All of us on shad lakes have seen the giant schools of 1” or so immature shad getting corralled into shallow flats this time of year. What’s your plan of attack with this situation? Favorite lures to throw? It seems tough to compete with all that bait. Thoughts?

First choice would be a Rage Swimmer (Pearl) in the smallest  2.8" length on a small 1/8th oz. ball head . Next might be a small 2.25" lipless crank bait is a shad color . Lastly , maybe a small top water - like a Lucky Craft Gunfish 95 in a bone color ? 

Unless bass are actively hitting them on the surface , I just ignore them and fish like they are not there .

I've never had much luck competing with those shad schools unless as scaleface mentioned they're actively busting them. This time of year I do best pitching the nastiest weed choked wood tangles I can find. This pattern will hold late into fall. The wood trumps the brown grass. The fish will stay until it breaks up. 

Don’t try to match that hatch!

You better off using going to 5” Senko or Ned rigs.  When the water cools to the mid 60’s  then use structure spoons and tail/under spins.

Tom

3" Bass Assassin Shad, Evergreen Shower Blows 105, and Z -Man Mini Max chatterbait 

A small white jerk bait might work.  Just the other day I decided to start snapping a bluegill colored jerk bait, low and behold a bass hit it.  Kinda surprised me.