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First off, I need to learn how to throw the net. There are lots of videos on how to do that. But, secondly, where/how do you guys and gals go to start your search for bait? I fish Shearon Harris and Jordan. I would love to not be dependent on a baitshop. Am I correct in assuming that a native baitfish would outperform a pond raised shiner?
If the wind has been blowing the same direction for a few days, look at the far side of the lake that has had all the wave action. The shad would have followed the plankton to that area.
I watch for little riffles at the surface as they are swimming. In the summer you will see like 30 bait balls or more in a given area. If I can't find them that way I just go along the weeds on the bank and throw blindly. Always seem to catch all I want. I even catch a ton off the boat docks. This time of year you will find them balled up around 10 feet or so deep. I find them on the fishfinder then throw the net and let it go down as far as my cord will allow.
You better believe that shad is the way to go for bait. You will catch crappie, bass, catfish, because everything seems to like shad since it's their natural bait. If you plan to keep them alive it takes a lot of water constantly circulating. Put them in a bait bucket and put one of the little bubble makers in it and they will be dead within 20 minutes. Very fragile fish.
If the bait is deep at all like 10 ft or so the net will have to be heavy enough to sink fast. I’m like you the bigger heavier nets are harder to throw. Look for birds should be bait where the birds are.
I appreciate the comments!
These two screenshots were taken this past January on Harris. Get you a good throw net with heavy enough lead and you can catch all the shad you want.
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On Gaston I could catch Bluebacks in front of the dam or behind the dam down in Roanoke Rapids lake. Around the culvert pipe or bridges where a road travels across a creek arm are good places at dark 30 in the morning. Without a good shad barrel your shad will die in just a few minutes inside a bucket. That's the biggest problem with keeping live shad.
I’ve used a cast net to catch bait at the coast but have been hesitant to use in fresh water as the regulations were a little confusing to me. The regulations talk of “special devices license” which a cast net falls under. Can I use a cast net under my normal fishing license or do you have to purchase the special device license as well?
Game wardens in Halifax county never hassle people catching bait on Gaston that I have seen and I've never seen them try to count shad in a barrel. Just have a fishing license and you should be fine. The rivers can be a whole different story though, especially on the Roanoke. The James River in VA will get you a misdemeanor ticket for having shad in possession unless you can prove they were from a commercial purchase.
Take a couple buckets with you. put water in both. When you catch the shad put them in one and take what you want out and put in the other. The shad loose a lot of scales when they are first caught and I think they release ammonia or something. This may help a little if you don't have a good bait tank. I would only keep 4 or 5 at a time in a 5 gal bucket.
Just for the fun of it, here's a video of my daughter catching shad at Harris last January. The shad was 36 feet thick in 37 feet of water. We were catching several pounds of shad on each throw. We did this for some time just for the fun of it. Watch the birds and you'll find this around Harris.
YouTube