# Threadfin shad in a farm pond?



## olcowman (Feb 2, 2010)

Sorry for long post but I wanted to try and put all the info out here for the experts to help me out....

We got a 17 acre lake that is 5 years old. Never stocked other than a few lmouths hear and there from a smaller pond in back of property and 200 little channel cats we bought. It has moderate structure overall, is 20-24 ft at the dam and the upper 30-35% has standing timber and a pretty good creek and two springs feeding it. 

For the last couple of years we have started seeing ever abundant schools of bait fishing popping up around the lake. This year we positively identified them as threadfin and noticed that they appear now quite often. I can't really say if they are taking over or what but during the most recent warmer months we saw as many as 10 wads around the lake, some as big as a 60 or square foot. But on average as about the size of a pickup, which is an increase by about 50% from what we noticed last year.

This lake got an accidental stocking just after it filled (and at least a couple of times since we think) due to some flooding from a private fish hatchery just upstream and I figure this is also the source of the threadfin. I don't know if they use them for feeding or what but we have never dumped any tpe of shad in the lake and I never saw anything like a threadfin in the creeks around here. (I need to get around to asking them hatchery folks but I'm afraid they'll ask for some of their bass back...LOL) 

Anyhow our bass seemed to be on a decent growth as far as what we could tell. From a heap of average 1 -2 pounders in second year to a sudden explosion last year of 5 pounders that were starting to look a bit like footballs. This year they haven't quit chasing them shad hardly a day. Even on some real cold days they drive them up into shallows at the corners of the dam and zip thru them like hogs feeding... I aint hardly figured out the trick to get them to pay attention to anything else but I have accidently caught a couple of short, fat 2 lbers and one really round 5 1/2 er. (the two little ones were spitting shad up and I think the biggun just got mad at my feeble attempts to imitate a shad and give me the "pity" bite)

I GOT 2 QUESTIONS, and I apreciate any thoughts or insight....

#1- anyone see a downside to this? Ya'll know of any kind of "shad are gonna take over the lake" scenarios or some sort of management practice I need to implement to keep things in order in our pond? and #2 - Seeing how I aint gained much in my cast net throwing practice, any suggestions on how to get in on the activity? What lure would ya'll reccomend. I'm running out of ideas and I've watched them knock a store bought minner' outta the way to get to the shad schools?

Forgive the length of my post but I really would apreciate any further information and ideas that is available out there.


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## oldenred (Feb 2, 2010)

sounds like a blessing to me! let me know if you ever need some help fishin it!


you could always use a minnow seine.... get it spread out and start tossin some bread in the water.... they will come quick to feed and that is when ya get em.


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## deerhunter09 (Feb 2, 2010)

AS long as they are Threadfins, you should be ok. You might want to stock some Hybrids, they will eat the Shad and be fun to catch.
  THis isn't a problem, you are lucky to have a decent source of food for your Bass.
  As far as catching them goes, if they are Threadfin Shad I would use smaller lures, maybe even Crappie sized jigs. You need to match the size of the Shad. A float 'n fly setup would be a good choice.


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## Cletus T. (Feb 2, 2010)

Number person I would contact is Greg Grimes (Owner of Aquatic Environmental Services) he’s the man when it comes to ponds and bait and what should and should not be done in ponds if your ultimate goal is to grow trophy bass.  He’s on here so just search his name and send him a PM.  Also here is their website, which is very good!

www.lakework.com


As far as trying to catch them…..I would try one of those new Sebile lipless crankbaits that have some sort of fluid built into them with flakes that shimmer around inside the body of the bait.  I have caught fish in similar situations that you are describing by casting the crankbait past the school of baitfish…..then burning it right into the middle of them and then stopping it and just letting it flutter down…….sometimes the biggest fish feeding on those shad are waiting right under the ball of bait and just waiting for half dead / half dazed and confused shad to fall down into their mouths.

Hope this helps and good luck to you!

Also……if you ever need help fishing that pond……I have fishing poles and will travel!


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## KKrueger (Feb 2, 2010)

Have you been out to the lake lately? Did they fare well in the recent extended cold snap? We have a lake in North GA where I wish we could introduce forage like threadfins, but I fear they would be lost each winter and we'd start over again.

X2 on the Greg Grimes plug. We get all of our fish food and management plans from him. Guess I need to ask him about introducing shad.


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## shoalietwo (Feb 2, 2010)

"great" problem you have there , hope the cold snap did'nt kill your shad , if you contact http://lakework.com/site/ or southeastern pond mgmt and get some advice you just might end up with a true trophy fishery in 3-4 years . hope there's no crappie in it !


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## Msteele (Feb 2, 2010)

I GOT 2 QUESTIONS, and I apreciate any thoughts or insight....

#1- anyone see a downside to this? Ya'll know of any kind of "shad are gonna take over the lake" scenarios or some sort of management practice I need to implement to keep things in order in our pond? and #2 - Seeing how I aint gained much in my cast net throwing practice, any suggestions on how to get in on the activity? What lure would ya'll reccomend. I'm running out of ideas and I've watched them knock a store bought minner' outta the way to get to the shad schools?

