North East Bass Fishing -Do you use white lures (spinner baits, chatterbaits,etc) ?

[Spyk124]

So ive been told that in NY, CT, NJ and other NE fisheries, we dont have Shad. I know most anglers are imitating bait fish alot especially during the fall, and I see alot of whites and silvers in lures, but does that work in the NE? Are our bass mainly feeding off of bluegill, craw and baby bass?

[MN Fisher]

You're kinda like Minnesota...only places we have shad are lakes connected to the rivers. Otherwise it's perch, bluegill, crappie and minnows. I know MA has Whitefish and Shiners - and that's what the white spinners/chatters are tying to imitate. So despite not having shad, you do have bait fish that are close enough to shad to use those white/light colored lures.

 

<-(grew up in Central MA)

[Spyk124]

Just now, MN Fisher said:

You're kinda like Minnesota...only places we have shad are lakes connected to the rivers. Otherwise it's perch, bluegill, crappie and minnows. I know MA has Whitefish and Shiners - and that's what the white spinners/chatters are tying to imitate. So despite not having shad, you do have bait fish that are close enough to shad to use those white/light colored lures.

 

<-(grew up in Central MA)

Sorry if this isnt the correct way to respond to you ive never used this forum before. Okay thats really good to know! there are SOME fish in these waters that are white/shinny so if i throw white lures in really clear water they arent seeing something they wouldnt normally eat. Im mainly fishing NY and didnt want to limit my self. thanks for the response!

[MN Fisher]

The man you want to talk with is Mr @J Francho - he's our resident NY expert.

 

John...wanna give the newbie some more hints?

[MassYak85]

Correct that we don't have traditional "shad" like gizzards and threadfin. But we do have lots of shiners, landlocked alewives, normal alewives if you're in a fishery that dumps to the ocean, and the river systems also support american shad runs in the spring. 

 

Typically I do not go for straight white, but silvers and golds to mimic shiners, and if I want to mimic alewife a little purple or blue secondary color. 

[J Francho]

Shad are basically herring, and besides hickory shad, we have several types of herring and alewives. There is also American Shad that get huge - too huge for typical bass to eat. I'd say, outside of a pond environment, non spiney fish make up a very large part of bass diet. Another fish that is important in northern bass diet is ciscoe. All that said, at the end of the day, pretty much the only color spinnerbait I fish is white or primarily white. I wouldn't rule out mimicking blue gill, baby bass, and definitely craw colors, but drawing on that limited selection is very close minded. In fact, all of my crank baits, save for a few, are American Shad color or some variation of that. 

[PourMyOwn]

I'm not from France, but I know that a croissant is food. Shad colored lures catch fish for me here in NH.

[Spyk124]

8 hours ago, J Francho said:

Shad are basically herring, and besides hickory shad, we have several types of herring and alewives. There is also American Shad that get huge - too huge for typical bass to eat. I'd say, outside of a pond environment, non spiney fish make up a very large part of bass diet. Another fish that is important in northern bass diet is ciscoe. All that said, at the end of the day, pretty much the only color spinnerbait I fish is white or primarily white. I wouldn't rule out mimicking blue gill, baby bass, and definitely craw colors, but drawing on that limited selection is very close minded. In fact, all of my crank baits, save for a few, are American Shad color or some variation of that. 

This is very very helpful. I have been only doing bluegill or alabama craw colors because i thought thats what was around! I will be sure to pick up some white chatter and spinner baits in the next week! Thanks alot for the reply and thank you @MN Fisher for the summons! haha

[Spyk124]

9 hours ago, MassYak85 said:

Correct that we don't have traditional "shad" like gizzards and threadfin. But we do have lots of shiners, landlocked alewives, normal alewives if you're in a fishery that dumps to the ocean, and the river systems also support american shad runs in the spring. 

 

Typically I do not go for straight white, but silvers and golds to mimic shiners, and if I want to mimic alewife a little purple or blue secondary color. 

Really good to know - im mainly fishing reservoirs but plan to do some river fishing in the coming months. Ill be sure to diversify my colors as all i have now is green and purples. Thanks for the reply!

[casts_by_fly]

On 10/14/2024 at 7:29 AM, Spyk124 said:

So ive been told that in NY, CT, NJ and other NE fisheries, we dont have Shad. I know most anglers are imitating bait fish alot especially during the fall, and I see alot of whites and silvers in lures, but does that work in the NE? Are our bass mainly feeding off of bluegill, craw and baby bass?

