I was out late yesterday and noticed several balls of shad early in the afternoon, nothing was hitting them they were just swimming around in several coves near the mouths...

in the evening about when the sun was going down, something started nailing the shad, I believe it was bass and not stripers... they were everywhere and shad were flying everywhere....now it would happen for 30 seconds in one spot, then move to another spot.... I threw at several places and had a few hits but no hookups.. i was using a fluke and also a topwater popper...

what would be a better lure to throw at these schools when this happens.... I was thinking perhaps a rattle trap, shallow running crank, or hard jerk bait, I think the fish are in such a frenzy they were just hitting into my bait, not eating it....suggestions??

I've had luck with Rattletraps in that situation. I just burn it through the panicked shad and it looks like another panicked shad that isn't schooling the best (vulnerable).

That's my take on it, though I'm a little rusty 

New from MegaStrike:

Here is a pic of the first Megastrike Fat Shad (THE Fat Bass Dit) It is only 4 inches long but replicates the most popular bait fish size. I wanted it to displace a lot of water so I made the body fat. Unlike streamline swimbaits , it has a fatter body section and a big thumper tail. It has a very unique body roll. I will have videos of it soon -attached to a 1/4 and 3/8 Pro Model Shak-E2 Head. It is designed to be slow rolled on the surface and crawled along the bottom. The other day I was flipping it into mats of grass when I could find a hole and gottum.Double click on the image to enlarge. Almost has a goby type profile http://lineart.redshad.com/MegaStrike/

;D ;D ;D

For me, a spinnerbait, small shad colored crank, a swim jig with a paddletail trailer, or a soft plastic swimbait.

Luckycraft sammy 85 in MS american shad. An absolute perfect threadfin mimic on some lakes I fish.

There was a post with a ton of info on this very topic about a month back, check it out!

As many know, shad is a species that does not live in the waters I fish, howver there are many other native species and I 've seen and experienced that behavior, for the fun: Heddon Baby Torpedo ( nothing like bass striking violently the bait ), less fun but more productive: Lipless cranks & jerkbaits.

weightless super fluke, Zara Spook, jerkbait and my favorite -- a scrounger head with a fluke on it.

Super Fluke and Trap

I know this may sound a little odd but trust me it has worked for me and my partner plenty of times.  When we are up in a bay or cove and the bass start busting shad we throw a 4" gary yamamoto hula grub "spider grub" on a 1/4oz jig head, and I usually use chartruse.  I know what your thinking it dosent resemble a shad but I am telling you it works.  Just throw it out on a long cast and fish it like it was a spinnerbait. You will be surprised.

I've caught them on a Bomber model A crankbait that runs around 6 ft deep when shad are busting the top. The TN Shad color has produced the best results for me.

I have had great sucess throwing Vixens, Dog-x, and Sammys, when faced with boiling shad. And I always use a shad imitating color. Flitter shad, American shad, ghost Minnow, Chartreuse shad, etc. It's an awesome time to fish!  I've nailed them using small, heavy Megabait lures too. I use chrome with black or blue top. These lures are very heavy for their size so they cast great. i cast them to the far side of the boil, reel fast until they are in the center, and then let them sink, and as they flutter down below the boil, they get hammered, and often by the larger fish waiting below the boil for the 'easy pickens'. Good luck. This is quite common on our lakes in the fall, as the shad begin to gather for their spawn. if boils will happen periodically in the general area where you first see them. the bass 'round up' the shad until they have them balled up, and then they attack. this will last various times, and then they stop and rest, and 'round up' the shad again, and the cycle continues. so be patient and wait for the cycle to happen and you will catch them!

Match the shad???  I was watching the smaller pickerel going thru small schools of baby bass just tearing them up. I had to save the day of course. I put on a rapala to match the size of the baby bass and started putting my hooks into every pickerel i could till the action stopped.  Match the baitfish as close as you can.  But when the daylite starts to go away as dusk approaches the game changes thats when i go to a brighter colored lure in the samething/size.

Rattletraps, speedtraps and shad style swimbaits.

Traps and believe it or not...Norman Fat Boys...

Xcailur xr50 in ghost color

thanks for the tips... I had a Sammy tied on earlier in the day and switched it out... probably would have been better...

I threw a fluke weightless and they hit it some, just didnt eat it... needed trebbles!!

Super Fluke and Trap

x2.  These are the 2 things I throw at the schoolers. 

I like using the Super Flue in Smokin Shad and a Spro Aruku Shad or Aruku Shad Jr. in the Perch color. 

If I can hit the shad I will throw something that will drop down through them like a jig or a large plastic bait. If I can't hit them I try a rat-l-trap or a spinner bait.

My personal favorite is one that you have already used.  Its a popper in shad color.  If that is not working though I will usually go with a Sammy or a shad colored Fluke.

You may consider a spoon also. Maybe about the same size or a little larger than the shad. Let it flutter through the school. It mimics a wounded fish. Fish on!!  8-)

well I am going out again tomorrow and should be out at the same time, hopefully they will be doing the same thing and I can have another shot at it..... thanks for all the tips...

I've done ok tossing a tube into the boil. Then there are times no matter what I throw, they won't hit it.

Lake fork live magic shad (3.5")

Also: spro aruko shad, zoom super fluke

When at okeechobee I have a set up with the magic shad setting on the deck at all times, waiting for the busting shad.

i still believe you will do best with a walking style topwater, with treble hooks! silver, white, or clear. just work thru the boil and you will get bit! And with the trebles you have the best shot at hooking one

1/2 ounce Kastnaster.

Tom