Shad on Conway

I am new to the board, but have been watching the board for some time now, i decided it was time to contribute. I was walking the shoreline of Lake Conway while it was frozen a couple days ago, I have seen a very large shad die off, this should be good for the lake as it has had to many shad in it for a few years now, the fish wont bite well for a few days after the thaw, they r going to be full of these shad. In years past when there was a good freezing of the lake and die off of the shad the next couple of years after had some of the best fishing, because the fish had to eat, due to the lowered shad numbers. They took live and artificial baits really well till the shad population came back again. I have been fishing on Conway for the better part of 30 plus years. I have met a few of you guy up in the cove over the past couple of years I am sure. I may not know you by name or by sceen name but i have talked to you.

Haven't met you but welcome to the forum and thanks for the information. I'm sure your 30 plus years on Conway has taught you a lot and we sure appreciate your sharing that info and knowledge of the lake.:) Again, welcome to the site.

Nice to meet you ski trip

From what you saw, how long will it take to thaw?:confused:

The ice is thin now, and it should break under the presure of a boat, but i aint looked at it in a couple of days, its been dark when I drive by to go to work and its been dark when I drive by to go home, so I cant give a honest assesment of the ice. It was nearly two inches thich two days ago when it was super cold.

Welcome to the board and thx for the info.

Welcome to me board sladsntaters.

I'm too glad we're having a big shad kill this year,as you say they'll be gut full but also they should be fat and puffy.

Thanks wish4fish and turtlebait, nice to meet you guys

I've seen fish and shad die-offs in shallow lakes during periods of severe cold, but does that also happen in deep water lakes? Or, do the fish and shad just go deeper in deep water to find warmer temps?

Just curious.

In my experience any time the water temp get to around 37 degrees and lower shad will start to die off Shallow or Deep Lakes. Shad has to be one of the most delicate fish in the water. If you even touch a shad they will die 99.99% of the time. Shad are not to intelligent of a fish, they don't all know to dive deep for the warmer water in a lake. Most of the time Shad tend to work close to the surface, night or day, summer or winter. There are a great deal of shad that stay below the thermocline, and below the thermocline the water temp is usually stable and can be several degrees warmer than above the thermocline.

Welcome to the board from Indiana.

Welcome to the board, I know thirty years is a long time so if you don't mine keep the Info coming,it's a big help to alot of us.

Welcome to the board from Batesville. This was my first year to fish Conway and it sure had plenty of bait fish in it.

Creek slick, Conway has always been a fertile lake, shad populations have always been big, and the years that the shad have been real prolific as they were this year the fishing has been hot and cold, on the days that the shad are so abundant and I cant catch fish, I just sit back and ask myself how can a person compete with this much live bait, I mean the fish dont even have to work to eat, they just open their mouth and swallow shad. But the big freeze we had will knock the shad back for a couple of years and that will improve the fishing on Conway.

Crappie Pete, I will share what knowledge I have, thirty years worth of fishing on Conway a person learns alot. I have always tried to share with others, just like you said it helps. I want everybody to enjoy what Lake Conway has to offer a sportsman.

Slabsntaters, thanks for your reply, there is alot I can learn from good people like you, and believe me I don't know alot, I read as much as I can about caughing crappie. I hope one day I will run into you on the lake, it will be nice to meet you.Keep the Info coming, I enjoy every bit of it.

I cannot wait to hear of your 30 yrs of knowledge. I am from Illinois and Crappie Fishing has kicked my butt this fall and winter. Thanks all.

Thanks for the tip, I have not been Crappie fishing long, but to hear someone with 30 years on the lake that I like fish is great. I was fishing the lake the other day and notice the shads, anytime you want to hand out tips on the lake i am all ears, again welcome and hope I meet you on the lake one''

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Originally Posted by crappie Pete

Thanks for the tip, I have not been Crappie fishing long, but to hear someone with 30 years on the lake that I like fish is great. I was fishing the lake the other day and notice the shads, anytime you want to hand out tips on the lake i am all ears, again welcome and hope I meet you on the lake one''

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Hello crappie Pete, the shad are really thick this year again, however the crappie seem to be biting really well, i have not had much chance to go yet, between bass tournaments and deer season, i have been busy. Not to mention my boat is in the shop for some badly needed repairs. they are telling me they will have the boat for about a month. so i may do alot more deer hunting than fishing this winter. Right now the crappie are shallow for the most part. we have had no cold weather to push them to the deeper water. There is a new hot spot on Conway that is producing Crappie very well, but it is hard to fish. you just about have to have a flat bottom boat to fish it. Just north of cantebury cove there is some cypress trees that are really thick like a thicket. Its full of logs and Gator grass. if you can get you way inside them logs and gator grass as deep as you can go, there are some monter slabs to be caught.

Good morning Slabmaster II, thanks for the tips, have you gotten a deer yet, if you hunt like you caught crappie you will get as many as you got tags for. I will try to find the spot that you was talking about, I have a 12ft and a little 2-man, so maybe I can get back in there, looking forward to meeting you one day and really fish with a Pro, again thanks for the tips.:)