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Posted
1 hour ago, tjm said:

don't threadfin have gold fins and tails?

Not always.  

They change colors depending on water color, just like other fish often do.  Sometimes they are just dull silvery white, and other times they'll have a blue hue with a yellowish streak that runs into the tail. 

If you ever notice a second shad spawn (like in July-August) those are threadfins.  I'm not real sure but I've heard that threadfins reach spawning age when only 3 months old.  So you'll have a regular spring spawn once water warms up enough.....and then the ones that hatched from that spawn will spawn themselves in a few months.   

So on lakes like Lake O that have both TF's and Giz's you'll likely notice 3 different sizes of shad in surface schools during September-October.  Tiny dime sized shad.....Shad the size of your index finger.....And then hand sized 4-5" ones .     Once the gizzards get BIG-big then they feed along the shoreline and along the bottoms like carp. So you won't ever see big honker 1#+ gizzards in surface schools out in the middle of the lake.  

Now (here we go😅).....Our brilliant biologists will tell you that hybrid stripers were "invented" in order to control shad populations as the shad got bigger, but you don't have to be very smart to figure out that a 13" LM or Spotted bass can eat a bigger shad than a 15+lb. Hybrid striper can.   

And when it comes to actual Stripers......they aren't where the big gizzards are, so they're no help either.   Flatheads, Blues and Largemouth bass over 6# are the only thing eating full grown gizzards. Hybrids can't get them in their mouth....and Stripers never see them.   

Posted

I’m just going to say that based on my experience on LOZ, there are two different types of shad present, and the returns on sonar are unique to each as their schooling habits are slightly different.  To FW’s point, then there are also age/year classes of each with different size fish in various schools...and the big gizzards are obvious and entertaining at times as boats “key” on them and try to catch those “bass”.  Determining which the fish prefer today is the key to a good day, because they have access to ALL.  LOZ is a fish food bonanza and is unique to all lakes I have fished in Missouri....BUT, you have to tolerate some serious IDJIT populations to be successful(and survive) there as well.  The most recent striper class are big gizzard eating size at this point and are going to get ‘uge.  Gonna be fun.

Mike

Posted

It's like bigfoot, until there is a body this argument will not get resolved. Don't need bags of fish, just good high resolution photos. Need to see the head and mouth in profile, be able to count the fin rays and the lateral line scales. 

Posted
5 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

It's like bigfoot, until there is a body this argument will not get resolved. Don't need bags of fish, just good high resolution photos. Need to see the head and mouth in profile, be able to count the fin rays and the lateral line scales. 

Oh I don't know about that.  @fishinwrenchhas an armchair fisheries biologist degree from BS U in Gravois Mills.😆

Posted
1 hour ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Oh I don't know about that.  @fishinwrenchhas an armchair fisheries biologist degree from BS U in Gravois Mills.😆

                     He calls it the school of hard knocks or a vocational on the job training!

    I want to see his union card. Probably one of those that covers everything including a doctor! 

"We have met the enemy and it is us",

Pogo

   If you compete with your fellow anglers, you become their competitor, If you help them you become their friend"

Lefty Kreh

    " Never display your knowledge, you only share it"

Lefty Kreh

         "Eat more bass and there will be more room for walleye to grow!"

BilletHead

    " One thing in life is for sure. If you are careful you can straddle the barbed wire fence but make one mistake and you will be hurting"

BilletHead

  P.S. "May your fences be short or hope you have long legs"

BilletHead

Posted
11 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

 union card. ... that covers everything

He's a roofer?

Posted
2 minutes ago, tjm said:

He's a roofer?

             Yes card covers all! His passion is 4 stroke Mercury motors though. (Bashing them) 

"We have met the enemy and it is us",

Pogo

   If you compete with your fellow anglers, you become their competitor, If you help them you become their friend"

Lefty Kreh

    " Never display your knowledge, you only share it"

Lefty Kreh

         "Eat more bass and there will be more room for walleye to grow!"

BilletHead

    " One thing in life is for sure. If you are careful you can straddle the barbed wire fence but make one mistake and you will be hurting"

BilletHead

  P.S. "May your fences be short or hope you have long legs"

BilletHead

Posted

If threadfin shad were established in Deepwater Creek by 1975, and several places in the lower Osage drainage by 1983, what is the theory why they wouldn't be in LOZ?

Posted

20 years ago there was a bait shop near here called Master baiters.  :)  

 

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