5 Things You Need To Know About Gizzard Shad

[@dustinwalker8152]

I'm really digging this 5 things series, thanks Matt!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Awesome!

[@johnrayner5599]

Matt, I am loving this series of five things we need to know. Thanks you for sharing your knowledge with all of us, thanks and good luck.

[@MattStefanFishing]

No problem!

[@bobbymason3420]

Great vid. I agree with Dustin. Dig this five things series. If we understand what the forage is doing and why it gives us a better chance as anglers to mimic that and catch fish.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Agreed!

[@chrisboyd1408]

Please keep these going! We are learning a lot! Thanks for sharing

[@MattStefanFishing]

Will do!

[@normanham8566]

Loving the “The 5 Things to Know…”. Could you do one on Blueback Herring. It’s an abundant forage in some lakes I now fish. Thanks Matt🎣

[@MattStefanFishing]

Yes sir! I’ll put it on the list!

[@jlmize1507]

I learn so much from your videos! You have truly increased my knowledge base regarding important information to catch more fish, especially bass. I love to learn about fishing. Thanx for sharing your knowledge and skills. Tight Lines Forever (TLF).

[@MattStefanFishing]

Great to hear!

[@rollievancleave2999]

Great series. Full of info. Thanks.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dadgonefishing7448]

Thank you, Matt. I've recently found a school of them in 40F weather close to the bottom of the water. The ball stayed in the spot for a long time, as I snagged about 5 of them. I couldn't however find anything around them using silver minnow, hoping to imitate a dying one, or deep diver, hoping to imitate live one :) Fun to snag them in the March/April time as some grow to 8- 12 inches.

[@MattStefanFishing]

haha! yep!

[@jaxonstarling9506]

Use a blade bait

[@juleswinnfield826]

Good info. I remember the first time my boat spooked a school of those jokers. Blew my hair back how fast they can swim. Muskie fisherman love em on Clair in the fall.

[@MattStefanFishing]

I bet the Muskie love them!

[@chrisfoley3320]

I have witnessed a gizzard shad take over. Lake will go from perfect water color to clear from photoplanton depletions and bass have so many gizzard shad they want bite anything else. Great topic man!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Ugh that’s no good

[@shawn_r_schultzfishing4883]

Once again I greatly appreciate you sharing your knowledge 🎣

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@bryanmasters5423]

Thanks for sharing! Learning a lot from the 5 things you need to know series!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Awesome!

[@robertstone3417]

More excellent information we can put to use while trying to be Bass Anglers. Thanks, Matt!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@stoneysdead689]

I caught a gizzard shad once- disgusting fish, really smelly and oily feeling. He was about 12 inches long and fought like hell, I thought I had bluegill or a crappie. I used him for bait and turned a 12 inch gizzard shad into a 23 pound flathead- presto! Thanks for the videos man- you have some awesome content- I real like these "Five things.." vids and the "School of Hard Knocks" videos you do. Your advice is very practical, applicable- which I really appreciate.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@kktx4058]

Excellent video! Your tips are some of the best on KZbin. Thanks for all your efforts.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks!

[@rcgantt71]

Excellent series, appreciate it Matt!!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks!

[@Davo2233]

Great content Matt!

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks!

[@douglasspickler4925]

Very good Matt. I appreciate the knowledgeable content.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@frankfarris6485]

Thank you

[@MattStefanFishing]

You're welcome

[@stevencaldwell838]

Cool video. I enjoy throwing BIG baits ( I’m from So Cal ) and will be heading out to Tennessee this February on my annual fishing trip. I’ll be fishing Center Hill lake with blade baits, tailspins and underspins… that said, I’ll also be fishing Lake Chickamauga a couple times and will be fishing large glide and big Shad swimbaits. 2 3/4 - 8oz. I appreciate the content of this video and will be looking for more of your videos on baitfish. Not many threadfin swimming around in 39-45 degree water!

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks for watching!

[@kbone87]

Shad spawn happening in northern Indiana right now. I had to come back and revisit this good info

[@MattStefanFishing]

awesome!

[@shannonkirby9295]

Have a great day and be safe, Matt

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks!

[@stevekeen7035]

Matt, I have been tournament fishing in Kentucky for 35 years and had no idea that gizzard shad spawned in the early evening instead of the morning. Thanks for another very informative video.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@belldn3]

Keep the 5 things coming.

[@MattStefanFishing]

i need to make a few more! i love them as well!

[@richardblake4777]

Agree 100%. I fish water where 12 inch shad are trying to get away from big bass by jumping out of the water a couple of feet. Place has very large bass.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Sounds like fun

[@randebroyles5203]

Love the “5 things” series

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks!

[@jjfig86]

Great information thank you sir!

[@MattStefanFishing]

No problem!

[@Miriamchino-po7mk]

Wow thanks very informative awesome

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sonnygreen9698]

All of this info is going to have a lot of us turning pro next year if your not careful 😂😂 Always great stuff Matt and thanks for all the efforts !!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Haha! I hope so!

[@easy2533]

Are you going to do five things you need to know on blue back hearing?

[@MattStefanFishing]

At some point yes

[@apofishing7862]

great stuff really explains a lot.

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks!

[@alanreyes29]

Awesome info

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks!

[@aarongreenlee7867]

I wonder what it would be like to catch a 20" gizzard shad. Great info. I didn't know they were so pervasive throughout the country.

