Went Out Yesterday The 15Th

[Bass Ivy]

We put in at 12 Bridge yesterday. The water temp was 42 degrees. Went around and went under the bridge I noticed a striper boat just south of the bridge along the bluff. I idled up through there and there was just a huge amount of shad showing on the FF. The water there is over 100 feet deep and at times my FF was showing 20 feet because the shad were so thick. There were gulls and ducks all over there picking shad off the surface. Anyhow we went on and fished for blacks, and spots. We never caught a fish, Ive been fishing about once a week out there and it was the slowest day I had seen on Blacks and spots. We tried Jigs, Rogues, and grubs. On the way down I stopped and got some brood minnows, so we could maybe try to catch some stripers if we came across any. So we went back to where we found the shad. I just made 4 planer boards and I was wanting to try them out anyway. So we rigged up for stripers and Right after I put the second planer board out It got hit. So im thinking Ive just caught my first striper well after a pretty decent fight got it up, and not a striper, but a 12# Blue Cat. So we kept on fishing around there. I tied on a 3/4 oz silver buddy blade. I was ripping it through the schools of shad I was seeing on the FF. Sometimes I would snag 2 shad at a time on that lure, because the shad were so thick in there. I put one of shad on my sons pole. Just a medium action spinning reel with 8# line. As soon as it got down about 25 feet It got hit. I didnt think at first there was no way we were going to land that fish on that little pole it took a little while. So im thinking striper again, and again It was a Blue Cat. This one about 2 pounds bigger than the first. I was wanting a striper, but I guess them Blues were kinda fun anyway.

[jeb]

I've been traveling for a little over a week, but before I left the shad were stacked up around the bridge. So no surprise to hear they are still there. Huge schools of them the last time I was there about a week and half ago, too. But we were catching black bass around them. No cats or stripers that trip.

Glad to hear you caught at least some fish!

[Quillback]

That's cool, as far as eating, in my opinion those blue are better that stripers.

[Bass Ivy]

Yep they sure are tasty!! Have you guys ever tried mustard with hotsauce to dip your deep fried fish in? I had not even heard of that until last night and I tried it, and it was good.

That school of shad we found was massive it was easil as long as a football fields and wider than a football field. Im stoked now Im ready to get back out there.

[Mr. Ed]

Any one ever try catching shad with little hair hook rigs? We use them when salt water fishing... often people will refer them to a Sabaki rig. Basically its a multi hook rig that uses tiny hooks with a little bead or feathers.. you can also bait them with a tiny piece of shrimp. They work great for catching bait and was curious if the may catch shad when they are balled up. Don't mean to de-rail the OP but thought it a fitting question considering the shad talk.

[jeb]

The shad are even more piled up at the bridge than the last time I was there. I could hardly retrieve my lure w/o hooking at least one of them. I caught one nice spot there today, but as thick as the shad are, I'm surprised it could even find my lure!

[innova]

I went out on the 20th and the water temp at the South side of the Hwy12 bridge was 39 on the East Side and 40/41 on the West side next to the Rock Bluffs. Walls of shad on the locator from 20 fow to 80 fow. The striper guides were there in force, but no one caught any fish while I was there. It looks like a shad die off is starting to happen on the East side.