Collecting Shad

Does anyone know of a place I could collect a mess of shad to use for cats this summer. Any place they concentrate were I could use a casting net? I’ve got a so-so spot on the Vermillion but its not the greatest. Also, has anyone tried freezing shad? How do they hold up? I’ve used frozen sucker when I need to. It isn’t as durable as the fresh stuff but the cats don’t seem to mind. You just need to change bait often.

Thanks for the help.

Dirk now is the perfect time to go to the power plant in bayport. Ther are so many shad there it is unbelievable. You will have no problem getting any with your cast net. The plant is just a mile or so norh of the main part of bayport. It is called alan s king plant. Entering is a little tricky. There is a place to park and there is a little bit of a walk, but in a couple hours or less you could easily get all the shad you could use for the summer. As the spring progresses more and more shad come there, but once the spring flooding statrs they tend to move out. If you go bring with a rod and some corn, because there are a ton of carp in there now and they are a blast to catch. it is pretty close to your house too. Keep an eye out for the muskies in there. If the shad arent that thick give it a couple weeks and they sould be in there in greater numbers

Thanks Big Time. Sounds like exactly what I’m looking for.

i am in central illinois i wished i could find some good creek chubs,hate to buy them but i will ,theres no bait stores around here sell any

let me know how it goes. I wont me home from mexico untill the end of march or early april. If you think a catfish pulls hard you should try hooking into a yellowfin tuna, wow. But they arent as pretty as an old flathead. good luck with the shad, some of the shad there are pretty big

Hey Dirk, I think you may have found a spot to go to it sounds like, but I know in the last couple of years about this time you could get a bunch of larger shad right next to rouchen park in lake city. Just downstream of the boat landing 20 feet is the water treatment plant discharge and it keeps a little area of water open. Last year I could reach in with my hands and grab em. With a net, you could get them very easy. Not sure if they’re there now, but wouldn’t doubt it. Good Luck.

If you want to freeze shad (or any other bait fish) for use later in the year, All you have to do is put them in an old milk jug, Fill with water and freeze. This will keep them from freezer burn and aslo keep them as “fresh” as possible

Dirk after you get the shad and before you freeze them add salt to them. The salt causes them to produce more slime, which is a deadly catfish attractant. I dont remeber the exact recipie, but if you put the shad in a quart container with salt you shouldnt even need to put water in with them or just a little because the slime produced as a result of the salt will freeze.

Got it. I was thinking of getting someones food saver and vacuum sealing 20-30 bags as I dont have anything else to freeze them in other than zip locks. I’ll add the salt to some of them to. Looks like me and the kids are going on a shad hunt this weekend.

I was at Lake Isabel in Hastings and lots of shad there up by shore on west side where there are springs coming in. There are right up by shore so very easy to get a few hundred if you wanted. I thought about doing this myself but the wife might have a problem with me keeping these things in the freezer next to her steaks and the kids frozen waffles. Can you imagine accidenatlly sticking a shad in the toaster?

Thanks for the tip. I work about 5 blocks from there. I’ll check it out after work. BigTime’s spot produced well but I do need some more.

A shad in the toaster? I don’t think that’s so bad but I think the worst would be putting it on a plate for butter and syrup, actually serving the kids! YEEUGH!!! We’d better be careful though, Swany might put this in his recipe book!!

You know mn, Wal Mart sells these little freezers for around $150.00 and they’d be great for a “bait freezer”. Small but enough room to hold LOTS of bait!

I’d have a hard time trying to justify that with my wife. “If it’s a working freezer it should have food in it not bait!, my wife would say. (You can tell who wears the pants in our house. I’m lucky I have any fishing gear!)

You’re lucky you get out of the house!!! LOL!

Ok..Kid….thats it….I think shad could be eaten just like a sardine? if you have the right brine…make a larger can to put them in….who knows?….I’ll give it a try…..and send you the recipe…!!!!!