Shad are not just everywhere on lower end

[merc1997 Bo]

this a two trip combined to one report.  went friday and monday night to the lower end.  it is a hunting trip each time out, and the key is to keep looking around until you find an area with lots of shad present.  there really is not a pattern of just where you might find them.  last nigh we found them in entirely different areas than from friday night.  the one common factor is that everyone of the better bass are coming from 25 to 30 feet.

on friday evening, linda caught one, i would say pretty close to 5 lb.  at 5 pm on a 1 oz. SpinJig.  since we were fishing out in the middle of the ocean and the teeth of the wind no pic.  in fact, we did not get any pics friday because it was one of those nights that the biting bass were right out in the wind.  tried some protected areas, but with no luck.  on friday, we ended up with 7 keepers, and four of those were from 3 to 5 lb., all lmgs.  best two lures were still the 1 oz. SpinJig and the 3/4 GrassJig.

Last night started out somewhat the same, other than we had to go find the shad and they were in different areas than on friday.  we ended up with 8 keepers last night with two nice lmgs, and the rest was a mixture of brownies and k's.  25 to 30 ft. still produced all the better bass.  same two lures, but both of the better lmgs came on the 3/4 GrassJig.

it is worth the time to not just put the troller down and fish.  why throw a lure if there is not any there.  spend the time to look around and find an area that has a food source and fish present.  

 

bo

[176champion]

Thanks for the report Bo...nice night of fishing..

[Fish24/7]

1 hour ago, merc1997 said:

the key is to keep looking around until you find an area with lots of shad present

+1

100% YES

[Fish24/7]

bo, what's the best color Spin Jig for day or night?

do you switch colors when it get's dark?

ty

[merc1997 Bo]

20 minutes ago, Fish24/7 said:

bo, what's the best color Spin Jig for day or night?

do you switch colors when it get's dark?

ty

for night fishing, black or black and blue is hard to beat, but we have been catching quite a few with a western craw skirt even in the daytime.  there have been times during daylight hours that a smoke shad has worked.  getting the right size blade for the particular day is probably more important than color.  i put a selection of different blades sizes and types in my pocket and keep changing until i find one that seems to trigger strikes.

bo

[Fish24/7]

does the blade size/type have anything to do with water color,  depth, water temp, shad size or something else...?

 OR do you just let the bass decide for themselves every time :)?

[crazy4fishin]

Bo - are you going to put any spin jigs in at Cletus? I did like your selection of jigs when I was in there the other day - so much so I bought a few!!

C4F 

[merc1997 Bo]

25 minutes ago, Fish24/7 said:

does the blade size/type have anything to do with water color,  depth, water temp, shad size or something else...?

 OR do you just let the bass decide for themselves every time :)?

i feel that many times, the blade needs to be more the size of the shad, but with that said a #7 colorado blade has been the most consistent producer, and most ofthe shad are still on the small side.  kind of why i start out with a pocket full of different blades and just keep switching until something begins to produce.

bo

[merc1997 Bo]

25 minutes ago, crazy4fishin said:

Bo - are you going to put any spin jigs in at Cletus? I did like your selection of jigs when I was in there the other day - so much so I bought a few!!

C4F 

terry did put in a small selection of SpinJigs.  even if there is not the size and color you might want, the good part is you can switch out the head and blade on the same frame.  saves a bunch on not having to have two dozen spinner baits.  one frame, some blades, and a few different weights of heads, and you can make what is needed for the occasion.

bo

[merc1997 Bo]

as many of you might be wondering as to why the bass are feeding on shad, but a jig seems to be catching a lot of them, i have touched on this very subject before.  understanding the food chain can help solve many fish catching situations.  when bass are feeding on shad in an area, there are a good many dead shad than end up on the bottom.  this can be a prime food source for crawdads.  never pass up fishing an area, where the bass are feeding on shad, with a jig.

bo