My partner and I were fishing yesterday and our home lake has been way up, but now has dropped back down to normal, falling about 2 feet.  Anyway, normally as the water falls, I slide deeper with the fish.  But this weekend all the shad were up in the coves in MASSIVE schools.  They were movin around like they were being chased at times.  They looked like they would in the fall when they move into the coves and creeks.  We fished them and could not catch a thing.  We matched crackbaits as close as we could to them and also threw other lures, lizards, buzz, spinners......Nothin.  Do yall have any advice on how to fish the schools and what to use.  Thanks ya'll

I believe that some bass will always be around the school and follow them in and out of the coves. I like to throw a RattleTrap around the school but never into it. Other cranks will work also but I can choose the depth with a RattleTrap.

It's my belief that bass nearby on structure or shoreline cover are aware that the school(s) are present and are just waiting for the school to come close to them or for that rogue that wanders off from the school to come to them. For this reason I won't spend a great deal of time fishing around the bait. I will use contact lures around the structure and cover that I would normally fish if the school weren't present. Cranks really shine under these conditions as well as spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and topwaters.

I love it when the bait school up but I've been guilty of fishing around the school for to long and not getting the most out of my fishing time. One bonus to fishing the school is a shot at multiple species. Stripers, Hybrids and white bass will follow the schools also if they are available in your waters. That being said, I would mostly fish just like I would any other day except now you can fish with confidence cause you KNOW bass are in the area. You can also "match the hatch" with your baits.

thermoclines can sometimes move them into coves this time of yr. as well as the shad are getting bigger.doesnt have to be bass chasing them any big fish feed on shad.a shad rap if will dig into the bottom can trigger a strike i also like to fish flukes as a jerk bait and on a c-rig.this time of yr. use green colors(watermelon,pumpkin).typically bass are not chasing shad but will be close by waiting for a easy meal.this is time for schooling activity( this past yrs. hatch) but not in the coves usually on main lake points and cuts.and if there is schooling activity you'll notice it,the fish will be busting them not just chasing.i would continue w/ the deeper water pattern unless i saw some good activity in the shad