Lake Rathbun Shad Infestation

[Centervillecory]

I have been fishing the north side of the lake the last couple weeks and i have to say the shad are very bad up there. I have never seen anything like it. The walleyes should be getting very fat as well as the catfish. I fished Buck Creek and Honey Creek, multiple places at each and the shad are thick. Stick to the south side of the lake if you are trying to catch crappies is my advice. Can anyone shed some light on this shad situation and if its normal/happens all the time and why?

[matzilla]

They're prolific spawners...whats the problem? They're a good food source for predators, and in a lake that large, they're a vital part of the food chain.

[cropee]

Ripping raps are key

[Kevin23]

They're prolific spawners...whats the problem? They're a good food source for predators, and in a lake that large, they're a vital part of the food chain.

They feed on the same micro organisms as "good fish" fry do. Balanced, they are great for a fishery- every lake down south has them. The problem is up here most of our predators dont get big enough and the population density of the big predators are so low that the shad take over. Lots of lakes have been ruined for panfish because of shad, the bass, walleye, and musky love them.

As for fishing with shad below you, I always have a jigging or rippin rap with me.. Snag a couple of them and they take off quick.

[matzilla]

thats what I'm kinda getting at....rathbun is 32 square miles - its gonna take a LOT of shad to be a problem. seeing some shad on your flasher and having an over abundance of shad is a big difference. They have a 4-6 year life span with lots of ups and downs to their spawning cycles (much like yellow perch), so in big lakes they're rarely a concern