#1 
I don't see a problem.  Some hybrids would help thin them out if you wanted.
#2 
Get you a light on or near the water.  Learn how to throw a cast net(easy), keep them alive in a tank, and fish them free lined on light line with a small hook threw the lips behind a small boat.  You will find the action!


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## fishndinty (Feb 2, 2010)

I have two recommendations for baits:  first, a soft plastic jerkbait like the zoom super fluke in clear glitter or ghost white should match the hatch well and get a lot of bites shallow.  For deeper or colder water, try a rapala husky jerk or x-rap, again in a shad hue.  These baits, along with the Shad Rap, have been my  best when fishing around schools of bait.  If they are busting them up top, put on a Pop-R or something like it, and cast just outside the melee and hang on.

You have a good problem on your hands....those fish have plenty to eat and you will be growing trophies in a few years.


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## pop pop jones (Feb 2, 2010)

I hate to be the one to have to tell you the news,BUT

the best person I can think of to help you learn how to catch those bass is, YOU READY FOR THIS



                                  FISHLIPS


                   GIVE HIM A CALL, I'M SURE HE'LL HELP YOU


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## Shane B. (Feb 2, 2010)

Man get you a black and white little george, or a small white spinner bait and swim it through the activity try  working the baits below the school!


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## olcowman (Feb 2, 2010)

Hey everyone thanks for the tips and the link to Greg Grimes' site was an eye opener. And I aint too proud to ask Fishlipps if he pops back up in a mood to offer some of his sage advice. As of this afternoon there is still plenty of bass chasing small individual schools so I think the extreme cold hasn't had much of an effect? Wouldn't I have noticed some dead floaters if it there had been a significant fish kill?

The only thing I know for sure that has effected the threadfins numbers was a couple of times we did have enough rain to push some significant water over our overflow and I saw a few hundred dead ones in the aftermath. But it left a pile in the lake. I am definately going to try a smaller fluke, and even the float and fly (if I can figure it out) and heck the "little george"? I got a pile of them in the bottom of a tackle box I had almost forgotten about, which I will be digging out tomorrow evening.

Thanks for all the help so far and I'll let ya'll know if anything developes one way or another, or if just get plum wore out trying to reel them hawgs in this summer! Seriously, following a talk with my friend BitterRoot about one of the get togethers he hosted I kinda hope I might be in a position to offer one down here sometime? (I know all my friends on here will attend... all three of them and maybe a couple who don't know me?) If that is the case and these shad do as predicted, well I aint stingy as long as nobody outfishes me too awful bad on my home lake! (like my wife and little nephews do about every time they go) Someday it might quit raining every other day and warm back up to normal middle Ga standards? We'll throw some chitterlins in the boiler out back and fry up some taters and have us a big un if it all works out.

Thanks again and keep posting any good ideas!


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## KrappieKrane (Feb 2, 2010)

*Explain the name.*

Olcowman, do tell where Booger Bottom is located? Grew up in a place called that and was wondering if this was the same.           Rollcaster.........................


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## olcowman (Feb 2, 2010)

Meriwether County...twixt Warm Springs and Woodbury. I am in a suburb of Booger Bottom up the creek aways. They aint but three or four last names in the Bottom down here and I ain't gonna say em cause some of them boys can whip me! (Michael Waddell is from there, the feller off the tv show.... I think I can whip him so I said his name... he don't look to big on the tv?)


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## KrappieKrane (Feb 2, 2010)

*That would be home.*

I know Michael and his Uncle Edwin and didn't live 10 miles from him. If you know the Pearsons and Raileys, they'd be my stock. I cut my teeth on the north end of Temple-Duke Road and don't get home as much as I want to. Glad to hear the local ponds are still producing good fish. It seems you have a good problem with all the threadfin. Keep us informed on the outcome and post some pics of them HAWGS.           Rollcaster......................


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## olcowman (Feb 2, 2010)

Authur Pearson is a good friend of mine and I got Hardy's and Waddell's working with me every day. Raileys all super nice country folks. What in the world are you doing in Cumming? That's my wife's hometown and that place aint done nothing but turn into Atlanta since I drug her oughtta there twenty something years ago...


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## Grimes25 (Feb 3, 2010)

Man thanks for refferrals.  We are down toward meriwhether area quite a bit- Foxworthy as client.  My take is a little different.  First question-you got a good populaiton of bluegill?  They are backbone to any good bass population. I suspect you do but if not you have a temporary good thing.  If intested in fishery survey (electroshock) let us know it would be very intersting and educational to see what is there and a professional report to head you in the right direciton.  A lake of that size is a great asesst.   

If threadfin shad not they will "takeover" since the larger bass will hammer a shad that does nto make it over 6 inches.  Also good point Kevin about the shad.  The Atlanta area north lakes may have a complete loss this year.  Some years you have some threadfin losses but with extended ice not good for survival.  In Merwhether little better chance of survivial.  How deep is the lake?  If fairly deep say over 15-20 feet you have what is called a thermal refuge deeper water is warmer than ice layer and threadfin stand chance of making it through.  We were mapping lake in harris county in mid Jan and there were dead shad but no where near a complete kill.


