Behavior of Bait Fish

[Bankc]

Does anyone ever pay attention to the behavior of baitfish and adjust their fishing according to that?  In the past few months, I've started to notice a correlation between baitfish being active and plentiful along the banks, and bass behavior targeting a slower, more finesse style presentation.  Whereas if the baitfish aren't as plentiful and seem more skittish to my presence along the banks, the bass seem to prefer a faster, power fishing type presentation.  Almost like the mood of the big bass is the opposite of the baitfish along the bank.  

 

And that would make some sense.  If the bass are actively chasing down baitfish, then the baitfish might be safer getting away from the banks and spreading out.  Congregating in large groups with no exit makes them very vulnerable.  However, if the bass aren't very active and willing to give chase, then foraging for bugs along the banks makes sense, as it's a safe way to get lots of food.  

 

It could just be a coincidence.  I haven't really focused on this and done any experiments.  But it's just some things I've noticed that I've started to put together recently.  

[TnRiver46]

It’s very hard to do here because most lakes are completely blanketed with shad. Everywhere 

[Choporoz]

I haven't noticed that.  But I value your observations.  Reading the environment AND relating those observations to expected/predicted bass behavior is huge and something I am working on

[mamdlwk]

People often talk about finding baitfish and "matching the hatch" as it were, but I haven't really found great breakdowns that go into detail beyond lure color and general location. 

 

For example, I often see baitfish playing over the tops of weeds and on the inside of weedlines. Should I be trying to cast into and through the schools of baitfish? Should I be matching their pattern exactly, or do bass mostly strike outliers? Why doe I catch more bass on the deeper side of the weed line?

 

2 hours ago, Bankc said:

In the past few months, I've started to notice a correlation between baitfish being active and plentiful along the banks, and bass behavior targeting a slower, more finesse style presentation.

 

In one particular lake in the Adirondacks, the saying is that plentiful baitfish means well-fed bass. Well-fed bass only eat really juicy targets. Ned rigs, both falling and ripped through the grass, were great for me there. 

 

[detroit1]

A thing I've noticed over the years is when small bluegills are close to the surface (around weeds) just hanging out - seemingly unafraid of getting eaten by a bass or pike, that fishing is gonna be tough. Where are the bass and pike? not sure, but they aint near those weeds...

[Bluebasser86]

One of my last kayak tournaments of the year, I noticed a sudden appearance of smaller (see also, perfect prey sized), bluegills that were holding very tight to the trees I was fishing that hadn't been there the day before. My bite had slowed down considerably from the day before on the ribbontail worm I was using, so I switched to a Hard Candy colored Rage Menace with the tails dipped in chartreuse JJ's, one of my favorite bluegill imitations. I had a little over an hour to go when I made that switch and culled twice in that last hour that added around 10" to my total and got me the win. Don't think I would have caught those fish if I hadn't paid attention to those little bluegills mulling around the trees. 

[Fishlegs]

6 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

It’s very hard to do here because most lakes are completely blanketed with shad. Everywhere 

This is very true. It can be insane at times.

[Spankey]

On the river my observation of baitfish has improved. Especially around matted grass and section of sparse grass. 
 

Storms over the last few season has hurt bass behavior as I know it. Populations as well. Story or topic for a later time.

 

I pretty much fish match the hatch or fish natural patterns and lure shapes. Over the last few weeks all that seem to have fallen off and firetiger patterns seem to be the one trick pony for me. Not a knock at firetiger but I don’t throw it that much these days. 

[Mobasser]

Charlie Brewer based his Slider approach on watching bait fish and how they move. If not threatened, they move slowly, a little at a time. I've watched small bluegills in the shallows doing this.                   If I don't see any bait fish, they've gone deep for some reason. Weather, temps, sun, or the presence of bass.