What does it take for a shad kill?

[Seth]

It sounds like they have been running lots of water and the temps have been extremely cold for a while now but still not a big shad kill.

What are the ideal conditions for one to happen?

[Phil Lilley]

A big school of shad in Table Rock has to swim next to the dam 130 feet deep, or a big school of dead shad or dying shad has to drift 130 feet deep next to Table Rock Dam and get sucked into the intake line.

There have been winters that we'd see thread fin shad dead all over Table Rock but none in coming into Taney.

You just can't pinned an exact science on this... it's a fluke at best.

Bull Shoals and Norfork have more shad runs, I believe, because the intake is not as deep at those dams- the dams are not as high. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[Randall]

okay, laugh if you want but i'm asking anyways...

what causes a shad kill? is it low d.o. or what?

[Phil Lilley]

First of all it's natural... not sure I know for sure but I think it's the temp of the water. The fittest live and the oldest die?? It's not low DO- it's the highest in the winter.

Cold water temps. That's my final answer.

[Terry Beeson]

As I understand it, during cold weather, shad tend to "bunch up" more than usual and find their ideal temperature. This means they congregate in deeper water. If they congregate within a certain radius of the dam's "intake", they will be sucked in and spit out into the tailwater.

TRD being higher is probably correct, Phil...

[Phil Lilley]

I will say that of all the shad I've seen coming from any dam, most, if not all, are still alive and kickin'.

[Seth]

Thanks PHil.

[rainbow]

When there are wounded shad on the surface we like to put them on a bare hook and cast into the current, maybe with a small split shot. It is a deadly combination....only below fall creek though.

[Whodat]

Dynamite also kills shad Been there done that!