Bait, Bait And More Bait

[J-Doc]

Anyone else notice the extreme amount of bait this year? So much so that I think it's contributing to harder fishing. I've jigges spoons, spider rigged crappie baits tipped with live minnows, trolled, and I've even night fished for bass where a VERY healthy population of bait was gathered. My results have shown that fish seem harder to catch when there is a very strong amount of bait present.

Below are some screenshots from my HDS. Yes.....I grayed out the locations and on one, I even had to clip out only the bait itself as the location was a dead giveaway.

Screenshots like this is becoming common place and every trip. The thing is, when you find the bait, you find the fish. Most of the fish have been in the 20-30ft range and suspended feeding at random picking off bait here and there. No major schooling activity.

Case and point from my HDS7. Here I'm jigging a spoon. Fish near the bottom and the diagonal streaks are the fish swimming up, taking a bait and then going back down. ONLY the most active fish would bite the spoon. I could bounce it on their heads and not get a reaction. I've even snagged a few in the tail they've been so thick.

Here are the remaining images. Lots of bait this year. Odd thing is....I'm not seeing any fat fish as a result. Just healthy fish. No gluttons! lol

[fishinwrench]

That's the way it is up here every Fall.

I look for areas where there aren't big balls of shad everywhere, which usually means the extreme shallows or far up a off colored creek arm where the only shad you'll find will be smaller schools of big ones.

What you are mostly seeing out over deep water is probably giant schools of 1" long yearling shad.

[J-Doc]

Yep, some are in the 4-5" class too. But there are far more 2" to 2.5" than anything. It's almost every spot I go to check for fish. You will at least find a few small bait balls. Some places it seems there are hords of bait. That is usually where I find the fish too. Only way I can get a bite is extreme something. Conventional goes out the window. You have to think odd-ball to get a reaction strike. Makes it a alot of work too. But that's fishing.....

[Feathers and Fins]

Jason how many times do you have to be told there is no bait in beaver lake, cannot be the stripers eat it all... what you are marking in storm clouds you obviously had your transducer pointed up and it was marking the clouds we have had lately.

But like Glen said you have to get away from the clouds and rain, just drive until you stop seeing the rain flip on the surface. Ive been getting in to clear skies the last few trips and having fun with smallmouth on a puppy and buzzbait. Should be a good night bite on 3/4oz rattletraps developing soon and of course its the time of year whites start moving shallow to take a shower in the rain.

[Fish24/7]

ya'll might be missing out on a feast by running away from the bait

J, have you ever tried the ol' paddle and pool cue ?

[J-Doc]

Um. Nope. And that is?

[jolicious]

Um. Nope. And that is?

Spoons with a heavy action rod?

[J-Doc]

Ah big spoons. Nope.

[J-Doc]

Took this screenshot earlier today on Beaver Lake. This is a 250ft stretch of solid continuous bait. Stripers and hybrids were all over it. So were the largemouth I suspect. The larger bass follow stripers around (most don't pay attention to that)

Got BAIT?? :-)

From a few weeks ago

And the perpetual problem. Once they are target locked, it's difficult to get a bite unless you "match the hatch".

What you're seeing here is large bait balls with larger fish below. The vertical streaks are fish swimming up from the bottom like sharks attacking seals and attacking the bait ball and then going back down.

From a month ago....

[rps]

So what I see is someone who has found the baitfish with his electronics and still is trying to catch fish. I may have to send my new unit back.