Can you eat large gizzard shad?

[TIBBZZ]

I know they are illegle to possess at Willard. But are they an etable fish? Aren't they in the herring family?
[signature]

[PREDATOR]

I am sure you CAN eat them, but who would want to? Ever seen a big shad? Nasty! If you go to powell, and get one, and then eat it, you can prove your redneck status! So maybee its worth a trip.

I prefer to let the wipers and walleye eat them things. Thank goodness for big nasty shad though!
[signature]

[PREDATOR]

You want to read some very interesting stuff about gizzard shad in willard, read the 1998 and 1999 walleye production dynamics report by the DWR.

You think walleyes feed mostly on shad in willard? you will be surprised!

Heres a quote from the stomach analysis that may get your mind going.

"Although a trophic step was apparent between zooplankton and 0 gizzard shad, isotopic composition of walleyes did not reveal a predator-prey relationship between the two species."

Thats on page 69 for those of you who have the study.

It goes on to discuss the "missing link" that they set out to discover in the 1999 study. The results and reported info is very interesting.
[signature]

[cat_man]

Hey Predator, do you have a link to those studies?
[signature]

[Xman]

you should see the shad i snagged by accident the other day out there. i cant beleive they get that big out there. ill post the picture when i get it developed. its a good 2 lbs. and 18 inches or so. and the smelliest fish i have ever touched. i regret taking the picture now haha.
[signature]

[BADFISH]

YOU COULD PROBALY EAT SMALL GIZZARD SHAD TOO..LIKE SARDINES IF YOU COOK EM FIRST...DREDGE IN FLOUR THEY FRY EM UP...BON APPETIT!!! LOL

LATERS,
[signature]

[mikecromaine]

BUT IF YOU CATCH ONE AT WILLARD LET IT GO... IT IS AGAINT THE LAW TO HAVE THEM ALIVE OR DEAD AROUND WILLARD.
[signature]

[BADFISH]

THEN I GUESS YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO SUCK IT DOWN TAR TAR STYLE RIGHT WHEN YOU HAUL IT IN....SLURP THAT SUSHI TREAT DOWN BABY....IF ITS OILY AND SMELLY IT SHOULD SLIDE RIGHT DOWN, MAYBE EVEN RIGHT BACK UP AGAIN....LMAO... ARENT THE SHAD IN THERE TYPICALLY FOR THE WIPERS TO EAT? I KNOW WALLEYE ARE FINICKY, THEY LIKE SMALL WALLEYE, PERCH, CRAPPIE, MUD BUGS, AND CRAWDADS MORE THAN SHAD DONT THEY?? I KNOW THEY EAT WHATS AVAILABLE BUT THAT DOESNT MEAN THEY CANT PICK WHAT THEY WANT FROM WHATS AVAILABLE......ITS LIKE SIZZLER FOR FISH....YOU BROWSE FIRST THEN ATTACK WHAT LOOKS BEST.[]

LATERS,
[signature]

[ALAN]

Speaking of missing links, have you met mikecromaine yet? I have to work with him and I've been curious for quite a while now. LOL Al
[signature]

[mikecromaine]

THANKS AL

YOU JUST REMEMBER THIS WHEN YOUR COMPUTER CRASHES IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO


OH AL WILL EAT ANYTHING SO... WHO IS THE MISSING LINK
[signature]

[wanklovic]

em wanklovic is NOT very shy when cooking gizzerd fishes[blush]
[signature]

[Fin-S-Fish]

Yes, as others have said, shad stink awfully, worse than carp. I had the unfortunate experience of having to unhook and release a bunch while trying to catch wiper. My hands smelled so bad I couldn't believe it. I've caught just about every freshwater species in Utah, they all smell fine except for Gizzards. I seriously don't think they are edible, but maybe a good candidate for a FEAR FACTOR sushi food. You guys know about fear factor, right, where they have to eat rotten meat with maggots, live spiders and centipedes, and jump off buildings to win the 25 grand prize money.
[signature]

[TIBBZZ]

I've never seen one face to face,(they relly have a bad smell?)I was just curiouse about them being edible because I was watching something about them and they said that they were in the herring family and people eat herring. I guess I was wondering there relation kind of like a salmon related to a trout.
[signature]

[poorfisherman]

If you want to try it lake powell has a reproducing population of gizzard shad now, and you can posess those ones I think. You would just have to find where they hang out. If they stink that bad they would probly be great catfish bait.

Speaking of catfish bait how come I never see the catfishers on here metion mackeral, thats what we used in cali. nice and oily and stinks to high hell, it worked great.
[signature]

[FrozenFish]

Several years ago, back befor I knew what a gizzard shad was, I snagged one up at Willard Bay, Not knowing what it was I thought I would keep it and see how it tasted. Well once I got home I started cleaning it and then that was it. The insides were the nastiest I have ever seen in a fish and the smell hit me like a ton a bricks. It quickly found its way into a hole in my backyard...
[signature]

[Utcatman]

they make great catfish bait! when i was at powell 2yr.s ago. i was camping in the back of one of the canyons.. the shad were every where back there, as well as the stripers and cats. i throw out my throw net and cuaght a bundle of 3 inchers, i just cut them in half and wham! i was catching cats and stripers all night long!
JOe
[signature]