Why do I see swarms of tiny bluegill and a nice sized bass around the same cover/structure? I thought bass ate those fish... Would it be safe to say he isn't hungry and would only get bit by getting a reaction strike??  

Or does that mean bluegill doesn't taste so good and somethin else is primary forage??

What you dont see is how many of those little bluegills he ate before you got there. Just like the fat kid (myself included) likes to sit next to the buffet, a bass will swim right along with the food so they dont have to use as much energy to get it.

Ok, now I'm hungry....

Think of it in terms of the african plains..............the lions live right next to the gazelle's..........but they dont attack them every minute........only when their HUNGRY......What size hook would you use for that?  

Thats a pretty good question.

And the african reference is good.  Preditors and their prey often find it neccessary to co-exist.  

The spot you are seeing these fish in has something to offer both of them. So they are both found there.  

Good answers!! Now, how would I fish one?? I bet using Bluegill colors won't work... Maybe throw in a crawdad type worm/jig?? Give him something different than what he usually sees? Or go for the reaction bite?? I'm sure a lion will bite me if I get close and get on it's nerves  ;D

Your trick here is to be able to throw something and keep the bluegill off of it...........Nothing is more annoying than trying to catch a bass and have to deal with those pesky bluegill hitting your bait all the time.

I think that bass love bluegill.

However  If there are shad in the area the bass will eat that rather than the bluegill because the shad  

are smaller and are more abundant.

I think that bass love bluegill.

However If there are shad in the area the bass will eat that rather than the bluegill because the shad

are smaller and are more abundant.

HUH?

The bass doesn't know that the shad are more abundant. Bass can't count. They are opportunistic feeders, they eat a large variaty of things including smaller bass. I have seen a 9lb bass eat a 3lb bass. So size isn't the issue either.

I agree with what has already been said. The bass isn't in the feeding mood, but you can always try to get a reaction strike. Assuming that you can see the bass. Try slipping a lure over it's back and down in front of its nose.

I spent some shore time this year watching schools of minnows and bream on structure close to the shore, that had bass all around them When the Bass did pick a few off I tried to figure out what was different about the fish they were eating from the ones they didnt. This isnt scientific by  a long shot but what I saw was what Fluke posted The ones they ate were the ones that were nearest to them when they were hungry.

Bass can become more picky as they age and dont use that much energy. Makes them harder to catch and more fun.

Think of it in terms of the african plains..............the lions live right next to the gazelle's..........but they dont attack them every minute........only when their HUNGRY......What size hook would you use for that?

http://www.wavelit.com/popup/playerAfricam.asp#'>African webcam

Three days ago, there was a male and a female lion there eating a downed wildebeast......

Please forgive me for the thread-jack

Dan

Hey Dan thats like my family over the holidays first there were 60 meatballs then my cousin Joey got near the pot then there were 58 then I got in the kitchen then there were 54 and so on and so forth

There is a lake near my home that has an overabundance of blue gill and lots of good sized bass.  I spent almost every evening this last season fishing from the bank.  I would arrive at about an hour before sundown and start casting out -- Zoom Worms and Senko's mostly.  At first I would get nothing.  After about 15 mins, the blue gill would start pecking at my lures.  Then about 15 min later the bg bite would stop suddenly and from then until the 'skeeters got too thick I could pound the bass.  This pattern held up all season.  My though was that the blue gills were pulling into the shallows to feed and the bass were following them in to feed on them.  The lures were an easy mark and produced the strikes.

there are a couple of guys on my home lake who "feed the bass" as they call it.  I'm sure what they mean is that they are using something (they won't say) to attract baitfish which in turn attracts bass.

There have been a couple of times when I have stumbled accross their coves shortly after they put out some feed.

I can tell because their is alot of dimpling on the surface. Swirls and other water disturbances make it pretty clear there is some heavy activity going on.  

Anyway.  I always use the same lure, and always hook up with a better bass when I come accross this.

It's a rico popper.  the color is sort of black and silver with a little red.  

The guys who feed really get PO'd when I come and catch "their" fish.  But that's a story for another day.

My point is, when you see the bait and bass together, I think it's because they really have no choice.  The bream and shiners etc. need to feed and so must go where the food is.  The bass will follow.  The bream simply can't run away every time or else they will starve.

Any confidence bait should work in that situation.  I love to see em blow up on that rico so that's what I use.

the two guys who feed em use plastic worms.

I wonder, what are these guys using?  oatmeal? aquarium fish food? dog or cat food?  It seems like it floats but I can't see it so that would rule out oatmeal.

Oh well, I'm proud to say that I don't feed the fish to get them in.  But I'm also proud to say that if you do and I catch em, well that's my good fortune, and your tough luck.

avid has spoken