so i was out fishing this afternoon and there were tons of shad flipping on the water....i mean alot of them too...there really wasnt any fish attacking them on top...i maybe saw 1 or 2 come up after a shad...i was using a weightless senko...i had two good hard strikes but no takers....my first thought was to try a original floater rapala...a lure which i dont have...yet....anyway so i kept throwing the senko....nothing....i saw a bassboat with a couple guys fishing the shoreline about 100 feet from me...they were catchin em....i couldt see real well but it look like they were throwin white spinnerbait....so i went to the car, grabed my other rod...white spinnerbait....about the third cast i cought a dink..about 8-10 inches....nothing else the rest of the time i was there....my question is...what would you have done?  water is murky, 15-20 mph N wind....brush, treees within casting distance.....thanks!

Cliff

Wow. I wouldn't be throwin a weightless anything in 15-20 mph wind! Murky water, brush, trees? I'd throw a white/chartruese spinnerbait. Make it look like the stupidest fish in the lake. Run it into those trees and that brush. Maybe a rattle trap as close to the shad as you can get. Match the hatch.

well other than the one dink on the spinnerbait...i have only had bites on the weightless senko....and it was over 30mph winds yesterday....i have tried cranks..C-rig diff plastics...t-rig diff plastics....i have only cought 3 bass in the last 2 weeks of fishing about everyday...total weight...about 2 lbs...lol....but i am having fun learning how to catch LMB....same deal when i first moved to MN...had never cought or fished for walleye....5 years later i could catch a walleye on just about any given day....so i am not getting frusterated cuz i know it just takes time...and i am learning tons from this site...thanks!

Cliff

the few times I have been fortunate enough to see that I basically want to get in on the action before it quits, so I'll throw whatever I have tied on.

One time I have a ratltrap and I burned it and caught bass.

the other time I had on a rico popper and the bass creamed it.

Don't ya just love moments like this?

spooks and poppers, spooks and poppers, and a pointer, staysee, or fluke

BANJO MINNOW.

This is the ONLY time I through a banjo minnow, the smaller size, 3 or 4 inch I forgot what it is. Throw white or silver with white, the other colors work fine too. Firefly ones work well.

At a small reservoir near me, in Oct-ish , I had 3 weekends in a row that I was fortunate enough to witness the same thing. I caught at least 30-40 bass in 3-4 hours, along with my friend who was fishing the banjo minnow who caught 27 (he counted, I didn't, but I caught  more).

None the less, Banjo Minnow or any swimbait that looks like the shad.

I would throw a fluke, jerk it hard a few times and then let it "die" (sink). I would choose a color close to the shad, the dying action should get them to narrow in on your bait, but if not, try a color that varies from the other fish, something to draw the bass' attention.

Floating shallow running jerkbait !

spooks and poppers, spooks and poppers, and a pointer, staysee, or fluke

How about a spook or popper?  

I don't know man, I think I would rather chuck a spook or popper ;D