What would you do?

[Just_Bass]

Thanks, I think that why I caught more on the bank since I can’t cast far enough so it always end up by the outskirts. I try 1.5’ up to 5’ below bobber and most of the bite come from 2’ by the shoreline far out from my boat. I try swim CB sliders fast and slow even felt the shad but no bite. Man when they are everywhere deep and shallow they are hard to catch.

[skeetbum]

I found and tried to fish some large schools of shad and had weak results. I moved to the next tree down the creekbed and commenced to loading up. Fishing in them was tough, fishing near them was great. When I trolled cranks as G spoke of, I could almost countdown to the strike when my baits went through a school of shad, there was always some fish mixed in or under or around them and they liked my cranks. I think it was because while they were close in size they acted different. Whatever the reason, it’s working. Keep after it, you’re doing something right.

[Special K]

I would add that I have had good results around schools of baitfish to erratically "yo-yo" a small chrome or silver lipless crankbait (rattletrap) and try to put on your best rendition of a wounded or dying baitfish.
What a lot of people don't realize is: Predatory fish are renowned opportunists... especially in colder water. They (the pursuer fish) would much rather take advantage of the hurt and dying forage fish than to chase healthy ones.
That's my two cents.

[Hanr3]

Crappie will be nearby. They will push the shad into a zone and feed on the edges where the weak and dyeing are located. The zone could be a flat in shallow water surrounds by deeper water, or a cove with deep water nearby. Fish the deeper water.

[Crestliner08]

I agree with "G".....use a brightly colored crankbait. You have to draw their attention away from the standard fare.

[dhaire]

You might try a small spoon, particularly when the shad ball is close to the bottom. Drop the spoon to the bottom and pop it up just a small bit and the crappie will hit it. I assume they figure it is an easy mark being a dying or struggling shad.


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[Just_Bass]

Thanks all, next time I know. I didn’t even think of all crankbait or lipless even I have some but didn’t prepare for this trip. I don’t really use crank/lipless at night, it is just too much to handle even I switch most of them to single hook.

[SKs Crappie Catching Adventures]

I would think you may have gotten to close and possible spooked the fish...... Also like Ketchum said lots of bait equals lots of competition for your bait......
It may be one of those spots that's best fished from the bank.....

[Noodle rod]

got into that situation several times last year, sometimes we had good luck by fishing the edges of the bait especially the deep water edge and the bottom at the deep water edge, but you have to watch out, this can happen.

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[Speckalator]

I like it when that happens. LOL Nice bass.

FWIW In the situation you describe I would have tried to fish below the shad if possible. Sometimes it's difficult when they're scattered. A slow presentation. A shad body on vertical drop that is wacky style might work, might not but worth a shot. Let it fall slowly all the way through the school and maybe an old crappie looking for an easy meal might bite.

I don't always think of everything when I am stumped while fishing, but once I'm home I can think of something I shoulda tried LOL