Wolf pack bassin, where's the pigs?

keithdog · 06-02-12, 10:24 AM

Ok, a few years ago, shad were introduced into one of my local favorite fishin holes. THAT completely changed the game for summer bass fishing. Where as before, I would concentrate on pitchin, and casting to various forms of cover for bass in this small natural lake, which was primarily a bluegill food based lake, now durring the summer, the bass are roaming in packs attacking balls of shad. Durring this time, very little action takes place in the pads and shallow cover like before. Now, the bass are more open water minded chasing after the shad. Most of the bass caught from these shad chasing packs average around 2-3 pounds with a few here and there around 4 pounds. My question is what becomes of the really large bass at this time when the smaller bass are chasing shad. I read a couple times that often the bigger bass are following the shad, but staying below the smaller bass above, scarffing up wounded shad that float down to them. I don't buy this notion myself. The idea of a large bass running all over the lake chasing these bass packs to play the part of scavenger doesn't feel right to me. I've worked the deeper water below the schools of shad busting bass with rattle traps, deep diving cranks, jigs, and weighted jerkbaits, and never once hooked into any large bass doing so. Now I will say this, I've caught quite a few big bass at this time of year very early in the morning before the bass start busting shad at the surface. But once the sun rises and the shad bite is on, the big bass seem to vanish. Like I said, this is a small 85 acre natural lake. There is no creek beds, or anything like one would find in a reservoir. Mainly flats and deeper areas with lots and lots of vegitation. Come fall when the shad bite starts to wind down, I start taking bigger bass more consistantly again. So I wonder, where are they and what are they doing durring the shad run?

kennethdaysale · 06-02-12, 12:16 PM

I'm guessing they're still targeting the gills. Unless maybe there's a neck down spot or some other consistant ambush point where they can hang deep and wait on the carnage above to filter down. I'm guessing these must be threadfin? Have you noticed the bass gaining weight relative to their length since the shad came to town? I'm surprised the shad can overwinter up there, unless they keep putting them in every year? That's a dream come true situation you've got there. I tend to agree that the really big bass aren't going to start running all over the lake like a bunch of frisky ignorant dinks, but like you said Shad can be a real game changer.

**afterthought** Is there a spring head bubbling up from somewhere in the deep that you know of? If so.....fall to your knees and give thanks. Shad will be drawn to that cool inflow like stink on stink and so will...........................................

keithdog · 06-02-12, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennethdaysale

I'm guessing they're still targeting the gills. Unless maybe there's a neck down spot or some other consistant ambush point where they can hang deep and wait on the carnage above to filter down. I'm guessing these must be threadfin? Have you noticed the bass gaining weight relative to their length since the shad came to town? I'm surprised the shad can overwinter up there, unless they keep putting them in every year? That's a dream come true situation you've got there. I tend to agree that the really big bass aren't going to start running all over the lake like a bunch of frisky ignorant dinks, but like you said Shad can be a real game changer.

**afterthought** Is there a spring head bubbling up from somewhere in the deep that you know of? If so.....fall to your knees and give thanks. Shad will be drawn to that cool inflow like stink on stink and so will...........................................

I really don't know what kind of shad it is. Here is a photo I took of one a couple years ago. And I don't know if they are reproducing annually or not. I assume they are as I have heard nothing about the DNR stocking them annually. They may have a few years back. Someone put them in there, but who I don't know. Glad they did though. The bass have really beefed up since then. Nice fat, thick, strong bass for their length. The other lake I fish 1/4 mile away from this lake has no shad and the bass are much thinner. As for the idea of a spring, I wouldn't be suprised, because it is said that there are underwater springs feeding our area lakes. As to the exact location of the spring though, I couldn't say as I havn't seen any signs of one.

kennethdaysale · 06-02-12, 08:39 PM

Threadfin. As far as signs of a spring, that's a tough one. Unless the water is GIN clear and you can see the hole or you consistantly see fish stacked up in a small area on your sonar consistantly (for no other reason). You can spend hours slowly drifting around with one of those submersible temp gauges and maybe stumble across them. In one of my local ponds (40+ acres) that has two massive constantly flowing springs I seem to notice a much denser fog right over them on a still daybreak with no wind. That might just be in my head though since I know where they are.
Anyway like I said before shad are a Godsend. Unless this pond gets a lot of pressure from meat fisherman the best is yet to come.

lilmule · 06-02-12, 08:44 PM

Yes threadfin ,and figure the really big ones are way back in the pads and have wallowed out a hole.
often new species are introduced via the minnow bucket,and are thus stocked rather unknowingly.

