Shad population

[SteveTX]

Is it just my one little local lake or are many of the lakes having massive amounts of shad? I have never seen so many in this lake. Literally we cant miss the huge schools of them when cruising across the lake. I would take pictures but its very hard to get a shot where you can actually see the millions of them.

The fish should be huge with this food supply.  Or maybe all sick from eating to much. I have actually thought this may be why this year the top water bite is 180 degrees from last year. It just never really materialized. Yeah you can get a hit here and there but last year it was insanely good. Actually the bite is slower all around this year and I feel this has played a part in it.

[zippyduck]

The two lakes near me with big fish, have too many shad. To the point that their excrement clouds up the water enough to kill all the weeds.
I know the bass are there , but getting them to bite is tough.

[Mike Cork]

Very interesting. I would not have thought to post it here but did think maybe to post it in the Louisiana board. I have seen on two lakes now a MASSIVE shad population. I guess it was the long spring? While we had an unusually cold winter (or it just lasted and extra day) our spring was long and it seemed like water temps were running a month or so behind.

Shad on these two lakes are so thick in areas that you can't run a crankbait without foul hooking them. Trolling motor prop killing them. Just massive.

[D.W. Verts]

Same here.

[Lipripper]

Lake Shelbyville had another big hatch again this year too. So thick you can feel your line hitting them when you bring it through the water. Some time back in some of them coves about the size of a football field would be nothing but a school of shad. That's why the Crappie fishing is so good there and why I go back every spring to go Crappie fishing.

[Wizard]

Third year for lots of shad at LOZ. I have noticed over the years that gizzard shad populations fluctuate wildly. A boom or bust population. I don't know the basis for it.

Wizard

[SteveTX]

Ok well that answers that. Haha Yeah mine are insane I make sushi every time I go across the lake.