It's All About the Shad...
........whether we have good quality, and good numbers of fish. I'm sure there are other factors...water quality, structure, cover..but without the forage base, the rest doesn't matter.
I've learned that we not only need lots of shad, but also there needs to be shad of the right size, especially for crappies. So what regulates all this? Obviously a good shad spawn is how we get the numbers of shad...does that mean high lake levels, or low, or is there some other factor? And how do we keep good numbers of the right size? Is less algae what keeps them small? Is it more alga in the spring (for recruitment), and less through the summer a key?
I guess the bottom line to this thread is: Is there anything I, or a group of fishemen can do to help create/maintain a quality shad population? Or is it just luck, or is it something MDC doesn't need/want help with?
I know regulating lakes for flood control vs fish production vs recreational boating is a juggling act for MDC.... how can any of us help?