Shad Locations in Early/Mid Summer?

For the past few years, on Labor Day weekend, I’ve used a cast net to get some shad in a backwater lake of the Mississippi river in Illinois (Pool 12). It seems by Labor Day weekend, at least for the past few years, the shad are pretty thick in there. We go out shortly after sunset and look for the dimples on the surface of the water to see the schools and try to throw on top of them. I’ve never tried to find shad to cast net in June or July so I don’t have a clue as to where they would be.

I’d like to try to get some to see how well they work on a sport trot line. Does anyone have any idea where to look for shad to cast net this time of year? I don’t recall seeing shad dimpling on the surface of the backwater lakes until late summer or September so I wonder if they maybe they’re out in the channel in more current or something.

Note: Cast nets and a sport trot line (less than like 15 or 20 hooks) are legal in the Illinois section of the Mississippi river.

Thanks,

Boone

From what I hear shad tend to stay in cover areas (weeds or deeper water) until they get to mature sizes. I know I’ve never seen pods of shad on the St.Croix with a depth finder until late summer. It wouldn’t surprise me if the same holds true for Illinois.

I’ve read most everything I can find on Gizzard Shad. When you were finding them in the Mississippi River backwaters in Illinois they were probably spawning. Gizzard shad typically spawn between mid-May and early June, spawning is triggered by rising water temperatures. They spawn in shallow waters during the evening and the early hours of the night, and the eggs adhere to underwater vegetation and do not receive any parental attention. Which is when you were seeing them dimpling the water probably.

After spawning the shad reside in the limnetic zone of the body of water which is the well-lit, open surface waters in a lake or river, away from the shore. If they are not still in the backwaters they have moved away from the shore and are out in the main lake or river basin. I can usually find them with the my electronics. If you see white bass chasing bait out on the open water basin or the gulls working a specific location out in the open water they are usually after shad. If you cruise that area you will find large pods on your sonar – drop a cast net and you will probably catch some shad.

Steve,

It’s been Labor Day weekend in earlier September… not Memorial Day in late May that I’ve found them in the back water lake (no current).

I do see the shad out in the main channel in late summer/early fall, especially when the current is slow. It seems the barges or big cruisers stun them and the sea gull follow those big boats picking up the shad.

I’ve been fortunate enough the past couple of weekends to find a school of white bass chasing bait fish on the surface but the minnows they’ve spit up have been skinny and not shaped like a shad. I’m guessing they’re river shiners.

On a somewhat related note, several years ago in early spring there was an IDO catfishing get-together by the Mill Ruins park. At this get-together, there was a big tub of these beautiful, very large shiners. I believe someone said they were emerald shiners. I think Dave Scott, who use to be on this website, supplied them. They were dead but I just remember thinking how nice they would be for fall walleye fishing if they were alive. I don’t know if Dave seined them or got them with a cast net but they sure looked like nice walleye or small mouth bait.

I’ll keep my eyes open for shad and see if I can stumble into them. It’s actually pretty fun spending an hour or so throwing the cast net. I’m pretty bad at getting my net to open but I still manage to get quite a few. By the way, the net gets pretty slimy from emptying the shad into a tub, especially down by the weights. The last thing I’d like to do is put that slimy net in my mouth to throw help throw it. I’d look for a technique that doesn’t require holding the net in your mouth.

Boone