5:30 a.m. a medium-size mayfly hatch was in progress on a particular bay in Lake Owen (WI) this morning. The water was boiling with bronzebacks breaking the surface. I could not scratch a hit to save my life. Tried half-a-dozen various lures, surface and shallow. Eventually I had to leave in search of bass feeding on crayfish; which I found. Every summer I seem to have this experience. Has anyone found something that works other than using a flyrod?

I read that a unweighted small tube nose hooked works. I cant confirm, but I got one ready for the next time theres a hatch.

Try a smoke or salt/pepper colored tube or twister tail. 2" to 3" using the lightest weight jighead you can for a slow fall.

Smallies go CRAZY for mayflys. During the hatches is one of the rare times that smallmouith will key in on one forage and ignore any offering that doesn't look like it.

Are they white mayflys?

I use a Number 1 (or 2? cant remember) silver mepps agilia with white hair during the white mayfly hatches on the river. I burn it right across the surface. It's the first thing I tried that worked during a hatch and it got instant results. When I first tried it, I didn't think they would notice the spinner's tiny tuft of white hair among the sea of white mayflys dotting the surface of the water, but I was wrong. Boy was I wrong. I always keep one on me now.

I would try an ultralight rod with a tiny tin split shot 24- 36 " up and a white fly to match the hatch

I carry a fly rod in my rod locker during mayfly season!

Why not carry a fly rod? Its a heck of allot of fun..and some nymphs, emerging patterns, duns (look like little sailboats on the water), and spent patterns (darker than the duns, and there wings will be flush in the film) in appropriate sizes and colors. On light spin tackle...try some small marabou or chenille jigs under a cork...twitch every couple of seconds...or use a casting bubble and flies. Good luck.