Fishing around shad

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 6:16 pm

Was up at Casitas Sunday after the night fishing. Was at Dead Horse Canyon around thousands of shad and bass busting them ferociously. Clear skies with no shad net. Tried Spoons, Rapala shad imitators, topwater with no luck.Has anyone had any luck fishing around these types of situations? I'm taking time off for a few days of vacation this week and will be back out there Wed. I'm thinking about trying the double fluke rig or fluke w/ jighead. Anyone have any tips they can pass on? Also, I know it will be different conditions with the water after rain. Will this also be a good time to fish? Thanks in advance!

littlebailey · Post by **littlebailey** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 6:34 pm

The bait will most likely go down with the rain. But theres always a chance they dont. ide go back. Ive always caught em on that little huddleston shad on lite line or the really small r2s bait. Those fish are crazy sometime they just wont bite. Ide bring a a net in case they dont.

Kelly Ripa · Post by **Kelly Ripa** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:51 pm

I was thinking of rip'n a big tube myself...

Also any of the new soft swimbaits worked like a crank as they don't have trebles they are less likely to hang up while throwing into the brush.

Watched a guy using a god awful storm swim/crankbait/whatever clean the clocks of the fish while he cast at boils. We had limited luck throwing pop-r's on boils last month in the rain...seemed to want the darker colors like baby bass.

Try to remember what you were using on my boat at the first place I ever took you. You threw it out and got hung up and broke it off and I switched you to the shakey head.....You need to be throwing that exact rig out into 65 feet and dragging it slowly up to 35 right about now

RIP

P.S. I think the dbl. fluke is a good idea too!

Oldschool · Post by **Oldschool** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:41 pm

If the bass are up and chasing shad try fly lining a Basstrix 3" shad baitfry, light line, light wire # 1 Yamamoto long shank light wire hook. You nail weight the same rig if they deeeper.
Dress Megabait 3/4 oz shad spoon with white/Chart feathers, if the bait is down.
Tom

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:49 pm

Kelly and Little Bailey,
Thank You guys for your tips. I respect your info. and look up to you both! I want to be able to fish all seasons and maybe one day I will be able to offer someone knowledge as you guys do. Have a great Christmas everyone at Western Bass!
P.S. Kelly, hope you're loving your new Champ. Happy Holidays to you and yours. Thanks again.

keithcant · Post by **keithcant** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 5:40 am

Very small underspin on 6lb test w/3/4 of a 4"prism shad worm--had fish chasing shad way closer to other boats---but we got the only fish. Had to net my partners first 4 before I could get a cast in---then told him he was on his own.

SKIPER · Post by **SKIPER** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:59 am

I ran into the same problem yesterday at Castaic down in Elizabeth Canyon. Individual Bass, not big schools, were breaking here and there. They wouldn't hit underspins or cast masters and I couldn't get close enough in time to throw a basstrix at them...in the past I've had good success with fly lined basstrix, 3" sluggos and even crappie jigs with a split shot crimped a foot or so up the line (works best when the shad are really small).

Due to the weather, I had the lake almost to myself and bass were sporatically breaking for over two hours. In frustration I started dragging a carolina rigged 3" shad colored tube and eventually got two that each went about a pound and a half.

My experience has been that when bass are keying on shad, they sometimes are finicky and want something that is the same size as the shad they're eating.

Kelly Ripa · Post by **Kelly Ripa** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 11:17 am

Don't kid yourself Ralph. You have Posted Reports on Casitas on this site and you just gave information on Casitas from your perspective that was in itself information on very current conditions on the lake. It don't get much better than that. Sometimes what ain't generating fish for you is for the next guy....Plug away because the only answer for what works for you is of course what works for you. Thanks for the post it was helpful! And you got some good info ta' boot....

Rip