Schooling Bait fish

On Tue, 12 Sep 2006 19:55:06 -0500, "Joshuall"
wrote:


Last week my brother in law and I fished the Mississippi River Pool 18. We
caught a few decent fish in the limited time we had, but here's my question.
We found bait fish on all the major main river points and over much of the
shore lines. On the last point there were literally schools of bait fish for
about a fifty yard diameter. We could see larger fish feeding on them, but
couldn't get a bite no matter what we threw. I suppose the bigger fish were
just gorging themselves at that location and nothing would have been
successful, but I wondering what we could have done at other venues on the
river were there were also plenty of shad and we had a hard time getting a
bite. Any tips or suggestions appreciated as ususal. We smacked em again on
the Cal last Friday, but didn't see much baitfish activity at all.

I'd have to look at a map to see if I've been on that pool...but
I've had some amazing days on the Mississippi (different pools)
fishing a rattltrap. When they are gorging on shad bigtime and
feeding heavily, they'll eat up a 3/4 oz. A 1/2 oz. works excellent
when they are feeding heavy later in the year. And when you think
it's all over with, they'll eat up a 1/4 oz. later in the year there.
Best tip I can give you is to learn to "slow roll" the Rap (just
enough to feel the vibration) to catch em' bigtime...

If you are fishing the pads, a buzzbait is also hard to beat and
catches bigger than average fish there. Fish it slow though...

I've also caught a lot on a shallow diving crankbait (white/baby
bass) or small shad raps (#5) there when they school up. (white
during normal times and perch during cold fronts).

A small worm fished off the bottom "jigging like your would for
crappie" that has a "flash" to it like a minnow also is hard to beat.
A craw worm is good...but doesn't have enough flash...IMO...for these
situations. You need a small worm that is designed to be worked
toward the top of the water column...

And...most importantly, rather than focusing exactly where the
shad is located...backoff some and look around you to see where the
"isolated" ambush points might be (ie. laydown, pads, stumps, huge
rock, boat dock) where current or the predominant wind is going
through! Ideally, it shouldn't be an obvious spot, but something
that is hidden. (ie. rockpile along long stretch of regular riprap).

--
Dwayne E. Cooper, Atty at Law
Indianapolis, IN
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