Do bass anglers need every color of the rainbow. Open: Robertson soars to the top at Cherokee, Get best fishing times with lunar fishing calendars, Daily Limit: With AOY on the line, Mullins just going fishing, Podcast: AOY Championship Fantasy talk with Rich Lindgren, Fantasy Fishing: Mark Daniels Jr. was best pick at Classic, 2018 Bassmaster Classic Bracket to expand, The International Game Fish Association inducts Rick Clunn into Fishing Hall of Fame, Stephen Browning: The Crankmaster General, Changing seasons – stratification and the turnover.
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Gizzard shad, especially larger ones that trophy bass like to eat, are often benthic feeders. But what is really going on with these shad? In both cases, the game fish and their primary food source threadfin shad will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). These also happen to be natural ambush points. One predictable pattern this time of year is the migration of shad into the creeks ... and the resulting bass feeding frenzy!
In part, this temperature/stress relationship may be one of the reasons shad seem to be continually moving throughout a lake. Shad, of course, are not the only food on the bass menu. The eggs are adhesive and stick to the first hard surface they touch.
Shad are mostly filter feeders that eat primarily phytoplankton and zooplankton and cruise in huge schools, often traveling many miles in search of plankton-rich water. At each place Fritts found and caught bass, he also saw plenty of baitfish activity. Resident bass don't need to move when the buffet is right there in their living room. "In late spring, I like small crankbaits," explains Hamilton. As soon as the eggs are deposited, the adults leave. While they will usually not travel miles and miles following a school of shad, those that are resident in an area will certainly take advantage of the prey that swims into their home territory. There is a flip side to this fall migration pattern that you should not ignore. These feeding binges appear to occur most often when the school of shad is more compressed, as it might be when it funnels along a ditch or channel, or when it rises or sinks over a ridge or other type of structure to a particular depth, as Hamilton found during his Classic win. It wasn't even due to perfect luck. In the shallow coves and creeks however, the last warm, sunny days can cause quick warm-ups, and the plankton can continue to bloom.
"I could ride over the underwater structure I was fishing and see the shad on my depthfinder. So, in general, fall shad movements are fairly predictable and do offer an opportunity to find actively feeding bass more easily since they are concentrated in smaller areas in creeks and coves. The shad were so thick at times I couldn't even see the bottom, but those were the times bass started feeding. JOIN TODAY!
Shad schools, which may include larger older fish from previous years and small juvenile shad that were spawned in late summer, migrate into the creeks in search of food.
Take a look at the lures that landed anglers top finishes last week at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open at Cherokee Lake. In the winter, when the water grows much colder, the shad migrate back out of the creeks and into main lake depths. The answer to that often depends on the season of the year as well as where the shad are located. With longer nights and cold fronts, the leaves begin to turn, the waters cool and the fish move shallow. But remember that some portion of the bass population may have everything they need in offshore hangouts.
Fast-forward a year, to the 1993 Classic on the same lake. These are ambush points where the resident bass regularly feed.
When Robert Hamilton won the 1992 Bassmaster Classic on Alabama's Logan Martin Lake, it wasn't — as many believe — due to using the perfect lure or finding the perfect structure.
Water temperatures for gizzard shad at this time can be as cold as 57 degrees or as warm as 75 degrees, so the activity normally begins as early as mid-April in parts of their range.
Although bass feed heavily on both gizzard and threadfin shad throughout most of the year, nature has its own ways of taking care of possible overpopulations of these prolific baitfish. Enough is known, however, to realize that the well-being of sportfish populations depends on threadfin and gizzard shad. Although the shad continue to roam in the winter months, they generally remain in deep water because of their temperature tolerances. There are millions of shad, far more than there are bass. Threadfin shad can have multiple spawning periods between April and August, as long as the water temperature ranges between 66 and 75 degrees, which is another possible explanation for their movements to shallow water each evening. Open: Robertson soars to the top at Cherokee, Get best fishing times with lunar fishing calendars, Daily Limit: With AOY on the line, Mullins just going fishing, Changing seasons – stratification and the turnover.
