Gizzard Shad
A member of the herring family, the gizzard shad is an open-water roamer that often amasses in the tailraces of low-head dams in summer. If you know how to handle a cast net, a single toss can often produce hundreds of shad from 2 to 10 inches in length. Dead shad make excellent catfish bait, but check your local regulations—using them as bait is illegal in some states. Live shad will also elicit strikes from walleyes, crappies and bass.