Subdivision Pond - Shad Lot's Of Them

[stlfisher]

We've got gizzard shad in some of the lakes here in Bella Vista. The lakes biologist would love to remove them all. They get too big to provide forage for bass, and they are plankton eating machines to the detriment of all other fish species. Young gizzard shad provide excellent forage, but conditions have to be right for them to spawn and that can be problematic in a pond. You can end up in the exact situation you are describing, lots of big shad and few other species.

Disclaimer: I'm regurgitating what I've heard from the bio.

Threadfin shad are the "good" shad, but subject to winter kill in a small body of water. They also probably won't reproduce in that situation either.

Yea, this is consistent with the information I have read as well. It would be fine if there were large enough bass to eat them, but that is not happening. The C/R regulations only compound the problem. I am hoping for a hard freeze that will kill some Shad off, because it is one sweet looking piece of water that is under producing. A pond just up the road with no shad has produced several 18 inch bass in the few hours I fished it. No Shad in that one.