Trying to catch schooling largemouth that are crashing shad

[October]

So at Canyon lake I found the spot. Its a hundred fifty yard stretch that, for the last 4 days, has had about 5 different schools of largemouth at any given time along the length of it. These schools hold about 6-10 fish in each one, ranging from 1lbers to a couple 6lbers thrown in here and there, average being about 3lbs. Each school has a routine. They make their rounds and circle the shore where its about a foot deep. They hang out just behind that to where it drops off in a trench to probably 4-5 feet or so. They ball up the shad and then push them to the shore and cause an amazing, and violent, feeding frenzy like a school of sharks. Then, they go back to deeper water and come back around and repeat this every 5 minutes or so.

I have thrown every possible thing at them and they wont even give my lures a second look. Is this a lost cause? Are they just too well fed on shad? Or is there a key? Something that always works when bass are slamming shad?

[socalbassboy]

a jerkbait fished very slow should get em. or a wacky rigged zoom baby fluke...idk if your a fan of live bait but if i cant get fish to look at anything im throwing at them, and are feeding...i would throw a weightless nightcrawler nose hooked...that might work. i would also try fishing the same spot but at an angle where the fish cant see you...maybe they are aware of you being there and thats why they wont play. ive never fished canyon lake...but i have been in this kind of situation before and the techniques ive told you have produced well for me. good luck with those fish brother!

[smokehound]

Wacky rig for those guys.

The most accurate portrayal of a dying baitfish isn't darting around, but rather a slow horizontal fall.


Try wacky rigging flukes, hook them in the BELLY, cast in and just let them fall without weight. As the fluke falls, the weight of the hook in the belly gives it a swimming action, similar to a senko.

btw, when you wacky rig, you must keep alot of slack in the line. When those bass take it, you wont feel it. watch your line. You'll see a gentle tick or two, then it will start moving. That's when you set the hook.

[OC ANGLER]

Zoom fluke for the win!

[iRavensfan]

how do u fish canyon lake?
is it public?

Swim Bait 2" white Pearl.

[Sublime-Steve]

x rap xr 4 in silver minnow. done, or a kast master

[headcase881]

I was out there a few weeks ago same routine i was thowing a bushmaster on a caroloina doin ok gettin mostly the dinks till i switched to the texas rig craw and that was my ticket on to those bigger fish and you almost wanna walk your bait right into about a 1/2 foot of water to start your presentation do the depths

[Kelster]

Lately I have been having luck on a Donkey Rig. Google it as it is easier then trying to explain. I have been using the Gulp swim baits on it. Good Luck.

[jiggaman]

spro bbz-1 shad color...kills it there...slow sink

[flyhigh123]

banjo minnow... lol just guessing...


how about a topwater shad lure?

[DarkShadow]

Just snag a shad using a sabiki rig, and toss it out.

If you get confronted for illegally snagging bait, just use the excuse everyone I've seen seems to use.

"The shads [sic] ate my sabiki rig. I just happened to set the hook too late and i snagged it in the tail."

Gets 'em every time. And so does the live shad, apparently.

[smokehound]

You dont need to snag em, they'll hit the smallest size sabikis.


You dont use the sabiki like you would in the ocean, though. You do a slow figure-8 motion, while keeping the weight on the bottom.


Lately I have been having luck on a Donkey Rig. Google it as it is easier then trying to explain. I have been using the Gulp swim baits on it. Good Luck.I love that technique, it's a great presentation! I'd rather use flukes though, they have better action.

[stocker]

A white fly (deceiver for example) either fly and bubble or fly rod should do the trick. If not, I'd go with a fluke on a scrounger.