shad on top...

[Red]

so i was out fishing this afternoon and there were tons of shad flipping on the water....i mean alot of them too...there really wasnt any fish attacking them on top...i maybe saw 1 or 2 come up after a shad...i was using a weightless senko...i had two good hard strikes but no takers....my first thought was to try a original floater rapala...a lure which i dont have...yet....anyway so i kept throwing the senko....nothing....i saw a bassboat with a couple guys fishing the shoreline about 100 feet from me...they were catchin em....i couldt see real well but it look like they were throwin white spinnerbait....so i went to the car, grabed my other rod...white spinnerbait....about the third cast i cought a dink..about 8-10 inches....nothing else the rest of the time i was there....my question is...what would you have done?  water is murky, 15-20 mph N wind....brush, treees within casting distance.....thanks!

Cliff

[Shakes]

Wow. I wouldn't be throwin a weightless anything in 15-20 mph wind! Murky water, brush, trees? I'd throw a white/chartruese spinnerbait. Make it look like the stupidest fish in the lake. Run it into those trees and that brush. Maybe a rattle trap as close to the shad as you can get. Match the hatch.

[Red]

well other than the one dink on the spinnerbait...i have only had bites on the weightless senko....and it was over 30mph winds yesterday....i have tried cranks..C-rig diff plastics...t-rig diff plastics....i have only cought 3 bass in the last 2 weeks of fishing about everyday...total weight...about 2 lbs...lol....but i am having fun learning how to catch LMB....same deal when i first moved to MN...had never cought or fished for walleye....5 years later i could catch a walleye on just about any given day....so i am not getting frusterated cuz i know it just takes time...and i am learning tons from this site...thanks!

Cliff

[Guest avid]

the few times I have been fortunate enough to see that I basically want to get in on the action before it quits, so I'll throw whatever I have tied on.

One time I have a ratltrap and I burned it and caught bass.

the other time I had on a rico popper and the bass creamed it.

Don't ya just love moments like this?

[fourbizz]

spooks and poppers, spooks and poppers, and a pointer, staysee, or fluke

[David P]

BANJO MINNOW.

This is the ONLY time I through a banjo minnow, the smaller size, 3 or 4 inch I forgot what it is. Throw white or silver with white, the other colors work fine too. Firefly ones work well.

At a small reservoir near me, in Oct-ish , I had 3 weekends in a row that I was fortunate enough to witness the same thing. I caught at least 30-40 bass in 3-4 hours, along with my friend who was fishing the banjo minnow who caught 27 (he counted, I didn't, but I caught  more).

None the less, Banjo Minnow or any swimbait that looks like the shad.

[Dan:]

I would throw a fluke, jerk it hard a few times and then let it "die" (sink). I would choose a color close to the shad, the dying action should get them to narrow in on your bait, but if not, try a color that varies from the other fish, something to draw the bass' attention.

[T-rig]

Floating shallow running jerkbait !

[Guest avid]

spooks and poppers, spooks and poppers, and a pointer, staysee, or fluke

How about a spook or popper?  

[fourbizz]

I don't know man, I think I would rather chuck a spook or popper ;D