Wipers Busting Shad On The Surface Question?

[zeepo]

Hello all,

I have been reading your posts for years and have learned a lot of great techniques. I live in the KC area and have a local lake called lake Clinton in Lawrence KS that I fish and have been catching wipers on a pretty regular basis. My question is I have very little luck when the they are busting shad on the surface. I have tried topwater, rattle traps, jigs, shallow running crankbaits, fast retrieve, slow, stop and go and let it free fall. Its frustrating to see them all around the boat boiling the water and you are throwing everything you have in the boat with little success. I think I would have better success by tying hooks all over me and jumping in the water. So my question is what techniques do you guys use to catch fish when they surfacing? Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Gary Williams

[J-Doc]

Dynamite. :-)

In all seriousness, you are not alone. Try rooster tails or small blade baits that resemble the forage. Once they are locked in a a specific target, that's it. Won't bite anything else.

[Justin Spencer]

I have only encountered it a few times, but each time I throw a white deceiver (fly fishing) into the fray and get bit immediately. A pearl swimming minnow thrown in also resulted in an immediate hookup. This is in the spring during the spawning run so it could be different, but I just let it sink slowly and get bit.

[J-Doc]

There's a good tip. I'm not a fly guy but that sounds like a good strategy and a solid plan.

[Chillfish]

My most effective method is a large popping cork (or smaller weighted bobber) with a shinee hinee about 5 feet below it. You can cast it a mile, and the cork makes a lot of commotion, and always gets me bites when nothing else works. Just cast and make a slow steady retrieve, or pop occasionally. Sometimes I will even just let it drift behind the boat if there are random fish busting the surface and not necessarily in a school.

[J-Doc]

Now we're talkin. That's something I have to try again.

[Chillfish]

It always amazes me just how large of fish will key in on tiny forage. I have caught my personal best LM and SM with this method in fairly open water, as well as far too many whites, hybrids, and kentucks to count.

[Evolution]

Match the hatch. Find out what they are busting on and go on from there. I've had day like this, I start big and downgrade if needed. Might want to go silent sometimes too. I've had days where they won't hit anything that rattles but will hit zara puppies like no tomorrow.

[zeepo]

It always amazes me just how large of fish will key in on tiny forage. I have caught my personal best LM and SM with this method in fairly open water, as well as far too many whites, hybrids, and kentucks to count.

On the shinne hinee's do they use standard hooks with those? I have had the wipers break treble hooks snap rings etc. so I wondered how a small crappie hook would hold up?

Gary

[Justin Spencer]

On the shinne hinee's do they use standard hooks with those? I have had the wipers break treble hooks snap rings etc. so I wondered how a small crappie hook would hold up?

Gary

Can't speak to the shinne hinee hooks, but loosen that drag up and let them run, nothing to break you off in the open water so just let them run and wear themselves out.