Match the Hatch

[captaininsaneo]

Had a bass spit up a good sized threadfin shad tonight, so I know thats what they are feeding on.  What is the best bait to "match" a threadfin of only a few inches.  Im thinking a swimming jig?

[.dsaavedra.]

RAPALA JOINTED SHAD RAP IN THE SILVER SHAD COLOR!!!!!!!! i have one of these baits and it is amazing let me tell you. it looks so much like a shad and the swimming action is already great but with that joint in it makes it look like a real swiming baitfish. a good investment to get one of those.

[Valascus]

Well...if there are a couple methods that you could use when the bass are busting the shad. If they are hitting schools of shad in open water, I like to try to figure out what depth the school of shad are holding at. Largemouths are inherently lazy fish...especially larger fish. Most bass will hang out under the school of shad and hit dead  dying, or injured shad that are sinking below the school. The key to trying to fish a shad style bait when the bass are hitting the shad is to make your bait stand out among the 100's of shad. I like to use Rapala DT series shad colored cranks that run just below the depth the school is at. I will fish the crank erratically using jerky start and stop motions and allow the crank to briefly float up for a bit before giving is a short burst of erratic movement and speed.

Another good method is fishing a white or shad colored fluke style bait that is allowed to sink slowly through the school of shad and eventually sinks below the school into the strike zone of a hungry, opportunistic bass. Again erractic, injured movement will be key to make the bait stand out amongst the shad.

Another thought process I have seen used is casting a contrasting colored bait, such as a bait that looks like a shiner instead of shad, into the school of shad. The difference in size and color will make the bait automatically stand out in turn casuing fish to strike.

[eastkybass]

I like to use a soft jerk bait and work it erratic on the underside of the baitfish school.  you can also run a spinnerbait through the school and pic up a few that are a little more aggresive.

[senko_77]

Had a bass spit up a good sized threadfin shad tonight, so I know thats what they are feeding on. What is the best bait to "match" a threadfin of only a few inches. Im thinking a swimming jig?

If you truly want to "match the hatch" as close as you can, then a soft plastic swimbait like the California Swimbabes Baby E or an Osprey Inline Full Body 4" would be tough to beat, especially in gin-clear water.  But jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and shad colored cranks like the ones mentioned by the other replies will work too.

[Taliesin]

I saw open water mentioned, but some thoughts on shad schools near shore seems appropriate too:

Bass will often attempt to "trap" some of the shad against the shore. This behavior means good topwater action.

My normal bait for this situation is a Super Spook Excalibur (salt-water version) in brighter colors, but a Tiny Torpedoe may work for imitating those smaller shad. Walk these baits very quickly and you may be ready for some action. Also hang on tight if you have stripers or hybrids in your waters as they will EXPLODE on these baits.