Thread: Ross Barnett

In my travels yesterday and there was alot of moving around, I noticed that I couldn't find many shads balls in areas I was finding them in. Well, I was heading back to the launch around 3ish yesterday afternoon and wanted to actually fish without the winds blowing me all over the place so I stopped on the Lake side on the Pelahatchie Bridge to troll around abit. I eased through a couple deep holes (20-25 feet deep) I knew were there and not much going on. Next I worked my way over to where we were catching them this spring and early summer, about 25-50 feet off the shoreline. I found the motherload of shad balls there. Shad were jumping and were in some of the biggest balls I've ever seen. I was moving about 0.35 MPH and the ball would go all the way across my screen. Now this wasn't just a one time thing, I saw SEVERAl of them like that. Shad were everywhere so I just knew the crappie would be close. I worked the area hard and didn't catch a thing. I darn sure thought they'd follow the shad. Water was about 12 feet on average and about 63 degrees. SHOULDA been perfect, or least that's my thinking. Now the question, Why weren't the Crappie following the shad like every article I've ever read about them? Wold night time and darkness more the Crappie in that shallow following the shad?

Welcome to the world of finicky fish. I guarantee they were there. You just didn't present them with an offer that they were interested in, or your offering was too deep, or too shallow. The suckers will drive you crazy sometimes.

I am with feelay, if you found the mother load of shad there should have been at least a few crappie there if not the mother load of crappie too.

Had 2 poles that were straight minners and 4 with different colors of jigs and then minnow tipped. I had every depth I could get to covered. Highest one was about 4 feet deep, then you had the 2nd hook on that rod 1 1/2 feet lower. Then the lower one was right at 12 feet in 12 FOW. I had all the USUAL colors they like. Orange/Char, Red/Char. Lektic Chicken on 2 of them. No idea but I've never seen that many Shad before. I even though that they may just be right up under the boat and moving at the same speed so I stopped the boat and went to one side, same thing, Shad on the sonar and flickering on the surface. Maybe if I get there before day light and try them they'll be feeding on the Shad. Guess I can do that this coming Saturday, get there about 5 AM since it gets daylight at 6 and try them

their little bellies may have been full by the time you got there, they was prolly laid back in the recliner.

this was 3:30 or so and I wasn't to far from gettgin in that back leaning rest position myself. Nessa cooked some Friend Pok Chops, mashed taters and gravy plus some sauteed green beans

Why am I reminded of an AC/DC song right now?

How do you look for Shad Balls anyhow. Seems they'd be itty bitty.

You found the shad, the fish are somewhere close by or close behind. Keep at it, they're in the area or soon will be. However, there is such a thing as too many shad. Try peeling off adjacent to the schools or backing up from the direction they came at the closest ambush spot or the next one back up.

Wannabe...

To the left and to the right Bigger.

there's a couple DEEP holes in the area with one being the size of maybe a 1/2 football field, Figgered they'd be there. I had 2 hits but that was it. Not sure what they were since I didn't catch them

Are you sure? Maybe you just got distracted checking all them shad for balls and you missed the strikes. It could have easily happened if it was a light bite.

Wannabe...

I kill me sometimes.

Didn't see any fish much under them and all the Shad balls we're nice and round like nothing had been coming up from below and attacking the school. OK, Now that you said something about Shad balls, that really didn't sound good what I just typed. LOL SICK PUPPY you are