Dorosoma is Greek for “lance body,” referring to the lance-like shape of young shad. The word petenense refers to Lake Peten in the Yucatan, the species type locality. Threadfin shad are usually easily distinguished from gizzard shad by the fact that the upper jaw does not project beyond the lower jaw. The anal fin usually has 20-25 rays, as opposed to 29-35 rays found in gizzard shad. The upper surface is silver-blue and grades to nearly white on the sides and belly. All fins have yellow tint except the dorsal. In this species, unlike gizzard shad, the chin and floor of the mouth is speckled with black pigment.

Threadfin shad and gizzard shad both have a thread-like filament at the end of the dorsal (top) fin, so this thread-like fin does not distinguish the threadfin. The best way to tell the two species apart is that the upper jaw of the gizzard shad extends beyond the lower jaw and has a deep notch in the center. The upper jaw of the threadfin does not extend beyond the lower jaw and it is not notched. Both species have a dark spot on the shoulder, although it is typically darker on the gizzard shad. Another difference is that the gizzard shad does not have any yellow on the fins, although it may have a distinctive yellow spot in the white of the eye that is not found in threadfins. The fins of the threadfin usually have a yellowish tint, and the tail fin is often distinctly yellow. The chin and the floor of the mouth of the threadfin have black specks, while there are none on the gizzard shad.

Threadfin shad are used as forage fish because they remain relatively small, usually less than 7 inches. Threadfin are a schooling, open-water fish and grow well in productive ponds. Shad are filterfeeders and feed mainly on zooplankton and some larger phytoplankton. Larger threadfin may consume some detritus as well. They eat fish feed only incidentally.

Angling Importance

Often used as a bait fish. Threadfin shad almost never bite on a hook.

Biology

Like gizzard shad, threadfin shad are most commonly found in large rivers and reservoirs. However, threadfin shad are more likely to be found in waters with a noticeable current and are usually in the upper five feet of water. They are quite temperature sensitive, with die-offs reported at temperatures below 45°F. Spawning begins in the spring when water temperatures reach approximately 70°F, and may continue into the summer. During spawning, one or more emales are accompanied by several males. Adults are considerably smaller than gizzard shad adults, rarely exceeding 6 inches in length.

Distribution

Threadfin shad naturally occur in waters west of the Appalachian Mountains, north to Kentucky, west to East Texas, south to the Rio Grande drainage, and east to Florida. The species has been widely ntroduced in California and Arizona, as well as Appalachian and southern Atlantic states. Threadfin shad are common in all East Texas streams and have been introduced as forage fish in many eservoirs statewide.

Other Names for Threadfin Shad:

Hickory Shad

The spotted gar is one of three gar species native to Texas. They are primitive fish and date back to the Cretaceous period, some 65 to 100 million years ago. The ancestors of spotted gar swam with the dinosaurs! A large gar can eat a lot of fish, including catfish, causing them to compete with some anglers. Because of the competition and because many people think gar are difficult to clean, gar are sometimes called a “trash” fish. This term may not be warranted when you consider that spotted gar, like all native species, have an important role to play in their ecosystem.

Lepisosteus is Greek, meaning “bony scale,” and oculatus is Latin, meaning “provided with eyes.” This last is probably a reference to the many dark spots on the head and body. Spotted gar may be distinguished from other Texas gar species by the dark roundish spots on the top of the head, the pectoral fins and on the pelvic fins.

Angling Importance

As with other gar species, spotted gar may be captured by entangling the teeth in nylon threads or by bowfishing. In Texas, bowfishers have landed spotted gar up to 15 pounds.

Biology

Little is known about the biology of this huge fish. Alligator gar are usually found in slow sluggish waters, although running water seems to be necessary for spawning. They appear to spawn in the spring beginning sometime in May. Eggs are deposited in shallow water. Young fish may consume insects. Adults feed primarily on fish, but will also take waterfowl. This species is able to tolerate greater salinities that other gar species and feeds heavily onmarine catfish when they are available.

Distribution

Spotted gar are found from central Texas east into western Florida. The species range extends north through the Missisippi River drainage into Illinois and the lower Ohio River. Populations also occur in the Lake Erie drainage.

Gizzard shad provide forage for most game species. They rarely bite on a hook, and when they do, they are generally considered worthless as a food fish. The species is often used as cut bait for other fish species.

Dorosoma is Greek for “lance body,” referring to the lance-like shape of young shad. The species epithet cepedianum refers to the French naturalist Citoyen Lacepede. Gizzard shad are usually easily distinguished from threadfin shad by the fact that the upper jaw projects well beyond the lower jaw. Amateur ichthyologists can run a finger underneath the mouth forward, and if the fingernail catches on the upper jaw and opens the mouth, in most cases the fish is a gizzard rather than a threadfin shad. The anal fin usually has 29-35 rays, as opposed to 20-25 rays found in threadfin shad. The upper surface is silvery blue, and grades to nearly white on the sides and belly. Fins do not have the yellowing tint present in threadfin shad. Unlike threadfin shad, the chin and floor of the mouth in this species is not speckled with black pigment.