Keep in mind, however, that the old adage of "find the shad and you will find the bass" does not always hold true. "Newly hatched shad larvae gradually migrate to pelagic areas (living near the surface of open areas of the lake) as they grow," says Hill. Because shad often comprise such a large proportion of the total fish population in a lake, however, they can influence the availability of these other creatures. The game fish and their primary food source, threadfin and gizzard shad, will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). Those are important words of praise for two fish about which the fisheries community has done little official research. Often, it is to a mossbed, treeline or other type of vegetation; it is not simply to open, shallow water. Instead, Hamilton attributes his world championship to a tiny, silvery white fish named Dorosoma petenense, better known as the threadfin shad. "Then, early in the morning, these same shad leave and head toward deeper water, where they roam throughout the day. The fish kills occur most often in shallower lakes, or in sections of a lake that are primarily shallow, when the temperature drops quickly and then stays cold. The challenge is to locate the spots that give predators a feeding advantage as the schools of shad cruise through the area. As summer gives way to fall, nutrients in the main lake are depleted and temperatures decline, putting a damper on plankton growth. That is, they graze on the organic goop that coats the lake bottom or timber, rock or riprap. "It was only when the shad began to bunch tightly and hold deeper — 7 or 8 feet over the top of the structure — that I'd catch anything.
Anglers can take advantage of this pattern to locate actively feeding bass and quickly fill a limit. Schools of baitfish do not guarantee bass will be present. "We do know that huge concentrations of shad will move into shallow water to seek shoreline cover during nocturnal hours.
Shad, in fact, spend much of their lives roaming throughout a lake, but these migrations into shallow water occur daily between spring and fall. When the baitfish were scattered, even though they were near the surface, I never caught any bass. "You fish around the school, keying on any structure or cover that may be available. "Robert Hamilton and David Fritts are not the first anglers to win tournaments because of shad.
"As summer progresses, I use larger and larger crankbaits, because the shad are getting larger. So don't automatically abandon the areas where you were catching fish in the summer just because the leaves are turning colors. Both species, the threadfin in particular, are especially sensitive to cold water. "The two types of shad in our impoundments, threadfin and the gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), can have profound impacts on the entire aquatic ecosystem because they are such important foods — not only for bass, but also for many other species," says fishery scientist Dr. Loren Hill. This sudden influx of prey appeals to opportunistic bass. The first migration occurs as the lake transitions from summer to fall and the second migration occurs when the lake transitions from fall to winter. Fall is upon us. To understand it you have to closer look — or in this case smaller — to see what is driving the migration.
Over the years, anglers and guides have occasionally noticed these movements and been able to take advantage of them, because bass followed the shad.
Professional guides on highland lakes have reported daily shad migrations that could be tracked for more than half a mile.
It's only when some obstacle tends to bunch the baitfish that we really notice them.
Gizzard shad, especially larger ones that trophy bass like to eat, are often benthic feeders. But what is really going on with these shad? In both cases, the game fish and their primary food source threadfin shad will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). These also happen to be natural ambush points. One predictable pattern this time of year is the migration of shad into the creeks ... and the resulting bass feeding frenzy!
In part, this temperature/stress relationship may be one of the reasons shad seem to be continually moving throughout a lake. Shad, of course, are not the only food on the bass menu. The eggs are adhesive and stick to the first hard surface they touch.
Shad are mostly filter feeders that eat primarily phytoplankton and zooplankton and cruise in huge schools, often traveling many miles in search of plankton-rich water. At each place Fritts found and caught bass, he also saw plenty of baitfish activity. Resident bass don't need to move when the buffet is right there in their living room. "In late spring, I like small crankbaits," explains Hamilton. As soon as the eggs are deposited, the adults leave. While they will usually not travel miles and miles following a school of shad, those that are resident in an area will certainly take advantage of the prey that swims into their home territory. There is a flip side to this fall migration pattern that you should not ignore. These feeding binges appear to occur most often when the school of shad is more compressed, as it might be when it funnels along a ditch or channel, or when it rises or sinks over a ridge or other type of structure to a particular depth, as Hamilton found during his Classic win. It wasn't even due to perfect luck. In the shallow coves and creeks however, the last warm, sunny days can cause quick warm-ups, and the plankton can continue to bloom.
