Gizzard Shad?? (Full Version)

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Walleyeman360 -> Gizzard Shad?? (7/20/2008 12:10:21 PM)

Anybody see any Gizzard Shad on the Pgh area rivers so far this year? They were everywere this time last year. As well as the Skipjack Herring, nowhere to be found. If you can find them the fish are very close
 
Any info would be great. Thanks



avidangler -> RE: Gizzard Shad?? (7/20/2008 12:12:07 PM)

I've seen some shad within the past week on the allegheny and tribs.  Not big schools like has been in the past few years but a fair number of smaller schools.



Walleyeman360 -> RE: Gizzard Shad?? (7/20/2008 12:23:14 PM)

Where at??? Im up by Lock 3 and have not seen any yet.



avidangler -> RE: Gizzard Shad?? (7/20/2008 1:10:13 PM)

Between locks 6 and 7 pools.  Like I said not many in the schools but seen a handful in the past week.



sagebrush -> RE: Gizzard Shad?? (7/21/2008 7:27:52 AM)

I was out last night at lock 3 Harmarville and saw some type of shad taking bugs off the surface everywhere.  They started right around dark and were all over the place.  They were about 6 or 7" long.



beerman0303 -> RE: Gizzard Shad?? (7/21/2008 4:08:37 PM)

I was fishing just above lock 3 last weekend and caught some sort of baitfish on a night crawler.  I am no expert, so I don't know whether it was a shad or what.  Very shiny about 9 inches long.  In the past i have used these for bait when I catch them for catfish.  This one was too big though (for me anyhow).



TransAmWS6 -> RE: Gizzard Shad?? (7/21/2008 4:13:34 PM)

seen plenty of small 5-6 inch shad (i think) taking bugs off the surface on the yough



Porktown -> RE: Gizzard Shad?? (7/21/2008 6:20:54 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: beerman0303

I was fishing just above lock 3 last weekend and caught some sort of baitfish on a night crawler.  I am no expert, so I don't know whether it was a shad or what.  Very shiny about 9 inches long.  In the past i have used these for bait when I catch them for catfish.  This one was too big though (for me anyhow).


Probably a skipjack.  Did it look like a small tarpon?  Those things are actually pretty fun to catch.  Will usually go airborne.  Not the best fight, but scrappy for their size.  Cats will gobble them up whole or cut in chunks.



avidangler -> RE: Gizzard Shad?? (7/21/2008 6:39:58 PM)

I'm going to say the fish you see taking bugs off the allegheny before dark are mooneyes.  I know with the hexagonias coming off the past weeks around dusk the mooneyes come out of everywhere for them.  They are 6 to 13 inches shiney with big scales and a rounded head.  Hard to hook but will hit crawlers 18 inches under a float.

[image]http://www.fish.state.pa.us/pafish/mooneyex700.jpg[/image]



beerman0303 -> RE: Gizzard Shad?? (7/21/2008 9:01:52 PM)

This fish I caught absolulely did look like a tarpon.  By the way I caught it with a sinker on the bottom.  Maybe that is why I only caught one.



smallmouth76 -> RE: Gizzard Shad?? (7/22/2008 1:10:20 PM)

I know some years there are a ton and others there are few. The shad run on the beaver river seems to cycle. always seems to be around August.



Walleyeman360 -> RE: Gizzard Shad?? (7/22/2008 2:23:13 PM)

I guess i just need to look more and look harder. They love shallow flats, feeding and the alge that covers the rocks in 2-3 feet o water. The large flat by lock 3 by the sunken barge  has always been a good spot, they were everywhere this time last year. Maybe they do run in cycles one year they go like crazy and the next is an off year. i think this year is an off year. Sux



Porktown -> RE: Gizzard Shad?? (7/22/2008 4:39:30 PM)

Last year and the year of the Bassmaster Classic were healthy shad years.  So, would imagine that they are every other year.  When they are really thick, it makes fishing rather rough.  Unless, if you have a cast net...  Still, the fish seem to spread out a lot more, since the bait is everwhere. 

I'm sure you will find some if you go out looking for them.  They seemed to be all over the place last year when they were small, but hard to find when they got to the nice 3"-4" size.  Find a good flat with algae like 360 said, and you'll likely find some.



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