# useing live shad as bait



## tom.selleck (Oct 20, 2011)

Hi,

i live near a canal that has lots of shad and mullet schoolfish, what kind of fish will go for live shad bait? should i use just a hook and the bait? Thanks!



Edit: can i eat them?


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## ycanti (Jul 13, 2011)

No, and good luck keeping them alive


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## dabutcher (Apr 19, 2008)

Shad are a great bait. I have never used them in the Pensacola area but I grew up in Gadsden, Al and I used them all of the time to catch stripers. When the weather is cool they are pretty easy to keep alive. If it is warm, then you will need to periodically add ice to the water and keep them out of the sun. The main reason that shad can be hard to keep alive is that their scales come off while in a tank. Eventually they will be passing a lot of scales through their gills causing them so suffocate. A shad's lips and nose will look a little bloody when they are having trouble breathing. It is important to keep a good water flow in your bait tank and not to have too many shad in one tank. Also, I think that there are some products that you can add to the water that helps to extend a shad's life.


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## ycanti (Jul 13, 2011)

True that, I could keep the smaller ones alive, but the larger ones died to fast


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## dabutcher (Apr 19, 2008)

To answer youe other question, I guess it depends on what species of fish you are trying to catch. In Gadsden, we fished in the tail races below Neely-Henry dam. We tried to keep the bait on the bottom with as light of a sinker as possible. On some other lakes, I know that some anglers used balloons in much the same way that you would while catching kings in the bay. If fishing deep water such as Lake Lanier, some anglers suspend the bait with an egg sinker. It may be a good idea to put out 2 or 3 baits at different depths and see what works.


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## patsfan72 (Jun 1, 2008)

use about 1 cup non-iodinized salt per 30 gallons water. Also, if you have to keep the water cooler use non-chlorinated ice or self-contained ice packs. Shad are great striper and large spotted bass baits.


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## flounder1156 (Jul 9, 2009)

tom.selleck...Are you sure what you have as bait fish are shad.... they could be menhaden...Are you on a river or lake? If you are on a bayou /bay then they are menhaden.Anyway they are excellent bait for most inshore species of fish...alive is the best... but i've caught fish with dead ones..!


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