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## Randall (Feb 3, 2010)

*Shad in pond*

When you see fish hitting around the edges of the pond like that they are using the edges to pin the bait up. The bass learn that this is the easiest way to feed and use the edges to feed. You will often see them in the corners where the corner acts as a feeding funnel. They herd the shad into the corner before they ever strike at them and only strike the ones that get trapped against the bank or surface. 

The key to catching them most times is to throw down the bank and get your bait close to the edge where the bass has the lure trapped against the bank. I have even been creative and stood on the bank way back from the water where half my cast is over dry land throwing out deeper and bringing the bait into the corner where they are trapping the bait fish. This way I can put the bait where it needs to be at the angle the bass is looking for without standing close to the edge where I will spook the fish. Best lure for this is a swimbait that matches the shad size.


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## Grimes25 (Feb 5, 2010)

Randall great advice on how to fish the corners your right fish get trapped in there.  However in most cases this is not threadfin.  Either golden shiners or baby bluegill.  The shad are open water fish and only comeup to shallow edges during brief stints to spawn.


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## Randall (Feb 5, 2010)

*shad on banks*



Grimes25 said:


> Randall great advice on how to fish the corners your right fish get trapped in there.  However in most cases this is not threadfin.  Either golden shiners or baby bluegill.  The shad are open water fish and only comeup to shallow edges during brief stints to spawn.



I was just going on what he had seen from his first post. I am guessing at the dam it is a fast steep drop once you get right off the bank and why the shad are near the bank there. Quote from his first post:

This year they haven't quit chasing them shad hardly a day. Even on some real cold days they drive them up into shallows at the corners of the dam and zip thru them like hogs feeding... I aint hardly figured out the trick to get them to pay attention to anything else but I have accidently caught a couple of short, fat 2 lbers and one really round 5 1/2 er. (the two little ones were spitting shad up and I think the biggun just got mad at my feeble attempts to imitate a shad and give me the "pity" bite)


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## Grimes25 (Feb 5, 2010)

randall good point he did say that.  so he might just have something beside the tshad although he said he had positive id.  olcowman who did the id or can you get me a pic of one?


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## olcowman (Feb 25, 2010)

Grimes25 said:


> randall good point he did say that.  so he might just have something beside the tshad although he said he had positive id.  olcowman who did the id or can you get me a pic of one?



I had some wash over the overflow and I picked some up and brought them to the house and did a positive id on the computer. It was obvious what they were I just wanted to be 100%. The long, thin dorsal fin was very obvious when I first laid my hands on them.

Yes they do school in open water here. And now that it has been pointed out I can't say "for sure" if what I witnessed on the corners of the dam were the shad being herded from the relatively close by deeper areas of the dam or as you stated.... perhaps the little bream that are already hanging out at those same edges all the time? I know a piece of bread in a minnow basket at those same areas will get you about 10 baby bream in about 15 minutes.

They are still schooling in the middle of the lake and somedays seem to be positioned up and down the old creek channel that runs thru the middle? And my little brother came down and gave me a fishing demonstration the other day.... using one of them $1 Walmart black plain ol' spinnerbaits. He caught at least 4 or 5 one afternoon in the 4 to 5 pound range and one that was 8 plus. These came off wood along the channel edges primarily and I don't think were actively chasing the tfins or anything in particular.

Cheap "black" spinnerbaits? I sure didn't think of that? Heck, the water ain't even dingy? Black? ain't that for slow rolling at nighttime? I'm afraid i done got me a lake full of them hard to catch, un-sophisticated, aka  "dummy" bass.... you know the kind.... thay don't exactly follow none of them patterns they write about in the magazines and they sure ain't been watching no Bill Dance fishing shows. I mean these things ought to know that they are supposed to be hitting a Norman Rattle Trap in chrome and blue right now, getting their appetites up for all them little plastic frogs they gotta eat this summer!

How in the world am I gonna get rid of these dummy bass and get me some of them "trained up" largemouths? I can't have my little brother coming down here and showing me up like that! Dang I used to have to take 'em off for him cause he was afraid of them.....


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## Grimes25 (Feb 25, 2010)

10-4 so they made it through the cold weatehr, great news. We can get you some fed trained northern bass (very agressive).


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## Throwback (Feb 25, 2010)

Some moron turned some shiners loose in our pond several years ago. We found out after the fact--when we saw a trillion of them (literally) in the pond. 

I'd bet him to a pulp for it but he died in between then and now. Too bad. 

Good luck with the shad. keep them on your place. 

T


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## speechless33759 (Feb 26, 2010)

Throwback...start a bait store!


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## Hooked On Quack (May 11, 2014)

How are the threadfin's faring cowman ???



We just spent $3k stocking our pond with them a few weeks ago,  we've been using Greg Grimes company for several months now.


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