How to keep shad alive in a livewell or bait tank

Snowball's Bait Tonic AquaZapp

Shad are the best bait in most Southern reservoirs and the hardest to keep alive. The tank, the water, the temperature and the load that keep them lively all day.

Why shad die

Threadfin and gizzard shad are delicate. They lose scales and slime when handled, they burn through oxygen, and the waste from a crowded tank fouls the water fast. Almost everything that keeps them alive comes down to four things: a tank that lets them swim, plenty of oxygen, steady cool water, and not too many in it.

Use a round tank, and a big one

Shad swim in circles and pile into corners, so a round tank with the water moving around it works far better than a square box. Veteran striper guides recommend a tank of at least 25 gallons, with a filter and a pump keeping the water circulating. A boat's built-in livewell will hold shad for a short trip; for a full day or a lot of bait, a dedicated round bait tank is worth it.

Lake water, filled first

Fill the tank with lake water before you catch your bait, so it is ready and already at the lake's temperature. Avoid tap water unless you treat it: it is usually chlorinated, and a water conditioner made for bait tanks takes care of that. Many guides add a handful of stock salt for every 10 gallons; salted water is also routine in hatchery trucks hauling live fish.

Oxygen: run two sources

Experienced guides run two sources of aeration -- a main pump plus a backup aquarium pump and air stone -- so a single failure doesn't cost the bait. University fish-health guidance on hauling live fish advises keeping dissolved oxygen as close to full saturation as possible.

Watch the bait. If the shad are swimming low in the tank you are in good shape; if they are gasping at the surface, there are too many or not enough oxygen -- take some out. Foam building up on the surface is a sign the water is getting loaded; an anti-foam treatment keeps it down, and a partial water change with fresh lake water does more.

Keep it cool, but change it slowly

Warm water holds less oxygen, so in summer the tank needs help. Guides keep the water below 80 degrees, adding ice once it passes 80, but doesn't cool it below about 75 -- a big, sudden drop is its own shock.

WSU's extension guidance is that fish shouldn't be moved into water more than 9°F (5°C) colder or 4°F (2°C) warmer than they came from without acclimating them. Add ice a little at a time, and when you top up with lake water, remember the tank may now be cooler than the lake.

Don't overload it, and handle them gently

Load is where most tanks fail. Guides treat about 300 three- to four-inch shad in a 50-gallon tank as the upper edge, and adjusts from there by watching how they swim. Fewer, lively baits beat a crowded tank of dying ones.

Handle shad as little as possible, and keep them out of bright sun. A good habit is to put gizzard shad in a tub first so the excess slime can wash off before they go in the main tank, and uses the tub for culling. Scoop out any dead ones right away -- they foul the water for the rest.

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