Fishing with Live Bait & Natural Baits
Shad are one of the most popular types of forage in many of the lakes throughout the country. There are many types of shad and some are even big enough to catch, but the shad we are talking about on this page are the types of shad that are bait fish for the game fish. Threadfin shad, like the one in the picture above, and gizzard shad are two of the more popular types of shad used as forage. Shad are typically stocked in lakes so game fish will have a healthy population of bait fish to snack on. Most game fish will eat shad, but they especially loved by largemouth bass and striped bass. There are many crankbaits on the market that look like a shad and they are very effective baits for a variety of species.
How to Catch Shad
Most anglers will use a cast net to catch shad.
Using Shad as Bait
Anglers will use shad on weightless rigs, under a bobber, on a split shot rig or on a bottom rig. You can fish them a variety of ways. In saltwater, anglers use shad as cut bait on their favorite bottom rigs for a variety of fish.
