Root Admin Phil Lilley Posted January 17, 2014 Author Root Admin Posted January 17, 2014 During these bigger shad kills, do you find that you catch nicer fish on average or is it just a whole lot of fish ranging small to large? Both. Bigger and more.
Root Admin Phil Lilley Posted January 17, 2014 Author Root Admin Posted January 17, 2014 Seth, yes you can catch nicer fish- at least better Browns on the White. I think all the fish turn on when shad start showing up and a shad kill usually means they are running water which also means the big fish can move about freely and attack anything that looks like a dying shad. You will want to use a bait with some White on it and if you are after real trophies use bigger baits. I wouldn't want to argue with Phil, but in 25 years of going to the White river, I am not sure we have seen a shad kill every year. If it is a warm winter without much moisture normally there has not been much of a shad kill. It usually takes a prolonged cold snap and plenty of water coming through the turbines. Of course we are not there all winter so maybe we miss them I guess what I mean is we've had multiple years where we didn't see any shad. Even cold winters with high water- no shad. Then there's the warm winters with no generation - no shad. There's been quite a few winters when we didn't have shad and I read where the White did. We haven't had a good shad run in over 12-15 years.
Members MattS Posted January 17, 2014 Members Posted January 17, 2014 How long does a shad kill generally last?
Jerry Rapp Posted January 17, 2014 Posted January 17, 2014 How long does a shad kill generally last? probably just a few minutes. Then they are dead and float downstream.
Root Admin Phil Lilley Posted January 17, 2014 Author Root Admin Posted January 17, 2014 You never, ever know. Could but a one time thing, could last for weeks. So unpredictable!
hknfsh Posted January 17, 2014 Posted January 17, 2014 During this influx of shad coming through the turbines....is the fishing only good in the trophy area or does it extend down lake at all ? I guess there's not much chance of dead shad floating that far and not being eaten ?
Root Admin Phil Lilley Posted January 18, 2014 Author Root Admin Posted January 18, 2014 Depends on how many come through. Right now not many are coming through. I have seen shad as far down as Rockaway Beach before. A few times there'd be so many they'd be stacked up in eddies all along the lake and the birds would have a feast for days.
Quillback Posted January 18, 2014 Posted January 18, 2014 probably just a few minutes. Then they are dead and float downstream. Jerry, you are a bad man,
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