Lot's of little bones, but otherwise good to eat. Like a lot of fish, there's a thin strip of dark meat along the side that doesn't taste very good, but the rest is fine. Just had some for dinner. My girlfriend's a picky eater, but she liked it okay. She did complain about the bones.
The Gizzard Shad
It usually eats mosquito, channel and flathead catfish, gizzard shad, sunfish, and minnows.
P. H. Patrick has written: 'Responses of gizzard shad (dorosoma cepedianum) to different flash characteristics of strobe light' -- subject(s): Gizzard shad
In Fall, bass feed heavily on bait fish like gizzard and threadfin shad, but will also take other prey like crayfish.
Grass Pickerel, Goldeneye, Gizzard Shad
Stripers are very aggressive fish and will eat whatever is available to them. Their primary food source will depend on their location. In saltwater, menhaden in a favorite food source, while in freshwater lakes, threadfin and gizzard shad make up the majority of the stripers diet.
Gizzard shads face predation from various species, including larger fish such as striped bass, catfish, and walleye. Birds, such as herons and pelicans, also prey on them. Additionally, mammals like raccoons may hunt gizzard shads when they are near the water's surface. These predators play a crucial role in controlling gizzard shad populations in their ecosystems.
Trout will hit shad imitation baits.
Shad primarily eat plankton. They will also eat fish eggs and small shrimp. On rare occasions, they will also eat small fish.
Plankton
no
A shad is often used as a small baitfish