Found The Shad Where Are The Bass?

[duckhunter185]

So found tons of shad but not catching any fish. Ive used t-rigged worms, jigs, shallow crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. The water is about 80 degrees. Any ideas?

Thanks

[MIbassin]

Maybe try spoons

[basshavoc]

try a fluke or a white swim jig

[bonzai22]

Try pitching a white football jig at the cover close to the shad.

[Koofy Smacker]

Rule #1 I follow is once you find the shad - DONT fish the shad. Fish around them, within 50-75 yards. Fishing the shad themselves can get them all spooky and they can disappear and then your really out of luck. Fish the cover around them. Weeds, trees, rocks etc. Bass are ambush predators and will sit and wait for shad to pass to strike. Get to them before the shad do and youll get a lot more bites.

[duckhunter185]

Not much cover where Im fishing. Some rocks and bridges

[derekxec]

fish a bit away from the school and make the bait look injured

[WRB]

Getting a lot of mixed messages!

How did you find the shad, visually or sonar? And what time of the day, early morning or mid day?

When shad are hiding in cover during low light periods you watch for feeding activity. Bass can be very selective when feeding on shad, sometimes only live shad will work. When the shad are schooled in a ball during mid day, it's because they are being pursued by predators like bass. When you see this it's usually best to use structure spoons when the shad school approaches areas where the structure creates a compression zone; deeper water getting shallower; hump or point.

Search the site for spoon fishing presentations.

Tom

[BuckMaxx]

I struggle a lot with the same scenario. I have begn to fish structure as near but not in the school. The bass actively feeding will not look twice at what might be a shade over the real deal swimming ifront of there face. There is a good article in the new BASS magazine about this very thing.

[JayKumar]

Try under the school and around the first cover or structure near the school.

[Chris]

One school of thought is to find ambush points where bass can pin up the bait. Bass tend to gang up in areas where they can ambush prey like the bridge itself the rocks you spoke of, points, humps, etc. These bass don't actively chase around the shad and set themselves up in the high percentage area and wait for the opportunity to feed. The second is fish the bait if you find active bass chasing the shad on your graph or when they push the shad to the surface. Bass do use the surface itself as a barrier to ambush shad. Most of the time unless there is something else structure or cover wise these bass will be schoolers who do follow the school and feed from time to time. Because they are moving with the school  it is a timing deal...be at the right place at the right time when the bass are active enough to push the shad and feed....otherwise you don't cash in.

[duckhunter185]

Getting a lot of mixed messages!

How did you find the shad, visually or sonar? And what time of the day, early morning or mid day?

When shad are hiding in cover during low light periods you watch for feeding activity. Bass can be very selective when feeding on shad, sometimes only live shad will work. When the shad are schooled in a ball during mid day, it's because they are being pursued by predators like bass. When you see this it's usually best to use structure spoons when the shad school approaches areas where the structure creates a compression zone; deeper water getting shallower; hump or point.

Search the site for spoon fishing presentations.

Tom

[duckhunter185]

Getting a lot of mixed messages!

How did you find the shad, visually or sonar? And what time of the day, early morning or mid day?

When shad are hiding in cover during low light periods you watch for feeding activity. Bass can be very selective when feeding on shad, sometimes only live shad will work. When the shad are schooled in a ball during mid day, it's because they are being pursued by predators like bass. When you see this it's usually best to use structure spoons when the shad school approaches areas where the structure creates a compression zone; deeper water getting shallower; hump or point.

Search the site for spoon fishing presentations.

Tom

I have found them both visually and on my sonar. ive been fhshing early to late mornings. The shad have been grouped up on top a lot. I will get some spoons. Whats the best foe muddy water?

[duckhunter185]

caught plenty of striped bass just no largemouth

[Nice_Bass]

caught plenty of striped bass just no largemouth

What lake?

[duckhunter185]

Decatur

[duckhunter185]

Im going to Clinton Thursday and Friday.  Gonna fish the north fork and maybe the west access side if its not too busy.

[WRB]

I like 3/4 oz pearl white or pearl/ chartreuse structure spoons with size 2 white/charteuse feathered Owner treble hook. Check TW for Duh spoons or similar profile.

I like to make loop cast to lob the spoon so it makes a softer landing the far side of the shad school and let the spoon pendulum down through the shad school on controlled slack line, set the hook if the line stops. Yo yo the spoon back at the depth slightly below the school depth.

Tom

[Nice_Bass]

Im going to Clinton Thursday and Friday.  Gonna fish the north fork and maybe the west access side if its not too busy.

Wont be too busy- Thursday and Friday nights are usually when I head there and I almost have the lake to myself- especially now that schools have started.

[duckhunter185]

Thanks guys. I got some spoons today and some rebel pop-rs. Gonna try some new tactics. Thanks for all the advice!

[merc1997]

 

So found tons of shad but not catching any fish. Ive used t-rigged worms, jigs, shallow crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. The water is about 80 degrees. Any ideas?

Thanks

one of the best bassers ever born by the name of glen andrews had a very good saying about your delema. he stated, "you will find bait without bass, but you will never find bass without bait." with that said, it is possible that you have located a bunch of shad that for whatever reason there just is not any bass around yet.

bo