“The magic number is usually around 72 degrees for the shad spawn,” VanDam says. “It will usually be after all of the bass and crappie spawn, and I think that’s Mother Nature’s way of helping those fish recover. After they’re worn out from the spawn, they can feast on spawning shad.”
How do you know when shad are spawning?
“The shad spawn always happens first thing in the morning in low-light conditions,” Scroggins said. “This gets the bass feeding early because the food train is coming through in the morning.” No doubt, if you get a late start and roll up anytime after the sun’s full emergence, you’ve missed some valuable fishing time.
Do shad catch bass?
Many largemouth bass fisherman are aware that every spring the shad spawn, bringing tons of small fish for bass to feed on. The shad spawn generally starts the beginning of the chasing bass as they fatten up after healing from their own spawning time.
What do you throw while shad spawning?
Here is the list of my top 10 baits to throw during the shad spawn.
- #1 – Spinnerbait. The spinnerbait is the best.
- #2 – Swim Jig. I love a white swim jig here.
- #3 – Swimbait. This is a 4” to 7” size tail thumping swim bait.
- #4 – Finesse Swim Bait.
- #5 – Hollow Frog.
- #6 – Shallow Crankbait.
- #7 – Buzzbait.
- #8 – Chatterbait.
Are shad lures good for bass?
By having a wide range of shad bait in the tacklebox, anglers have a variety of presentations ready for the following hungry sportfish such as largemouth bass and striped bass at any depth and location. A good way to learn how to fish shad lures, is to observe a surface feeding frenzy.
How long does the shad spawn last?
“The shad spawn will last two, three, or maybe four weeks. It usually starts in one area of the lake and you might go to the other end of the lake and find nothing, so you have to be moving until you see the activity.”
What time of year is shad spawn?
Shad spawn each spring/summer when the water temperatures reach above 70 degrees. Instead of creating spawning nests or ‘beds’ like bass and bluegill, Shad spawn by swimming around and dumping their eggs in shallow water.
Where do shad go in the winter?
In the winter, when the water grows much colder, the shad migrate back out of the creeks and into main lake depths. On some lakes, this can easily be 40 to 60 feet deep.
What’s the best bait for shad?
The most popular baits for shad are shad darts, curl tail grubs on a jig, and small spoons. Rig them in tandem with one on top and one on bottom. A go-to rig is a shad dart on top and a spoon on the bottom.
How do you get bass to spawn?
The Bass will eat almost anything while they guard their nests and their eggs, so if you can get your lure close to the fish, they will likely bite your hook! Some great lures to use during the spawn are soft plastic worms, craws, and lizards in natural colors – like green pumpkin or watermelon.
Where do shad spawn in rivers?
Spawning occurs in the main channels of the river where the flow is between 31 and 91 cm/s, dissolved oxygen is greater than 5 mg/L, and the water depth is anywhere between 1 and 10 m, but usually under 3 m. Sand or gravel bottoms are preferred but a variety of substrates can be used.
What do you throw when bass eats shad?
A fluke is a great throw-back bait when a bass is interested but unwilling to hit a speedier lure. Why they work: Wide-bodied crankbaits are deadly. The balsa-wood, Rapala Shad Rap is a go-to of mine.
What lure catches the most bass?
Jigs are probably the most versatile bass lure, making them a great place to start when unsure of which lure to use based on conditions. They can be used throughout the year in almost any temperature, whether 50 degrees or 90 degrees.
What colors do bass like?
The cellular composition of the largemouth bass’ eye is tuned to respond to two colors: red and green. Bass can see these colors well, and make decisions with high selectivity based on these colors.
How do you catch bass after Shad spawn?
Or, if the shad spawn is happening up a river or creek like this, you can then usually run down the lake after the morning bite and catch fish that are already starting to get into the post spawn, offshore mood. Target those first few fish in the shallow brush with drop shots, shakey heads and crankbaits.
Where do bass go right after spawn?
Bass will typically hang around spawning areas for some time and other will begin to move back out to secondary and main lake points, ditches in flats, ledges, brush piles, and eventually to their summer haunts. If your lake has shad spawn, you can find schools of bass feeding in the mornings on shallows points.
Where do Shad go after they spawn?
After spawning American shad will die or return to sea. They begin their migration to the Gulf of Maine for summer feeding. Active feeding takes place during summer and fall months. Adults feed on plankton, small crustaceans, and fish.
How do you find shad on a lake?
Shad are easier to catch on warm days, locations would be the backs of coves and creeks where the water has been warmed by the sun all day. Look for stained water since shad will rarely be in clear shallow water and even if they are there they are very hard to get a net on.
What water temperature is bass active?
While bass will bite readily in water temperatures between 61-84° F, the ideal water temperature range to catch bass consistently in is between 74-79° F when bass are most aggressively feeding and daytime highs do not force bass into shaded or deep structure. Bass will be in deep main-lake holes.
What water temps do bass spawn in?
If the weather pattern is stable, and the water temperature is in the high 50s, the bass usually will start moving into shallow water with spawning on their minds. The bass will continue to spawn until the water temperature reaches 70 degrees or more most of the time.
Do shad bite in the cold?
The bottom line is that you can catch your own shad in the cold water period, you just need to use the right tools to catch them, you need to be in the right location and you need to put forth a little extra effort to catch them.