Topwater But You Have To Hunt For It.

[Bill Babler]

I’m remaining fairly Lucky, but I’m kind of making my own. 

In about a 12 mile stretch on the White and mouth of the Kings they are starting to chase. 

I’m saying, Baxter to Cedar Creek. Fish are on the flats chasing. Here is the deal, not always the same locations. I’m putting in some serious seat time looking. Been starting at 0530.
Guys, it’s almost like a shad spawn where they’re on the bank at first light then move deeper. No deeper than 20’ but they are movers. 

Spook Jr. in chrome, 2.8” Keitech in Gizzard Shad 3/16 head, 6th. Sense Speed Shad, 1/2oz. Dixie Jet and 1/2oz. WHITE jigging spoon. 
That’s it. 

We fished 2 locations this morning.  We had 27 on the first spot with 1 keeper and then we were going to fish conservation piles and ran into a mega school of chasers,  at 8:30 am and had 26 more out of that bunch with 15 keeps up to 4 pounds. Caught all the fish in the last group on a white slab spoon  buddy had a chrome spoon on and I was totally killing him.  He switched to white and it was tit for tat.

Shad are dime size to 4” not counting the big gizzards that are everywhere.  Surface temp 88 degrees.  

I’m actively hunting them just by driving and looking. Not fishing till I see some type of either shad on the surface or a chase. 

If I stop, and I don’t see total chaos on either 2D or FFS, I don’t stay.  Started doing this last week when I got lucky and found the first bunch of them and have had  success that I probably don’t deserve since  

I think the key here, is just don’t go fishing.  Put the jig, the ned and the drop shot in the box and go hunting. 

I bet you won’t regret it. 



 

 

[swelbo1]

What brand head are you using? I have a hard time finding heavier heads that work well with the 2.8’s. 

[Bill Babler]

Nako or Keitech, Tungsten heads.  Size 1 hook. Hook size is important on this small bait a size 2 is way to big. 3/16- 1/4. 
Nako just flat do not rust and have a great bait keeper. Good hook, very fine wire. 
Expensive. 

[Quillback]

That's some great fishing Bill!  

[Bill Babler]

Buddy had 23 this morning most all on the Keitech but caught his best ones on a 6XD. 

He had 5 keeps. 
 

Same pattern just run till you find them. Said he probably could have caught more had he not fished the crank bait. 

Guys when your by yourself, be really careful of those multiple hooked baits. You can get in a pickle in a hurry. These fish are really active both in the water and in the boat. It takes absolutely nothing to get in trouble trying to release them. 
I’ve had at least 4 scares in the last 10 days. They start going crazy, just drop them. 
 

[snagged in outlet 3]

11 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

Buddy had 23 this morning most all on the Keitech but caught his best ones on a 6XD. 

He had 5 keeps. 
 

Same pattern just run till you find them. Said he probably could have caught more had he not fished the crank bait. 

Guys when your by yourself, be really careful of those multiple hooked baits. You can get in a pickle in a hurry. These fish are really active both in the water and in the boat. It takes absolutely nothing to get in trouble trying to release them. 
I’ve had at least 4 scares in the last 10 days. They start going crazy, just drop them. 
 

I net em.  Keep em in the water.  Use a leather glove with 9" needle nose to reach in the net.  

[Bill Babler]

Good idea for sure. I’ve had 2 friends that have been caught in both hands by the flip of a head. The small fish are the ones that get you. 

Having both thumbs stuck and a fish flopping in the middle is just somewhere you don’t want to go. 

Buddy up on LO had one flip out of his hand 2 weeks ago and 2 hooks went in his leg to the bend with the fish still thrashing. 

$1,100.00 at the emergency room. 


 

[Quillback]

Dutch gave me the idea for these grippers.  Plastic, they don't hurt the fish but lock firmly onto the fish.  Little ones are still a pain to get off however and as Bill mentioned those are the dudes that get you.

Cheap too at $7.50 so you can have a couple of them rattling around the boat.  

SPRO Fish Gripper 9" - Tackle Warehouse

[dblades]

I've been hooked in both thumbs by those rotating  Excalibur trebles, by myself, well except for the fish.

[Bill Babler]

Becky got me some body fish grippers. They don’t work. 

I can remember one of our OG’s getting hooked in both hands in a derby 20 plus years ago. Bobby Sullivan had a jerk bait fish get him good. 

I’ve also told the story of a wife hooking her husband in the face with a spook. 

That was REALLY a bad one. 

I got hooked under the thumb nail with a WP when they first came out. Beck and I were in a derby. He said” let me look at that. “. I said, “Ok but don’t do nothing.”  I should have known better, cause he just ripped it out and said, “don’t whine about it.”

Durn that hurt.