I was wondering if anyone here fishes with Hickory Shad and if they'd had any unusual methods of prolonging their short livewell lifespan. As we all know getting an extra half hour out of them can often be the difference between two or three extra fish!

a friend of mine had two oxygenating systems and claimed it made a big difference

Could you be more specific, Raven? Type of system? Size of tank?

i was refering to a friend of mine
whose no longer with us...or i'd simply ask him...

he was quite the aquarium expert and i remember
him telling me that he had added a second aerator
on his bait tank and had longer life in his bait as a result

Having the extra aerator definitely makes sense to me. I'd considered a modified livewell pump (we've seen them in custom shops) with a sponge/foam like material on the bottom that makes billions of small bubbles vs. simply recirculating the water through the livewell. I've considered this too. I've also considered the use of some type of bait treatment. From my days in freshwater bass tourneys, I remember a product that was made to put in your live well that kept the fish mellower/less stressed out, and protected their slime layer. I can't recall the name of the product, but it may also help get another half hour/hour out of the baits. Hickories definitely react poorly to being handled, and I've found that I can't put much more than 8 or so in my 35 gallon livewell without issues. I've tried constant fresh water flushes, high pressure livewell pump, etc. with varied success. There's got to be a few other things to get that extra 1/2 hour to hour out of them!

Biggest issue with my current livewell setup is that it doesn't recirculate the water. I've got a Todd leaning post with a 35 gallon tank. Tank is removable to create more room in the back of the boat. I run a Rule aerator pump off the cigarette lighter. I'll run the tank at 1/2 capacity with the plug removed and refill/flush it every so often with water directly from the ocean. Flushing helps because the hickories scum the water up pretty quick (Scales, slime, whatever). Converting it to a re-circ will help, too I'm sure, but that would mean permanent installation of the tank.

There are oxygen systems out there that will do the trick. Be carefull though as I think these possesion limits are still in force...http://www.matagordabay.com/hodgesaeration/

Hickory Shad / American Shad
American shad and hickory shad populations are currently listed as unknown, but a complete stock assessment is expected in 2007. American shad populations are believed to be suffering from depletion due to habitat loss and pollution.

• ME, NH: 2 fish any size
• MA, CT, RI: 6 fish any size (any combination of both species)

Is that 6 per person? If so, I'm always good to go, since I've usually got at least one other person in the boat. Never put much more than 8 in the tank at a time.

I'd be a little nervous about an oxygen tank bouncing around in the boat, though I suppose divers do it all the time. You'd just have to make some adjustments. Looks like a good tool. Have you ever actually used that system on Hickory Shad?

There are oxygen systems out there that will do the trick. Be carefull though as I think these possesion limits are still in force...http://www.matagordabay.com/hodgesaeration/

Hickory Shad / American Shad
American shad and hickory shad populations are currently listed as unknown, but a complete stock assessment is expected in 2007. American shad populations are believed to be suffering from depletion due to habitat loss and pollution.

• ME, NH: 2 fish any size
• MA, CT, RI: 6 fish any size (any combination of both species)

I don't see anything in the RI regs.:huh:

As was mentioned earlier,don't handle them except by the head.Anywhere else and every scale you touch,will fall off,fouling the water,and your systems filters.

I don't see anything in the RI regs.:huh:

I've been fishing with them for five years now and I've never heard of any regs. w/r/t hickories either. I've been legal anyhow, which is good!

Hickory Shad are my favorite bait for sure.

A few things I do to keep them lively:
Don't touch them until you want to use them as bait. Remove from darts with pliers only. Get them in the tank ASAP.

Get them as much oxygen in the tank as possible. Aerated rock from a pet store and an air compressor. Total cost $25.

Just some ideas i guess.