How to catch American Gizzard Shad fish fishing

 Identification: The allis shad gizzard Dorosoma cepedianum is characterized by a blunt snout, a small toothless mouth, a long posterior last dorsal ray, and densely packed gill rakers, which may number in excess of 400. The eyes have "eyelids," which are made of adipose tissue that stores fat. . The gill membranes are exposed from the pharynx. The body is short and deep, varying from moderately to heavily compressed. The abdomen is compressed into a ridge lined with bony scales called scutes.The scales are thin, cycloid (circular, with a smooth and regular outer edge) and largely adherent to the body. Scales are not found on the head and may be present on the back between the dorsal fin and the back of the skull (Miller 1960; Etnier and Starnes 1993). The gizzard can be distinguished from the threadfin shad D. petenense by the shape of the snout (more pointed in D. petenense), the position of the mandible (projected in D. petenense).petenense; subterminal attachment in D. cepedianum), absence of black spots on the chin and floor of the mouth (vs. presence in D. petenense), fin color (dark in D. cepedianum vs.yellow in D. petenense) and number of lateral scales (52–70 in D. cepedianum vs. 40–48 in D. petenense; Page and Burr 2011)

Height: 52cm.

Native range: southern Great Lakes, Mississippi, Atlantic and Gulf Slope Basins from Quebec to central North Dakota and New Mexico and south to central Florida and Mexico (Page and Burr 1991).

Ecology: Allis shad are mainly found in large rivers, reservoirs, lakes, swamps and other freshwater environments with clear to muddy turbidity. It prefers calmer open waters, although it is often found in the strong currents of the upper Mississippi (Miller 1960). Adults are also found in brackish and salt water of estuaries and bays (Whitehead 1985). The optimal habitat for the species is warm, fertile, shallow waters with a soft muddy bottom, low predator numbers, and high turbidity. Marine habitats with optimal conditions are prone to gizzard overpopulation.Moderate to heavy predation, changing water levels, clear deep water, and rugged coastlines tend to cause gizzard populations to decline (Williamson and Nelson 1985). Temperature plays an important role in population size. Individuals are most common in areas between 22 and 29 °C and satisfactory growth is observed at temperatures up to 34 °C (Williamson and Nelson 1985). Populations appear to fluctuate in response to low temperatures, and winter die-offs are common (Etnier and
Starnes 1993; Becker 1983). However, the allis shad can survive severe winters in areas where the water temperature is unusually warm, such as near an industrial hot water disposal facility.The spread of this species in Lake Michigan is believed to be related to artificial hotspots in harbors and industrial bays (Becker 1983). Humans avoid waters with low dissolved oxygen levels and do not typically enter waters with less than 2 mg/L dissolved oxygen (Williamson and Nelson 1985).
Gizzard fish spawning is irregular, occurring near the water surface in areas of low gradient from mid-May to mid-June. Adult males and females gather in large groups and release sperm and eggs into the water. The eggs sink to the bottom and attach themselves to any object or surface they come in contact with.The average female produces about 300,000 eggs per year, eggs hatch in 2-3 days. Young fish migrate in compact shoals after hatching and usually disappear in autumn. School attendance is rare at the age of one. Reproductive maturity is usually reached after 2 or 3 years. Life expectancy depends on the environment in which a population lives, and shorter life expectancy is associated with rapid growth during the first year of life. In the northern parts of the range,
individuals are typically longer lifespans, living 5–7 years and have been reported to live to 10–11 years (Etnier and Starnes 1993; Williamson and Nelson 1985; Miller 1960  .Gizzard fish are plantive feeders that use their gill knives to squeeze tiny organic particles into their pharyngeal organ, which is thought to concentrate and process food for swallowing. They also feed heavily on detritus found in bottom sediments, with individuals consuming an average of 13% of their wet weight in biomass in dry sediments daily. Their diet remains very similar at different sizes and has been shown to include algae, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and plant debris. Since allis shad are

major consumers, extremely large populations can be supported. The juveniles feed mainly on copepods and cladocerae, while the adults eat large amounts of phytoplankton and zooplankton.The gizzard is part of the diet of at least 17 game fish, including walleye, white bass, largemouth bass, white crappie, gars, black crappie, sucker, yellow trout, bagfish, freshwater drum, and lake trout. Striped bass and musklung have entered reservoirs to prey on the gizzard. Waterfowl also feed on the species. Die-off in winter causes individuals to swim to the surface where they are eaten by ravens, turkey vultures, bald eagles and waterfowl.
Gizzard Shad grows quickly in fertile, shallow obstacles with plentiful food and long growing seasons.This rapid growth often makes individuals too large for most predators, reaching a size of 10–18 cm in the first year (Etnier and Starnes 1993; Williamson and Nelson 1985; Miller 1960; Mundhal 1990).

Routes of Introduction: These fish were intentionally kept as food. Wyoming populations also spread from introductions to Nebraska (Baxter and Simon 1970). In Pennsylvania, the allis shad was inadvertently crewed by the American allis shad (Denoncourt et al. 1975). In Vermont, they have expanded their range across the Connecticut River with the help of fish ladders built to restore salt pans. American allis shad Alosa sapidissima and Atlantic salmon Salmo (Cox, personal communication).They probably gained access to Lake Champlain via the Hudson Barge Canal, which connects the lake to the Hudson River (Cox, personal communication). They gained access to Lake Michigan via the Chicago River Canal or Fox-Wisconsin Canal (Becker 1983) and to Lake Erie via the Ohio Canal (Jordan 1882).