Well after spending a month and a half chasing the elusive white tailed deer i have put my gun and bow up for the year. Back to fishing!!! I went out yesterday to a local lake (in Arkansas) to try my luck. This is a small 1200 acre lake with maximum depth of about 30ft, not really any cover except man made brushpiles, and weeds that surround the lakes edge. Water temp ranged from 44-47 with clear to stained water. I was in the back of a cove when i noticed a dead shad next to the bank. I went up to investigate and i noticed there where HUGE schools of shad right next to the bank. I threw my rattle trap in the middle of them and snagged a few. They ranged in size from 2 inches to 8 inches. I sat there for about an hour hoping to see a bass bust them up but nothing?

My question is: Why were there not any bass around these shad? Where they there and just not feeding?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

-chase

[movedhere] General Bass Fishing Forum [move by] roadwarrior.

A lot of times they sit at the bottom of the school and wait for dead or injured fish to fall. Here, a deadsticked wacky rigged senko or fluke is money.

A lot of times they sit at the bottom of the school and wait for dead or injured fish to fall. Here, a deadsticked wacky rigged senko or fluke is money.

That is a good idea, however these shad are in 1-2 foot of water or less. So i doubt the bass are sitting underneath them.

My two cents----

First, bass aren't around every school of baitfish in the lake.  Another reason may be that they could've just gotten done bangin' on a different school so they didn't travel into the cove and bust up on the school you found.  Also, You said your lake didn't have much cover, maybe the bass weren't in that cove to begin with, because of the lack of cover.  Bass won't necessarily travel just because a school of shad is in there.  Animals instincts usually tell them when a meal is not worth the effort.