shad

[bucketmouth64]

I was reading an article in Bassmasters about shad. I didn't know that shad lived in warmer climates only. So does that mean MN lakes don't have any shad as a forage? If so, is the primary forage for bass here crawfish, and panfish? If there are no shad then why would you want to buy shad imitating baits?

[Deitz Dittrich]

Bucketmouth-

We dont have shad in our lakes here, The missisippi river down in the souther part of the state I do believe has some shad. HOWEVER, we do have golden shiners and spot tail shiners in many of our natural lakes. These minnows do resemble a shad in looks but are quite a bit smaller. Which is about the same size as a lot of crankbaits for sale on the market. So with that in mind, in clear water shad imatation baits are a good one to try.

I will say this.. I do think that many of our bass will target sunfish mor than shiners.

[Ray Esboldt]

I'll second Exude's assesment of forage. Sunfish and perch end up in a bass's maw more often than shiners. However, when you see the big schools of shiners cruising shallow, be up there fishing. The bass know when they are in. What happens to shiners the rest of the year? Do they go deep? I have no clue.

The Mississippi has gizzard shad as far north as the Ford dam. I've never observed them beyond that. Anyone else run across them up river?

I'll never give a bass too much credit on judgement. If something moves kind of right, is sort of the right profile, and they're hungry, they will take a crack at it. Bass aren't dumb, but they are reactionary. With that in mind, why have I found myself sneaking a particular worm from a fishing partner after I hear the, "boy, I don't why I'm catching them all," anthem.

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Ray Esboldt

Catch-N Tackle
MarCum
Stone Legacy

[Daze Off]

Don't bass feed on cisco's/tullibee's here in MN instead of shad? I hope so - just picked up Cordell's Grappler Shad in Cisco color.....aren't cisco's a variation of shad - distant cousin or something...?

Daze Off

[Ray Esboldt]

I think some bass get into the cisco and tullies at certain times of the year. But this forage is a deep water suspender in the summer. I'm not saying bass don't go there, but you are not going to find giant schools of bass following ciscoes in 80 feet of water. There's too much other stuff to eat in the littoral portion of the lake.

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Ray Esboldt

Catch-N Tackle
MarCum
Stone Legacy

[Deitz Dittrich]

Ray's correct as usual, not only that they do grow very quick and almost become too large as forage for bass. I know that they are most easy to get when they are feeding on mayfly larve and hatch...Thats when the muskies usually go nuts on them.