"I could ride over the underwater structure I was fishing and see the shad on my depthfinder. So, in general, fall shad movements are fairly predictable and do offer an opportunity to find actively feeding bass more easily since they are concentrated in smaller areas in creeks and coves. The shad were so thick at times I couldn't even see the bottom, but those were the times bass started feeding. JOIN TODAY!
Shad schools, which may include larger older fish from previous years and small juvenile shad that were spawned in late summer, migrate into the creeks in search of food.
Take a look at the lures that landed anglers top finishes last week at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open at Cherokee Lake. In the winter, when the water grows much colder, the shad migrate back out of the creeks and into main lake depths. The answer to that often depends on the season of the year as well as where the shad are located. With longer nights and cold fronts, the leaves begin to turn, the waters cool and the fish move shallow. But remember that some portion of the bass population may have everything they need in offshore hangouts.
Fast-forward a year, to the 1993 Classic on the same lake. These are ambush points where the resident bass regularly feed.
When Robert Hamilton won the 1992 Bassmaster Classic on Alabama's Logan Martin Lake, it wasn't — as many believe — due to using the perfect lure or finding the perfect structure.
Water temperatures for gizzard shad at this time can be as cold as 57 degrees or as warm as 75 degrees, so the activity normally begins as early as mid-April in parts of their range.
Although bass feed heavily on both gizzard and threadfin shad throughout most of the year, nature has its own ways of taking care of possible overpopulations of these prolific baitfish. Enough is known, however, to realize that the well-being of sportfish populations depends on threadfin and gizzard shad. Although the shad continue to roam in the winter months, they generally remain in deep water because of their temperature tolerances. There are millions of shad, far more than there are bass. Threadfin shad can have multiple spawning periods between April and August, as long as the water temperature ranges between 66 and 75 degrees, which is another possible explanation for their movements to shallow water each evening. Open: Robertson soars to the top at Cherokee, Get best fishing times with lunar fishing calendars, Daily Limit: With AOY on the line, Mullins just going fishing, Changing seasons – stratification and the turnover.
Keep in mind, however, that the old adage of "find the shad and you will find the bass" does not always hold true. "Newly hatched shad larvae gradually migrate to pelagic areas (living near the surface of open areas of the lake) as they grow," says Hill. Because shad often comprise such a large proportion of the total fish population in a lake, however, they can influence the availability of these other creatures. The game fish and their primary food source, threadfin and gizzard shad, will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). Those are important words of praise for two fish about which the fisheries community has done little official research. Often, it is to a mossbed, treeline or other type of vegetation; it is not simply to open, shallow water. Instead, Hamilton attributes his world championship to a tiny, silvery white fish named Dorosoma petenense, better known as the threadfin shad. "Then, early in the morning, these same shad leave and head toward deeper water, where they roam throughout the day. The fish kills occur most often in shallower lakes, or in sections of a lake that are primarily shallow, when the temperature drops quickly and then stays cold. The challenge is to locate the spots that give predators a feeding advantage as the schools of shad cruise through the area. As summer gives way to fall, nutrients in the main lake are depleted and temperatures decline, putting a damper on plankton growth. That is, they graze on the organic goop that coats the lake bottom or timber, rock or riprap. "It was only when the shad began to bunch tightly and hold deeper — 7 or 8 feet over the top of the structure — that I'd catch anything.
Anglers can take advantage of this pattern to locate actively feeding bass and quickly fill a limit. Schools of baitfish do not guarantee bass will be present. "We do know that huge concentrations of shad will move into shallow water to seek shoreline cover during nocturnal hours.
Shad, in fact, spend much of their lives roaming throughout a lake, but these migrations into shallow water occur daily between spring and fall. When the baitfish were scattered, even though they were near the surface, I never caught any bass. "You fish around the school, keying on any structure or cover that may be available. "Robert Hamilton and David Fritts are not the first anglers to win tournaments because of shad.
