# Freshwater shad trawl use



## nikki (Apr 14, 2011)

A friend purchased a shad trawl for fresh water lakes. I'm a cast net person so I couldn't give him any advise on use of the trawl. How bout you guys??


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

I read you are supposed to do slow circles with them. The circles are to keep the trawl from dragging directly behind the boat. Not sure why that is a problem.


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## saved (Feb 1, 2014)

Bankin' On It said:


> I read you are supposed to do slow circles with them. The circles are to keep the trawl from dragging directly behind the boat. Not sure why that is a problem.


 That would be illegal in Texas. 
Here is how it reads;

It is a violation to:
Use any vessel to harry, herd or drive fish including, but not limited to, operating any vessel in a repeated circular course, for the purpose of or resulting in the concentration of fish for the purpose of taking or attempting to take fish.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/...rules-regulations/general-fishing-regulations


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

saved said:


> That would be illegal in Texas.
> Here is how it reads;
> 
> It is a violation to:
> ...


good catch


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I have known three people who bought one and all were unsuccessful with it.
I asked about how it went and it seemed they towed it a while and caught five shad.
I always thought they did it wrong. Like cast netting for them you go find a big school to work to make sure you caught plenty.
Let us know his he does with it.


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## Crusader (Jan 31, 2014)

nikki said:


> A friend purchased a shad trawl for fresh water lakes. I'm a cast net person so I couldn't give him any advise on use of the trawl. How bout you guys??


Tell him to watch out for divers and game wardens. Better to do it at night -- in this way he won't look suspicious.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

Crusader said:


> Tell him to watch out for divers and game wardens. Better to do it at night -- in this way he won't look suspicious.


Unless something has change a Shad trawl is not illegal.


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Towing in circles has nothing to do with herding fish. Its to keep the wheel wash out of the net. The wheel wash scares the fish. You keep doing circles to scoop the water which the wheel wash hasn't disturbed. A "prop" is referred to as a "wheel" some times for you land lovers.

Source - many years of shrimping in SE Louisiana.

Now with this stated, sometimes trolling for WB the wheel wash is the best place for the lure!!!


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## Flyingvranch (Mar 10, 2014)

I used one in the river once. Caught a few but was a lot of hassle to deploy and retrieve. It just was not worth it. It had a 4 foot metal hoop with about a 12ft net attached. It produced A LOT of dag behind the boat.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Get BBjim to catch the shad for you. He is one of the worse I've seen throwing a cast net yet he caught 3 gallons of nice shad off the ramp at Beacon Bay last Monday. It was 2 PM and he only has a 3.5 ft net.
I have tried a shad trawl in LL several times. Not very efficient for the time and gas expended. 
I was with a friend using one in Foss Lake in western OK. He caught two nice 22 inch walleye. I think he tossed them back....can't remember clearly....LOL


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

Not sure why you would want or need a trawl on Livingston.. I was catching all the shad I wanted to fish with in a couple of throws at Kickapoo marina right up until I left there a couple of weeks ago.The secret for me was to go just after dark.


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## Lone Eagle (Aug 20, 2009)

shadslinger said:


> I have known three people who bought one and all were unsuccessful with it.
> I asked about how it went and it seemed they towed it a while and caught five shad.
> I always thought they did it wrong. Like cast netting for them you go find a big school to work to make sure you caught plenty.
> Let us know his he does with it.


I am like ShadSlinger in that the 4 people I know that tried it were very unsuccessful.


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## Lunkerman (Dec 27, 2004)

I tried one years ago on Lake Travis with no success. Stuck with the cast net since, never had a problem catching shad with it.


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## nikki (Apr 14, 2011)

Bankin' On It said:


> good catch


TPW defines the shad trawl and a legal method of taking bait (not game fish) * freshwater only and non game clarifies the use.


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