Gizzard Shad (Dorosoma cepedianum)

     This is a freshwater shad species that is found in deep open water of medium to large rivers and lakes.  They will often ascend creeks and small rivers that have well-developed pools.  They are important forage species for gamefish in most waters and are commonly stocked for this purpose.

     These fish have a long whip-like last dorsal ray, a blunt snout and a distinctive terminal mouth.  The dorsal fin origin is above or behind the abdominal pelvic fin origin.  They have a large purple-blue spot near the upper edge of the gill cover that is faint or absent in large adults.  They are silver-blue on the back fading to a silver-white on the sides.  These fish often have blue and green reflections over the body.  There are 6-8 dark stripes on the upper sides and back.  These are one of the larger members of the herring family reaching a length of about 20 inches. 

     These fish can be found in open water of Lake Lanier usually in large schools.  They will occasionally be caught while fishing for sunfish, but are more often caught for bait with casting nets.  They are good for striper and bass fishing as well as cut bait for catfish.  These fish also are regularly eaten by herring gulls.  These birds give a good indication of where larger predatory fish are actively feeding by circling overhead and diving into the water to try and catch the ones that the predators have pushed to the surface.