[@MattStefanFishing]

They are everywhere

[@ryanmay8721]

Mimicking gizzard shad might get you hooked up with a large striped bass too.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Nothing wrong with that

[@pdbandit1]

For every 8 inch gizzard shad there might be 10 4 inch ones? The walleye in Lake Erie eat a lot of them, size matters? big fish eat smaller fish?

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks for sharing

[@chuckstillwell9549]

And by the way thank you I enjoy the info it helps alot

[@MattStefanFishing]

Awesome!

[@Woefman911]

Are they in places like waupaca chain o lakes ?

[@MattStefanFishing]

nope

[@radsaves]

I’ve been seeing exactly what you’re saying here on Old Hickory Lake. These shad will jump out of the water and I’ve been trying to throw behind them

[@MattStefanFishing]

That’s a great way to catch a giant bass!

[@miguelv2985]

Is it hard to fish for Gizzard shads using plastic swimbaits? We have a lot of these Gizzards in our creek and almost caught one but not sure if that was just by luck.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Yeah they are not easy to catch on artificial lures

[@jwloutdoors3062]

Good video today 👍

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks!

[@eltigredetejas2328]

👂🏿You left out some things and I’m glad you did time on the water now a days is cut into a 1/10 due to so much information… aww shit you said it later in the video 🤦🏿‍♂️ this man is giving truthful fishing info not mat at but these kiddos need to learn the hard way like we did… I’m all for growing the sport but info is everything. This video is Bass University quality info.

[@MattStefanFishing]

yeah i dont disagree with you. It took me years of experience and my own studying to figure this stuff out. I know im giving away juice but my intent is to try to grow the sport. Fishing to me is something that has changed my life and I think it can be positives for other people as well. Just got to encourage them to get out there.

[@N5KDA]

OK, with that said I'll give you one of my big bass secrets. Grab you some 7 inch Smash-Tech Baits gizzard shad Weedless swimbaits and some Owner beast 12/0 hooks with the screw lock. Here in the south around the lakes stocked with Florida bass it gets big bites.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Great! Thanks for sharing I’ll look into them

[@FishermanJoel]

Thanks for the tips Matt, super helpful. Big bait big fish reminds me that here in PA the state stocks trout in many of our lakes and those lakes end up growing 7+ lb bass. I would like to hear your thoughts on trout as a forage species!

[@MattStefanFishing]

That’s a good topic too! I’ll add it to the list!

[@outdoorswithjt6652]

The white perch here at Murray and Santee have destroyed the white bass.

[@MattStefanFishing]

really

[@jamesbarron1202]

Those high population gizzard lakes sound like they’d be trophy bluecat and flathead lakes.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Definitely

[@youtubzkoz]

do gizzards school like threadfin and bluegill? large or small schools? also why do fish porpoise?

[@MattStefanFishing]

yes but usually in much smaller numbers. i dont think anyone knows why fish porpoise

[@eltigredetejas2328]

An old couple used to take all our money on Wednesday nights tournaments on lake Hawkins back when I was in undergrad @ Jarvis Christian College… They always won 🥇 in the Post spawn time every year. one Saturday evening 4 years later after graduation 👨🏿‍🎓 I told em I was headed back to Dallas to work came to fish Lake Hawkins for the last time they Finally showed me their Gizzard shad pattern it’s killer during the post spawn shhhh 🤫 sun ☀️ beaten red clay banks are the key in the evening… if it’s windy or slick calm , top waters will work but big a swimbait and 6:3:1 reel fast enough to pick up line low gear enough to crank em in . No more post spawn fry guarder limits you can bring in the big girls . Lady’s Go to the “Gizzard Shad Club” when the Buck are guarding fry . 😂✅

[@MattStefanFishing]

great info! Thanks for sharing!

[@craigstevens9734]

What bait to throw if you see shad escaping predator

[@MattStefanFishing]

Big walkingTopwater like a Berkley cane walker

[@normanrobinson7459]

A larger white spinner bait does better during gizzard season

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for sharing

[@chuckstillwell9549]

Please do blue back herring they are everywhere in the south east

[@stoneysdead689]

Really? I live in Alabama but I didn't realize they were around- I knew we had gizzard and threadfin shad but I didn't realize we had bb herrings in the southeast. Are they like the shad- they have to be stocked, not a native species?

[@chuckstillwell9549]

@@stoneysdead689 I meant in the central savannah river area border of GA and SC

[@chuckstillwell9549]

Stocked by dnr

[@stoneysdead689]

@@chuckstillwell9549 Ah- I see, never been around that area- at least not to fish anyway. Good luck man.

[@chuckstillwell9549]

@@stoneysdead689 take care

[@shawnwheeler4633]

Gizzard shad were a major cause of Lake Apopka's decline in Central Florida. Once the best Bass lake in the world! (1940's)

[@MattStefanFishing]

Hopefully it keeps rebounding

[@shannonkirby9295]

The shad are really Bad in Guntersville. They became a big problem at one time

[@MattStefanFishing]

They can really overtake a lake

[@ronforeman5317]

So eventually there will be nothing but Gizzard lakes across the country? Sounds like the same guy thinking grass carp were a good idea.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Usually not a good idea to fix a problem with a problem

[@xandercruz8720]

I caught a gizzard today in my cast net. It was huge!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Nice!