 

 Not sure where exactly you are, but plenty of places in NJ have shad. 
 

a chartreuse and white spinnerbait catches plenty of fish around here, even in the clear water.  I don’t fish them much because it seems everyone and their brother is throwing a white spinnerbait most days. 

[Susky River Rat]

I use white and silver spinner and similar rage tails here in PA. We crushed them the other week on white flukes. Don’t over think it. Throw white if they eat it throw it. If they aren’t that day change color. I consider white, silver and black universal for fishing. 

[Mr. Aquarium]

On 10/14/2024 at 11:06 AM, MN Fisher said:

You're kinda like Minnesota...only places we have shad are lakes connected to the rivers. Otherwise it's perch, bluegill, crappie and minnows. I know MA has Whitefish and Shiners - and that's what the white spinners/chatters are tying to imitate. So despite not having shad, you do have bait fish that are close enough to shad to use those white/light colored lures.

 

<-(grew up in Central MA)

Where do you catch  white fish in MA?  I’ve been around the state fishing. Born and raised here

[MN Fisher]

2 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

Where do you catch  white fish in MA?  I’ve been around the state fishing. Born and raised here

We had them in Indian Lake (NW part of Worcester)....course that was back in the 60s and early 70s...moved out of MA in 1972.

[DogBone_384]

Welcome to the forum.

I fish SE Mass and Cape Cod. White and Yellow perch are the most common bass snacks I see, followed by bluegill. There are a few waters that have herring.

 

To answer your question, I rarely use white lures/spinner baits.

[padlin]

There’s a big spring shad run up the Connecticut. The shad derby is in May around the Springfield area.

 

Many of the MA fishing maps show Golden shiners as bait fish.

[Mr. Aquarium]

21 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

We had them in Indian Lake (NW part of Worcester)....course that was back in the 60s and early 70s...moved out of MA in 1972.

Do you mean white perch or actual whitefish. white fish are a deep cold water fish found in big lakes. White perch are very common around here, part of the striper family. They can live in salt and freshwater and live in Indian pond. There’s big white perch there 

[MN Fisher]

Deep areas of Indian Lake had whitefish....shallows near shore were white perch. I know the difference

 

<- Aquatic Biology major in college.

[casts_by_fly]

21 hours ago, padlin said:

There’s a big spring shad run up the Connecticut. The shad derby is in May around the Springfield area.

 

Many of the MA fishing maps show Golden shiners as bait fish.

different shad. The Delaware river gets a run also. Those are all American shad and they grow to a size where Muskies would think twice to take one.  

[Reel]

The lakes and the rivers in that region ( mine also) have a lot of chubs (fallfish, dace) that hang out in shallow water.  Not a lot of peole know how abondant they are because you don't see them.  Most have a black/brown-olive back, silvery sides and white belly.  Just what you imitate with a white spinnerbait.

 

I do a lot of my OWN research.  I catch the chubs on a ned rig or a spy bait.  They get big... up to a pound.

[DogBone_384]

On 1/15/2025 at 8:38 PM, padlin said:

Many of the MA fishing maps show Golden shiners as bait fish.

Yeah, but you know how accurate our great Commonwealth can be...  

[padlin]

17 minutes ago, DogBone_384 said:

Yeah, but you know how accurate our great Commonwealth can be...  

Good point. I’ve wondered why they haven’t serveyed the ponds I fish since the early 80’s, so much for management.

[DogBone_384]

10 minutes ago, padlin said:

why they haven’t surveyed the ponds

I'm sure surveying our waters isn't a huge priority with state money and resources being spread so thin.

 

Just like Las Vegas    ...... what happens in the water .... 

 

The less public information about the waters I fish the better.  Right @Mr. Aquarium!

[bowhunter63]

Our Rivers are full of shad , My tackle bag is full of white spinnerbaits. Some with a hint of chartreuse.

[webertime]

Lake Champlain (VT in general)

Alewife

White Perch 

Fallsfish

(Various trout and whitefish in Spring)

 

Random places have shiners and chubs too.

 

 

White works great.

[Kirtley Howe]

I use White, Chartreuse, or Black/Blue for my spinnerbaits.