so I'm trying to match the hatch at a lake I fish at I know it has a lot of crappie and a decent amount of bluegill, I have yet to see any shad but I have seen small minnow type fish next to trees but I'm not sure what they are ( baby bass or just minnows?) anyway how do you approach a situation like this.

 

also the dnr website does not have any info if there are shad in the lake 

In every body of water out there a simple motto will always ring true, big fish eat little fish.  Matching that hatch exactly isn't always super important, except when it is

If you are really wanting to know exactly what those baitfish are, you are going to have to catch some or get close enough to see what they are.  Otherwise, keep fishing and trying to figure out what they want.

 

Matching the hatch is a trout fishing tactic. Different species of insects hatch at different times. When there is a hatch, of a specific insect, they all hatch at about the same that causes a feeding frenzy. The trout fishermen in order to be successful, needs to match the current hatch of insects. If a big hatch happens on bass waters like a mayfly hatch, I’d guess you have few lures in your box that look like mayflies. I know occasionally, bass might key on a particular forage, but they are more likely to key on the fish that are feeding on the insects than the hatch itself.  My experience says not to waste a lot of time trying to match the hatch while chasing bass. 

I think bass are very opportunistic the majority of the time. If match the hatch was super important then you couldn't catch fish on white in a pond with no shad or green pumpkin in a pond with only shad. I'm not saying it never matters but more often than not if you throw a bait where fish are and present it the correct way they will strike it regardless of color. All that said if the predominant forage is crappie and bluegill then I'd think a shad pattern with black and silver mixed in and some form of green pumpkin should both produce.

48 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Matching the hatch is a trout fishing tactic. Different species of insects hatch at different times. When there is a hatch, of a specific insect, they all hatch at about the same that causes a feeding frenzy. The trout fishermen in order to be successful, needs to match the current hatch of insects. If a big hatch happens on bass waters like a mayfly hatch, I’d guess you have few lures in your box that look like mayflies. I know occasionally, bass might key on a particular forage, but they are more likely to key on the fish that are feeding on the insects that the hatch itself.  My experience says not to waste a lot of time trying to match the hatch while chasing bass. 

 

This ^^

 

Don't overthink this one too much. Today I caught a bass on a shad colored soft plastic fished aggressively that had half a crawdad in his throat when landed.

In bass fishing it’s trying to determine what the predominate prey source is at the seasonal period you are fishing. Predominate prey changes seasonally.

Crawdads are Smallmouth bass preferred prey year around.

Largemouth bass prefer crawdads when they are abundant, less selective then Smallmouth bass. Crawdads don’t hibernate but they do burrow into clay banks during the cold water period. When the core water temps climb into about 55 degrees at the depth Crawdads burrowed they begin a mass migration and all bass target them in the pre spawn cycle because craws provide high protein food source. Crawdads remian a prey source, especially in low light and night times.

Match this “hatch” using jigs and lures that replicate Crawdads.

Shad spawn occurs about 75 degree water temperatures, LMB target Shad primarily because the shade are easy meals.

Crappie spawn about 60 degree water temps before bass spawn, bass target the young of the year Crappie and smaller size adult Crappie during pre spawn. Use Crappie color lures where Crappie spawn in brush.

Bluegills are spiny and not a preferred prey source but a egg eater bass want to kill. Bluegills, ShellCrackers, Sunfish, Pumpkin Seeds all Spawn after the bass about 75 degree water. Bass feed on the smaller size gills and kill the larger size. Use Bluegill profile and color lures during bass Spawn to post spawn to match the “hatch”.

All the above have young of the year baby fish that bass eat during the warm water summer period, more difficult to determine the predominate prey as bass eat everything.

Tom

Bluegill are called bream and sunfish  south of the Mason-Dixon Line. 

1 hour ago, Scott F said:

Matching the hatch is a trout fishing tactic. Different species of insects hatch at different times. When thereuse some baiys that are a   is a hatch, of a specific insect, they all hatch at about the same that causes a feeding frenzy. The trout fishermen in order to be successful, needs to match the current hatch of insects. If a big hatch happens on bass waters like a mayfly hatch, I’d guess you have few lures in your box that look like mayflies. I know occasionally, bass might key on a particular forage, but they are more likely to key on the fish that are feeding on the insects that the hatch itself.  My experience says not to waste a lot of time trying to match the hatch while chasing bass. 

exactly. dont get too carried away with it. bass are pretty opportunistic. use baits that are a general representation of the bait fish you know are in there and fish it. also shad patterns will work even if there are no shad as they have a general bait fish appearance. like WRB said know the general times of the year bass target a type of prey and fish. location trumps color every time. the wrong color fished where the fish are will out produce an exact replica fished in the wrong spot every time. 

Let get things perfectly clear we all have options based on experience. Nothing in bass behavior can be scientifically proven because no one can determine what a bass brain interprets. All we can do is fish.

Tom

I don’t think you are wrong at all to consider “matching the hatch”.  Where it fits in your considerations (if at all) is up to you.  While the term did gain popularity with fly fishing, it has been adopted and frequently used in the bass world.  I believe size, color, and profile are part of ”matching the hatch” (WRB touched on this as well).  It may be semantics but most bass folks I know put these elements in the equation.  Moving into the fall with lots of threadfin in our waters, I am more likely to downsize (small in fall).  Not a rule…just a consideration.  I am more likely to throw a red/orange crawfish imitator in the spring, etc., etc.  While bass are opportunistic and might hit most anything you throw when in the mood (especially smaller bass), larger bass are usually more discerning and it may take more effort to have consistent success.  Obviously there need to be fish in the area but IMO, presentation (what and how) positioning, etc. are elements I always consider.  I bet over the years, WRB may have thrown a few trout imitators.  Don’t see many of those used in Texas though I’m sure you could probably catch something.

11 hours ago, Scott F said:

My experience says not to waste a lot of time trying to match the hatch while chasing bass. 

 

One of my most deadliest big bass lures is a Gene Larew Hawg Craw 6".

 

Ya think that matches a crawfish?

 

 

10 hours ago, WRB said:

Let get things perfectly clear we all have options based on experience. Nothing in bass behavior can be scientifically proven because know one can determine what a bass brain interprets. All we can do is fish.

Tom

 

We have to stay open minded!

 

Bass do some stupid things at times when it comes to what they'll eat or where they will be based on current conditions.

 

Not saying don't match the hatch but many times the plans I made at home went straight to file 13 when I got on the water.

I fish a smaller lake where bluegill are the main forage. I've caught almost all my fish there on a 4" purple plastic worm.                                  Does this match a bluegill perfectly? No. But it's outfished everything else I've tried.                          As has been said, we can't know how the fish see our lures, or what they actually think they are.

There are no absolutes.  If you take things too literally, you will always find situations where something doesn’t fit and miss potential new experiences.  I’ve caught a ton of bass on a merthiolate or bubble gum worm but that doesn’t cancel the value I place on matching.  I believe there are times it matters, just like the fall rate of my jig or a number of other things.  IMO, much of the fun of bass fishing is in the experimentation and being flexible and open minded.  Unless we can fit all of our tackle in our back pocket, I would suggest we are all giving at least a little consideration to matching.

 

edit:  This doesn’t have to be right or wrong…pass or fail.  I acknowledge that using something less natural may be effective. Now back to the OP’s question.