Grizzard Shad Biology

Gizzard shad are most abundant in large rivers and reservoirs, avoiding high gradient streams. The species is most often found in large schools. The common name “skipjack” is derived from the fact that individuals within a school may often be observed leaping out of the water or skipping along the surface on their sides. Spawning generally takes place in late spring, usually in shallow protected water. Eggs and milt are released in the school, seemingly without regard for individual mates. Adhesive eggs attach to submerged objects and hatch in about 4 days. Although dult shad are moderately deep-bodied, fry are extremely slender and delicate looking until they reach about 1.25 inches in length. Gizzard shad are planktivorous. Young feed on microscopic animals and plants, as well as small insect larvae. Adults feed by filtering small food items from the water using their long, close-set gill rakes. Although the species commonly grows to lengths of 9-14 inches, some have been reported to exceed 20 inches in length. In Texas the record (taken with a spear gun) is an 18.25-inch specimen that weighed in at 2.97 pounds.

Grizzard Shad Distribution

In Texas, gizzard had are found in all major streams and reservoirs. The species is native to eastern North America. In the north the range includes the Saint Lawrence River and the Great Lakes (except Lake Superior), and extends wet into North Dakota. Gizzard shad are found as far south as eastern Mexico, and as far west as New Mexico. The species is not found in New England, south Florida, or through most of the Appalachian Mountain chain.

Other Names for Gizzard Shad:

Shad, Hickory Shad, Herring, Skipjack

Although some anglers consider smallmouth buffalo to be a rough fish, in many areas the species is highly prized. Specimens in excess of 82 pounds have been landed by rod and reel anglers, whereas the trotline record is 97 pounds in Texas. Buffalo will sometimes take doughballs made with cottonseed meal, and when hooked provide exceptional sport. Many people may be unaware that smallmouth buffalo is quite a food fish. It is the number one species sold by commercial freshwater fishermen.

Ictiobus and bubalus are both Greek words meaning “bull fish” and “buffalo”, respectively. The back and sides are light brown or otherwise dark with a coppery or greenish tent. The belly is pale yellow to white. Smallmouth buffalo scales are large, and the species sometimes be confused with common carp by the novice. However, buffalo lack the barbels of carp. Smallmouth buffalo, as opposed to bigmouth buffalo, have a distinctive sucker-type mouth, oriented downward.

Smallmouth Buffalo Life History

Although the life history of smallmouth buffalo is not well understood, spawning seems to occur in the spring when water temperatures reach 60-65°F. Eggs are broadcast over weeds and mud bottom, hatching in one to two weeks. This species is primarily bottom feeding which is why insect larvae, algae, detritus, and sand often make up significant portions of the fishes’ gut contents.

Smallmouth Buffalo Distribution

The native range of the smallmouth buffalo includes larger tributaries of the Mississippi River from Montana east to Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The species is also found in Gulf slope drainages from Alabama to the Rio Grande River drainage. In Texas, smallmouth buffalo are found in most large streams, rivers, and reservoirs exclusive of the Panhandle.

Other Names for Smallmouth Buffalo

Razorback Buffalo, Suckermouth Buffalo, Quillback Buffalo, Roachback Buffalo, Humpback Buffalo, Channel Buffalo, Baitnet Buffalo, White Carp, Liner Buffalo, Brown Buffalo, Blue Pancake

The flathead catfish is the second largest freshwater sportfish in Texas, being outmuscled only by the blue catfish. Where mature populations exist, 50-pounders are not unusual. Typically, the largest fish are caught by trotliners, who have landed specimens in excess of 110 pounds. “Catfish” is the second most preferred group of fish among licensed Texas anglers, and flatheads rank second behind channel catfish. Rod and reel anglers may have the greatest success with flathead catfish just below reservoir dams.

Pylodictis is Greek meaning “mud fish,” and olivaris is Latin for “olive-colored.” Flathead catfish are typically pale yellow (hence the name “yellow cat”) to light brown on the back and sides, and highly mottled with black and/or brown. The belly is usually pale yellow or cream colored. The head is broadly flattened, with a projecting lower jaw. The tail fin is only slightly notched, not deeply forked as is the case with blue and channel catfish. Young fish may be very dark, almost black in appearance.

Flathead Catfish Biology

In Texas flathead catfish may spawn from late May through August. Males construct nests by excavating a shallow depression in a natural cavity (a hollow log, cave, or crevice) or near a large object. Females are encouraged by males to lay their eggs in the nest. Over 100,000 eggs may be found in a golden-yellow egg mass which is guarded viciously by the male. Young generally hatch in four to six days. They may school together for several days near the nest, but soon disperse and seek shelter under rocks or brush. Fingerlings feed on insect larvae, juveniles feed on small fish and crayfish, while adults feed almost exclusively on fish. Adults are usually solitary, each staking out a favorite spot, typically in deeper water or under cover, during the day. At night they may move into riffles and shallow areas to feed.