06-02-12, 10:24 AM	#1
keithdog BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: IN Posts: 8,308	Wolf pack bassin, where's the pigs? Ok, a few years ago, shad were introduced into one of my local favorite fishin holes. THAT completely changed the game for summer bass fishing. Where as before, I would concentrate on pitchin, and casting to various forms of cover for bass in this small natural lake, which was primarily a bluegill food based lake, now durring the summer, the bass are roaming in packs attacking balls of shad. Durring this time, very little action takes place in the pads and shallow cover like before. Now, the bass are more open water minded chasing after the shad. Most of the bass caught from these shad chasing packs average around 2-3 pounds with a few here and there around 4 pounds. My question is what becomes of the really large bass at this time when the smaller bass are chasing shad. I read a couple times that often the bigger bass are following the shad, but staying below the smaller bass above, scarffing up wounded shad that float down to them. I don't buy this notion myself. The idea of a large bass running all over the lake chasing these bass packs to play the part of scavenger doesn't feel right to me. I've worked the deeper water below the schools of shad busting bass with rattle traps, deep diving cranks, jigs, and weighted jerkbaits, and never once hooked into any large bass doing so. Now I will say this, I've caught quite a few big bass at this time of year very early in the morning before the bass start busting shad at the surface. But once the sun rises and the shad bite is on, the big bass seem to vanish. Like I said, this is a small 85 acre natural lake. There is no creek beds, or anything like one would find in a reservoir. Mainly flats and deeper areas with lots and lots of vegitation. Come fall when the shad bite starts to wind down, I start taking bigger bass more consistantly again. So I wonder, where are they and what are they doing durring the shad run? __________________ Just one more cast, and then some!

06-02-12, 12:16 PM	#2
kennethdaysale BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: rock hill, sc Posts: 2,315	I'm guessing they're still targeting the gills. Unless maybe there's a neck down spot or some other consistant ambush point where they can hang deep and wait on the carnage above to filter down. I'm guessing these must be threadfin? Have you noticed the bass gaining weight relative to their length since the shad came to town? I'm surprised the shad can overwinter up there, unless they keep putting them in every year? That's a dream come true situation you've got there. I tend to agree that the really big bass aren't going to start running all over the lake like a bunch of frisky ignorant dinks, but like you said Shad can be a real game changer. afterthought Is there a spring head bubbling up from somewhere in the deep that you know of? If so.....fall to your knees and give thanks. Shad will be drawn to that cool inflow like stink on stink and so will........................................... __________________ Sometimes you gotta risk it to get the biscuit.

06-02-12, 08:39 PM	#4
kennethdaysale BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: rock hill, sc Posts: 2,315	Threadfin. As far as signs of a spring, that's a tough one. Unless the water is GIN clear and you can see the hole or you consistantly see fish stacked up in a small area on your sonar consistantly (for no other reason). You can spend hours slowly drifting around with one of those submersible temp gauges and maybe stumble across them. In one of my local ponds (40+ acres) that has two massive constantly flowing springs I seem to notice a much denser fog right over them on a still daybreak with no wind. That might just be in my head though since I know where they are. Anyway like I said before shad are a Godsend. Unless this pond gets a lot of pressure from meat fisherman the best is yet to come. __________________ Sometimes you gotta risk it to get the biscuit.

06-02-12, 08:44 PM	#5
lilmule BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Buchanan,Tn Posts: 2,685	Yes threadfin ,and figure the really big ones are way back in the pads and have wallowed out a hole. often new species are introduced via the minnow bucket,and are thus stocked rather unknowingly.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)