Gem Morris
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
Accidentally introduced from an upstream impoundment on the Navajo Reservation
Gizzard Shad Record
- Thread starter wayne gustaveson
- Start date
Nice catch. The longest Gizzard Shad caught was 22.5 inches. You are close to catching the largest one ever. If it was 3 inches longer I would have put your fish in the running for the biggest shad ever. Way to go! WG
Gizzard shad spawn every year and provide food for stripers. The young fish grow quickly and become too big for stripers to eat after 2 years. After that, they get even bigger, then they spawn and produce more small shad which is great striper forage. Threadfin shad never grow big enough to avoid striper predation. They only have a great spawn about every third year. Threadfin numbers fluctuate and TFS are not always there to provide food for stripers. Having both kinds of shad provides enough forage to keep stripers growing each year.So where are all the big stripers that were supposed to grow huge when the gizzard shad matured?
The larger problem for stripers is that they cannot handle the stress of warm surface water. In 2020 for instance, the 80-85 F blanket of warm water kept stripers from boiling in the lower lake. They hold down at 30 feet or deeper where the water temperature is more compassionate.
If I could control the water temperature I would switch the thermometer to room temperature (72 F) in the summer. But, I really like Lake Powell so I will continue to go out fishing in 105 F summer days. I am glad Fall is close now that October is almost here.
thebigcanoe
Well-Known Member
Dangle Angle 114
Active Member
People have look it up on youtube @SinCityOutdoors. GrossSomeone needs to do a video about Catch and Cook a Shad!
Old man on the lake
Active Member
I can give you a recipe. A long time ago I talked a friend into eating a gizzard shad and then give me a report.
He cooked and then tasted the shad. This was his report when I asked him how he liked it.
I don't know how it tasted because the bones were so numerous that it was like eating a "mouthful of feathers"!
He cooked and then tasted the shad. This was his report when I asked him how he liked it.
I don't know how it tasted because the bones were so numerous that it was like eating a "mouthful of feathers"!
micbarca
Well-Known Member
The biggest gizzard shad caught on hook and line was 22.5 inches long. It was not officially weighed. If you catch a gizzard shad that is 22 inches or better please get it weighed and then submit it to me for a new lake record. A big shad was caught recently and posted in another thread but not officially weighed. Here is your chance to get ahead of Sam Sherwood
Gizzard Shad*** 2014 3.5 lbs 22.5 in Sam Sherwood Friendship Cove ***Not weighed on certified scale
I found one washed up on load Rock beach the other day and I had no idea what it was. It looked like a freshwater sheepshead we used to catch up at Erie. I had no idea they got that big. He was all but 18 inches so I'll definitely know better now.The biggest gizzard shad caught on hook and line was 22.5 inches long. It was not officially weighed. If you catch a gizzard shad that is 22 inches or better please get it weighed and then submit it to me for a new lake record. A big shad was caught recently and posted in another thread but not officially weighed. Here is your chance to get ahead of Sam Sherwood
Gizzard Shad*** 2014 3.5 lbs 22.5 in Sam Sherwood Friendship Cove ***Not weighed on certified scale
dallas massie
Escalante-Class Member
The will start to swirl in a circle from I think spawning or a ulcer and cant get down , and die . Tried them for bait ,never caught anything on them .They do really stink bad.
Dorado
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
I netted some splashing around on the surface a few years ago. They made fantastic cut bait for lake, trout and Burbot: the meat never comes off the hook! However, someone on this site here pointed out that it is illegal to transport them from the lake for bait…oops
KYKevin
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
Had to tell this story about a big Gizzard Shad. I was Crappie fishing, and ran into a couple of guys that thought they had a big Crappie, and I hated to be the one to tell them, but what they had, was a big Gizzard Shad 
. And I truly didn't want to spoil there first Crappie catch, but I couldn't let them take it home thinking they had a Crappie, and trying to eat that stinking thing, so I told them
. And I truly didn't want to spoil there first Crappie catch, but I couldn't let them take it home thinking they had a Crappie, and trying to eat that stinking thing, so I told them
POk3s
Escalante-Class Member
KYKevin
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
the meat never comes off the hook!
And that stink never comes off your hands
Dorado
Keeper of San Juan Secrets
I have no idea! I am guessing it has to do with them being such a problematic species. They are beneficial in Powell, but in a lot of lakes, they end up being too big for bass to eat. Then you end up with like 95% of the biomass in the lake as giant gizzard shad, and the sport fish are starving.
Still doesn’t answer the question as to why having dead ones for bait would matter
micbarca
Well-Known Member
Dang, I should have submitted this guy. I caught him in Wahweap Bay back in August. He made great bait.The biggest gizzard shad caught on hook and line was 22.5 inches long. It was not officially weighed. If you catch a gizzard shad that is 22 inches or better please get it weighed and then submit it to me for a new lake record. A big shad was caught recently and posted in another thread but not officially weighed. Here is your chance to get ahead of Sam Sherwood
Gizzard Shad*** 2014 3.5 lbs 22.5 in Sam Sherwood Friendship Cove ***Not weighed on certified scale
