12-30-2017, 02:06 PM
[#0000FF]First of all, gizzard shad are quite different from their smaller cousins...threadfin shad. They grow much larger, much faster and are more tolerant of colder water temps.
Gizzard shad in Willard may begin spawning in April and the spawn continues through May and into June some years. That means that late in their first year there may be shad from only a couple of inches to some as large as 5-6 inches. But by the time winter sets in, most of the smallest shad die off since they can no longer find enough food (zooplankton) to eat and have not progressed to being able to live on other foods. The survivors are now larger than many of the predators can eat.
By mid-winter, there are not many shad small enough to feed the predators and they (predators) enter a period of survival mode...eating anything they can find. That includes everything from midge larvae to baby catfish and includes crawdads, log perch and the fry of sunfish, crappies and carp. But the carp also grow fast and are not on the menu very long either.
Until newly hatched shad fry are large enough each year for the predators to pattern on, you can catch the larger fish on almost anything they perceive as being edible. That includes nightcrawlers, minnows, cut bait, mussels, etc. But many predators will also hit a much wider range of lures than they will when they are focused on shad...later in the year. Anglers report catches of wipers, cats, walleyes and crappies on lures of all sizes and colors during the months before these fish are able to make a living on shad-of-the-year.
Once the new shad crop begins to reach munchable size their "fan club" (predators) becomes more selective. Suddenly, the large cranks that worked on your last trip don't produce much...if anything. And anglers scaling down to very small shad imitating lures do much better. As the shad grow, so will the size of the most productive lures. By late August the fast-growing shad will be mostly in the 2-3 inch range and so will the most effective lures.
Most shad-munching predators tend to follow their food supply. And the shad follow theirs...which are plankton and other aquatic invertebrates...as well as algae and other goodies as they grow and change. Winds can play a big part in where shad might be hanging out. If the winds are strong and sustained they can push shad food closer to one part of the lake than another...and often closer to the shore. So it can pay to search along wind-blown shorelines. That is where the shad will be congregated...and the predators follow the shad.
Here is an excerpt from my work on Willard Bay. It was compiled from a lot of research...as well as with much help from Chris Penne of DWR. Thanks Chris.
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Gizzard shad in Willard may begin spawning in April and the spawn continues through May and into June some years. That means that late in their first year there may be shad from only a couple of inches to some as large as 5-6 inches. But by the time winter sets in, most of the smallest shad die off since they can no longer find enough food (zooplankton) to eat and have not progressed to being able to live on other foods. The survivors are now larger than many of the predators can eat.
By mid-winter, there are not many shad small enough to feed the predators and they (predators) enter a period of survival mode...eating anything they can find. That includes everything from midge larvae to baby catfish and includes crawdads, log perch and the fry of sunfish, crappies and carp. But the carp also grow fast and are not on the menu very long either.
Until newly hatched shad fry are large enough each year for the predators to pattern on, you can catch the larger fish on almost anything they perceive as being edible. That includes nightcrawlers, minnows, cut bait, mussels, etc. But many predators will also hit a much wider range of lures than they will when they are focused on shad...later in the year. Anglers report catches of wipers, cats, walleyes and crappies on lures of all sizes and colors during the months before these fish are able to make a living on shad-of-the-year.
Once the new shad crop begins to reach munchable size their "fan club" (predators) becomes more selective. Suddenly, the large cranks that worked on your last trip don't produce much...if anything. And anglers scaling down to very small shad imitating lures do much better. As the shad grow, so will the size of the most productive lures. By late August the fast-growing shad will be mostly in the 2-3 inch range and so will the most effective lures.
Most shad-munching predators tend to follow their food supply. And the shad follow theirs...which are plankton and other aquatic invertebrates...as well as algae and other goodies as they grow and change. Winds can play a big part in where shad might be hanging out. If the winds are strong and sustained they can push shad food closer to one part of the lake than another...and often closer to the shore. So it can pay to search along wind-blown shorelines. That is where the shad will be congregated...and the predators follow the shad.
Here is an excerpt from my work on Willard Bay. It was compiled from a lot of research...as well as with much help from Chris Penne of DWR. Thanks Chris.
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