Bird activity indicates the location of the forage fish. And where there is forage fish, there is sport fish.  

True? Follow the birds? Maybe on a crappy day of fishing?

If they are birds that eat baitfish then yes. The more Blue Herrons I see the better. In the winter I look for the Loons.

False !  I get ahead of the birds and wait for the big push from the big fish schooling up the bait fish. Behind the birds is the left over injured/dead bait that are free meals for the birds your chasing away. Staying ahead and still . your ready for a ambush. Stay with or ahead of the action NOt behind it.

Aah. Both very good and interesting points. A lake I normally fish has loons I see all the time sitting on stumps emerging from the water. I'll throw a minnow---- nothing. I'll throw a top water ----- nothing. INTERESTING.

Theory says that if you see a shore bird like a heron feeding in an area then there are baitfish and bass.

I have never had any luck with this theory but I am very interested in the input from the others on this site as to their experiences.

And remember there are a number of types of herons so not all are white.

Yes your theory is true. However I see guys make a stupid mistake alot. They see the birds diving and get the idea (correctly) that there are baitfish and hence bass beneath them. They're good and dandy till this point, but then they proceed to drop the TM and slowly head towards them. Now you have an issue because the birds will move to stay away from you but it can sometimes be very hard to tell if they are in fact moving. Watch someone chase birds from shore one time and you'll notice that they sometimes troll right over the bait school in pursuit of the birds. Its comical. I usually get upwind of the birds if possible and make extra long casts to the edges of where I envision the bass schooling. I've never had much luck with it myself but it does produce and its very helpful to get the general location of bass. For example, if the back of a creek arm is full of birds and other life like turtles and even terrestrials like deer you can take a pretty good indicator that there will be fish there vs. the creek across the lake that doesn't exhibit those animals.

Sorry ! I was thinking seagulls. Every time the stripers are thrashing the lakes  around here the seagulls are in follow mode.  I'm not thinking loon or heron. I'm thinking action!

Remember if you see a couple loons floating in the water or a heron sitting on the shore it doesn't mean a whole lot.  If you are going to look for wild life to make predictions look for irregulars, 3-4 herons in one area or a large number of active birds.

Fluke is on it. I'm in Texas and herrons hanging around is a gooood thang

I keep an eye on the birds but I don't count on them. If I'm thinking right, herons fish by wading or with the asistance of a laydown or some structural that allows them to keep their body above water. In the summer months they are useless to me. I also only pay attention to where the birds are in relation to the whole lake. For example: the gulls may be around the shallows or around the main lake. I also pay attention to their behavior. Sometimes they are only sitting, sometimes they're diving. Regardless they are usually hanging out near some bait. Quality bass are always hanging out near some cover, structure, or both, in relation to the baitfish depth, when they are ready to feed.

Birds don't help much around here either. As a matter a fact, if you see gulls you better be ready to yank your lure out of the water or else you are going to lose it. I maybe making a mistake but when I see a heron fishing I want fish near him. In my experience, I have not caught anything around them. IMHO, I think they spook quality bass near the shore.

This is how seeing several Herons in one area helps me.

It gives me an area of the lake to spend some additional time on.

It tells me that the predominant wind has been blowing into that area for a while now. The wind will push the plankton into that area and the baitfish will follow. This will attract the Herons.

This doesn't mean that the bass are shallow it only tells me that baitfish are in the area and I should take a closer look around there.

I don't pay much attention to gulls unless I see the fish blowing up underneath. In my lake you will find a mix of stripers, hybrids, and very big largemouth bass chasing the bluebacks. Gulls will dive on anything. Once one dives it attracts the rest of them and then they have you thinking that there is a feeding frenzy going on. It's usually a wast of time to chase them.

Loons don't help me as much as Herons but they do tell me that pods of bait are in the area and that they are shallow enough for the birds to dive on them. I may idle around with my eye on the depth finder but that's about it.

Right again Fluke, Your on fire. Just so happens one of my favorite patterns is jigging deep water timber at creek bends, ledges and roadbeds. When Big Blue is standing on a stump, or even better when he is with a couple of his friends, you white knuckle that rod handle cause you might get it yanked out of you hands. The boys will learn Fluke, just give'em a little time.  

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It depends on the type of bird.

you can also use birds that feed on vegitation to find grass or other cover from a distance

We use seagulls to a point on lake michigan trolling for king salmon, but its not always a done deal.  Bluebills and margansers work too.  I caught a bluebill last night on my huddleston shad, have yet to catch a fish on it, but it sure does catch the ducks  I really never use birds, except for the herons, to find bass.

I've never had much luck following birds unless, as previously stated, I see 4 or more herrings in one cove all in hunting mode.  However, on my local lake there is a little black duck with a white (not sure what species) but they always hover in the water over hydrilla.  Whatever they eat (they are vegatarians) they like the hydrilla.  Maybe they are eating the hydrilla itself.

Either way if you are looking for grass they seem to find it pretty well.  Doesn't always equate to fish but grass is there.

I seem to have decent luck around ducks= a few bass

However when seagulls are present i've found crappie schools to be around.