Tonight i was fishing, the conditions were perfect and the bass were teaming bait fish i tried throwing anything possible that would resemble the bait fish and didnt even get a bite. Is it possible to catch them with lures during these times or are they too focused on the "live bait"?

I think matching the hatch is the wrong way to catch bass alot of the times. They have a ton of baitfish to eat and your throwing something that looks the same at them why would they eat it.

i tried throwing different things too i couldnt even get them to notice a buzzbait going through the bait fish

When ever the fish are schooling, I'll throw a carolina rigged worm or a big football jig. It always seems like the bigger fish are under the pack waiting for an easy meal to sink down.

I've had a lot of luck throwing a t-rigged lizard or senko into these feeding frenzies.  Mostly bc that was what I had tied on at the time, but it worked.

When I have time to rig up a bait I'll throw a shallow crank or a topwater rebel Pop-R and get strikes.

I have been having the same issues for the last two weeks and tonight I finally found an answer. I tied on a lure that's been in my tackle box for at least 10 years, a Rapala Countdown Minnow in Silver. I would cast a little past where I spotted the action, let it sink a couple of feet and then start reeling back. Caught 6 bass in a hour where as I have been lucky to get one strike since the bass started the Fall minnow feast a couple weeks ago here.

Welcome aboard!

8-)

great info guys.. !!!!

thanks

Jeff

I find this very frustrating as well. I like to go after the fish under the school. If you plow right through the school make sure your lure stands out from the pack by using a larger size or  distinctive color.

Schooling bass can be a b****h. Sometimes they will hit just about anything you throw and sometimes they wont bite at all. One thing I have found is they can be very size specific. If they are feeding on 1in shad they wont hit a 2in bait. You just have to keep changeing untill you hit the right combination.

Schooling bass can be a b****h. Sometimes they will hit just about anything you throw and sometimes they wont bite at all. One thing I have found is they can be very size specific. If they are feeding on 1in shad they wont hit a 2in bait. You just have to keep changeing untill you hit the right combination.

Agreed! I've had days when I got most of my box scattered out in the boat >

1st things I would normally try in no particular order would be a popper,devils horse or a fluke, grub,4 in senko in white,silver,or smoke variation

 If you want to sink down try the fluke on a jig head or keel weighted hook

2" silver flake single tail grub on light weight jig head or on a 2/0 hook with a 1/8 to 3/16 oz pegged weight 12 to 18" upline. This won't necessarily catch the biggest fish in the lake....but it will catch he fish you are describing. This is one of the main techniques I use to break in young'uns to bass fishing. Find the schoolers and wail on'em.

Many pro's keep a light schooly rig like this on the deck at all times.

Big O

Many times when bass are chasing bait fish they will eat nothing else but live bait fish and that is why I quit chasing schooling bass years ago.

Catching Bass that are chasing baitfish has been nearly impossible for me. I've tried just about everything I've read, or saw on TV/video from match the hatch, to use a lure that stands out. I've used Jerkbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater baits, and none worked. But a 5 inch stickbait wacky rigged weightless thrown towards the edge of the school and just left to slowly sink has caught the only Bass for me. I guess it's the slow wobbly fall that tricks the Bass into thinking that it's a dieing baitfish. I also use only Watermelon/black flake or Black with Blue flake.

Many times when bass are chasing bait fish they will eat nothing else but live bait fish and that is why I quit chasing schooling bass years ago.

Right on, there are always bigger fish to be caught somewhere else.

I try to stay away form schooling fish in tournaments, but I love chasing them around when I'm fun fishing.  When the fish are schooling, I have 2 baits tied on.

1. Lipless crankbaits

2. Wacky rigged senkos

I throw the rat-l-trap to pick apart the high part of the water column where the smaller fish are feeding, then when I can't get anymore bites on it, I toss in the wacky rigged senko to imitate an injured shad from the schooling activity for the bigger, and WAY more effective feeding bigger bass below the school.