Increasing global warming caused bitter cold weather in most part of the world. It freezes the surface of the sea but fisheries biologist Jeff Slipke of Southeastern Pond Management said he believes most ponds came through the cold spell OK. He told that earlier this week in few ponds the shad survived fairly well. Slipke said ponds with deeper water generally hold shad better through cold winters than shallow ponds. Shad also winter very well in spring-fed ponds.
According to Slipke in extreme cold climate shad are more likely to get caught in shallow water where they’re exposed to acute lethal temps or even frozen into the ice. And if the temperature goes down gradually the shad get more time to acclimate and search for the warmest water in the pond where they can survive, at least for a while.
It is observed that a pond with sufficient plankton resources allows the shad to enter the winter period in good health with sufficient lipid reserves to survive the stressful cold temps. Shad kills have also been reported on Kentucky Lake and on the White River in Arkansas.