Flathead Catfish Distribution

The native range includes a broad area west of the Appalachian Mountains encompassing large rivers of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio basins. The range extends as far north as North Dakota, as far west as New Mexico, and south to the Gulf including eastern Mexico. Flathead catfish occur statewide in Texas.

Other Names for Flathead Catfis:

Yellow Cat, Opelousas, Mud Cat, Shovelhead Cat

Taken together, white crappie and black crappie combined) is the most popular panfish in Texas. The crappie group is the third most preferred group overall, ranking behind only “bass” and “catfish.” Crappie are sought after by both bank and boat anglers. Typically, minnows are the preferred bait, often producing monumental results when an aggregation is located, usually around submerged trees, boat docks, or other submerged structures. White crappie in excess of 4.5 pounds have been landed in Texas waters.

Pomoxis is Greek for “opercle sharp” and refers to the fact that the fish’s gill covers have spines. The word annularis is Latin for “having rings” and refers to the dark bands (vertical bars) around the body. The white crappie is deep-bodied and silvery in color, ranging from silvery-white on the belly to a silvery-green or even dark green on the back. There are several vertical bars on the sides. The dorsal fin has a maximum of six spines. Males may develop dark coloration in the throat region during the spring spawning season.

Biology

Like other members of the sunfish family, white crappie are nest builders. They are similar to bluegills in that they tend to nest in relatively arge “beds,” and they have very high reproductive potential which often leads to overpopulation and stunting in small lakes and impoundments. White crappie nest in the spring, generally when water temperatures reach 65°F to 70°F. However, spawning activity has been observed at temperatures as low as 56°F. Fry hatch in three to five days, but remain attached to nest substrate by an adhesive substance from the egg for a few more days. Just before leaving the nest, fry free themselves by vigorous swimming actions. Once free, they begin feeding on microscopic animals. Although fry do not appear to school, fingerlings do. Schools with large numbers of individuals are often found in the middle of lakes. Typically, white crappie grow three to five inches in length the first year, and reach seven to eight inches during the second year. Maturity is usually reached in two to three years. Adults feed on small fish and insects.

Distribution

The native range of white crappie included the area west of the Appalachian Mountains north to southern Ontario and south to the Gulf of Mexico. The range extended west to Minnesota and South Dakota in the north, and to northeastern Mexico in the south. Today the range extends east to the Atlantic coast, and west to include California and portions of Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, Colorado, Utah, and North Dakota. White crappie are native to the eastern two-thirds of Texas, but the species can now be found statewide except for the upper portions of the Rio Grande and Pecos drainages. The native range of the species was very similar to that of the white crappie, except that it extended slightly further north into Canada and east to the coastal plain south of Virginia. Currently, populations of black crappie can be found in each of the 48 contiguous United States. In Texas, black crappie are native to the central portions of the state exclusive of the Edwards Plateau, and have been widely introduced. However, black crappie are abundant primarily in clear, acidic waters of east Texas.

Other Names for White Crappie:

White Perch, Sac-a-Lait

White bass are the fifth most preferred species among licensed Texas anglers. Schools of white bass feeding on shad generate much excitement in the fishing community. Once a school has been located, successful nglers often fish the surface with spoons or spinners. Bottom fishing at night with live bait may also produce great success. White bass are excellent fighters, and are considered superb table fare.

Morone is of unknown derivation. The species epithet chrysops is Greek meaning “golden eye.” As with other true basses, the dorsal fin is clearly double, separated into spiny and soft-rayed portions. White bass are silvery shading from dark-gray or black on the ack to white on the belly. Several incomplete lines or stripes run horizontally on each side of the body. Adults resemble young striped bass, and the two are often confused. However, striped bass have two distinct tooth patches on the back of the tongue, and white bass have one tooth patch. Striped bass have two sharp points on each gill cover, as opposed to white bass which have ne, and the second spine on the anal fin is about half the length of the third spine in striped bass, whereas it is about two-thirds the length of the third spine in white bass.

Biology

White bass are active early spring spawners. Schools of males migrate upstream to spawning areas as much as a month before females. There is no nest preparation. Spawning occurs either near the surface, or in midwater. Running water with a gravel or rock substrate is preferred. Females rise to the surface and several males crowd round as the eggs and sperm are released. Large females sometimes release nearly a million small eggs during the spawning season. After release eggs sink to the bottom and become attached to rocks, hatching in 2-3 days. Fry grow rapidly, feeding on small invertebrates. White bass may grow eight or nine inches during the first year. Adults are usually found in schools. Feeding occurs near the surface where fish, crustaceans, and emerging insects are found in abundance. Gizzard and threadfin shad are the preferred food items. White bass more than four years of age are rare.

Distribution

White bass are native to the the central US west of the Appalachians, including the Great Lakes, as well as river systems in the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys. In Texas the species is native to the Red River drainage.

Other Names for White Bass:

Sand Bass, Barfish, Streaker, Silver Bass