Threadfins showing up in numbers

[coheasion]

Seeing threadfins in decent size and in very large numbers in a popular Blackwater creek this fall.

I've only been fishing SML for roughly 5 years so seeing this is a first for me.  I understand they were in the lake up until a hard winter a few years ago.



Any thoughts on if this newly re-introduced forage source will change the striper patterns/habits?

Any difference in techniques suggested when fishing them vs gizzards other than hook sizes?

Will gizzards and threadfin ever be in the same areas or do they like to be in separate waters?  I ask because I have not found gizzards where the threads are, and we usually can find gizzards in this area.

[31Airborne]

theoretically, more food = more/bigger fish. this should be good news, assuming nothing happens to predator fish populations.

somewhere in the bowels of my fishing files i have a report on bass' preferences for baitfish (i know you're a striper dood but i think it has some value). it goes into detail about protein vs fat content, size, and why bass will key on certain baitfish species as the year progresses. if i can find it i'll post the link here. it's eye-opening.

[clay]

Does anyone know what the water temp is? 

[johnr]

When threadfins were more abundant, I recall much more striper busting action in the spring, early summer and fall. It was also tougher to catch gizzards as you had sort thru the thread fins to get em.

Before I knew better, I often settled on threadfins for bait, and I can tell you that they are not the bait if choice at any time of year. I don’t believe they are very healthy on a hook, and this is the reason they don’t work well. Eventually I just quit using them and instead used ales and gizzards.

It’s been almost 10 years since they were here in numbers.

[choochoo]

I have been marking just unbelievable amounts of bait. Much, much more than I have seen in my 4 years here. My biggest concern is what commonly happens in any population that spikes off the charts, and that is the crash. Need more bait eaters in the lake right now. I would like to see a 20” or 22” minimum at all times. Many small, almost tiny, stripers are kept in the summer, which are the ones that have the best chance at surviving release.

[coheasion]

I believe it was BentRod that mentioned at one time he did not want to see the threadfins make a comeback for the very reason choochoo mentions.

It is an interesting topic and one I'm sure Dan will discuss at some point.

[greg]

Nov 23, 2020 18:50:32 GMT -5 clay said:

Does anyone know what the water temp is? 

smlfishfinder.com/

[clay]

Thanks

[mwardncsu]

Will be interesting to see if we have a very cold winter and this a threadfin die-off. A couple of warm winters has let them repopulate