the 3' leader.

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The following picture shows one way to hook the live shad:

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Line counter reels are great for live bait fishing. These reels enable you to know about what depth your bait is at.

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Shad that did not make the hook are frozen for later use:

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It's time to start thinking about tossing a net soon!

The following picture shows some of the lures that are successful at Lake Mead when fishing for stripers:

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Can you pick out the real shad in the picture?
BaySport
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Thanks Bay,

That was a very helpful presentation!

Vince
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what size is that swimbait and Rat-l-trap?
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Sweet posting, BaySport. Thanks for the tips. What's the best way to catch the shad? I saw a lot of small shad boils in the Gov't Wash area but everytime I got our boat near them, the shad would disappear. I'd love to try my luck with some live shad. I've caught several crappie (or sun fish, I can't tell the difference) about 3-4 inches long, and used them as live bait. I've caught some large stripers that way but nothing to write home about. Unfortunately, there were a lot of razorbacks out at that time. I've also used some live crawfish as well. I typically create a small rock habitat on the shore at night. Within a couple hours, I find crawfish and crappie taking refuge around the rock habitat.

Do you know if "razorbacks" are caused by a lack of shad or food? They're long but they don't have the meat like normal healthy stripers.
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The Rattletrap is the most common size that is sold, not the small or larger version. The jig is 3/4 oz. from revenge baits and the swimbait is a Storm 4" Wildeyed Shad.
BaySport
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Catching shad can be a challenge. We have only been successful twice since Aug. 1st. What we did catch did not amount to much and we did'nt even use them because the top water action was so good. They all ended up in the freezer!

If you want shad you have to learn how to toss a net. My pard, Don can toss a net perfect almost every time. I never toss one unless I'm out on my own. Sometimes we spend a long time looking for shad, tossing the net over and over, bringing in just a few at a time. Other times we get lucky and bring in enough to fill the live wells in one toss. Practice makes perfect. Toss that net on the back lawn until it lands flat and spread out every time. Get out on the water and look for shad until you find them or are convinced that they are no where to be found. Thats what I do.

BaySport
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Thanks for the tip, BaySport. I guess it beats my "exploding dynamite" idea. Not only would I have a bunch of dead shad but I'd probably have a lot of dead stripers as well. In which case, I would only need a one day fishing trip to get all the fish I want.

Best regards,

Paul
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