"As summer progresses, I use larger and larger crankbaits, because the shad are getting larger. So don't automatically abandon the areas where you were catching fish in the summer just because the leaves are turning colors. Both species, the threadfin in particular, are especially sensitive to cold water. "The two types of shad in our impoundments, threadfin and the gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), can have profound impacts on the entire aquatic ecosystem because they are such important foods — not only for bass, but also for many other species," says fishery scientist Dr. Loren Hill. This sudden influx of prey appeals to opportunistic bass. The first migration occurs as the lake transitions from summer to fall and the second migration occurs when the lake transitions from fall to winter. Fall is upon us. To understand it you have to closer look — or in this case smaller — to see what is driving the migration.
Over the years, anglers and guides have occasionally noticed these movements and been able to take advantage of them, because bass followed the shad.
Professional guides on highland lakes have reported daily shad migrations that could be tracked for more than half a mile.
It's only when some obstacle tends to bunch the baitfish that we really notice them.
Gizzard shad, especially larger ones that trophy bass like to eat, are often benthic feeders. But what is really going on with these shad? In both cases, the game fish and their primary food source threadfin shad will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). These also happen to be natural ambush points. One predictable pattern this time of year is the migration of shad into the creeks ... and the resulting bass feeding frenzy!
In part, this temperature/stress relationship may be one of the reasons shad seem to be continually moving throughout a lake. Shad, of course, are not the only food on the bass menu. The eggs are adhesive and stick to the first hard surface they touch.
Shad are mostly filter feeders that eat primarily phytoplankton and zooplankton and cruise in huge schools, often traveling many miles in search of plankton-rich water. At each place Fritts found and caught bass, he also saw plenty of baitfish activity. Resident bass don't need to move when the buffet is right there in their living room. "In late spring, I like small crankbaits," explains Hamilton. As soon as the eggs are deposited, the adults leave. While they will usually not travel miles and miles following a school of shad, those that are resident in an area will certainly take advantage of the prey that swims into their home territory. There is a flip side to this fall migration pattern that you should not ignore. These feeding binges appear to occur most often when the school of shad is more compressed, as it might be when it funnels along a ditch or channel, or when it rises or sinks over a ridge or other type of structure to a particular depth, as Hamilton found during his Classic win. It wasn't even due to perfect luck. In the shallow coves and creeks however, the last warm, sunny days can cause quick warm-ups, and the plankton can continue to bloom.
"I could ride over the underwater structure I was fishing and see the shad on my depthfinder. So, in general, fall shad movements are fairly predictable and do offer an opportunity to find actively feeding bass more easily since they are concentrated in smaller areas in creeks and coves. The shad were so thick at times I couldn't even see the bottom, but those were the times bass started feeding. JOIN TODAY!
Shad schools, which may include larger older fish from previous years and small juvenile shad that were spawned in late summer, migrate into the creeks in search of food.
Take a look at the lures that landed anglers top finishes last week at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open at Cherokee Lake. In the winter, when the water grows much colder, the shad migrate back out of the creeks and into main lake depths. The answer to that often depends on the season of the year as well as where the shad are located. With longer nights and cold fronts, the leaves begin to turn, the waters cool and the fish move shallow. But remember that some portion of the bass population may have everything they need in offshore hangouts.
Fast-forward a year, to the 1993 Classic on the same lake. These are ambush points where the resident bass regularly feed.
When Robert Hamilton won the 1992 Bassmaster Classic on Alabama's Logan Martin Lake, it wasn't — as many believe — due to using the perfect lure or finding the perfect structure.
Water temperatures for gizzard shad at this time can be as cold as 57 degrees or as warm as 75 degrees, so the activity normally begins as early as mid-April in parts of their range.
Although bass feed heavily on both gizzard and threadfin shad throughout most of the year, nature has its own ways of taking care of possible overpopulations of these prolific baitfish. Enough is known, however, to realize that the well-being of sportfish populations depends on threadfin and gizzard shad. Although the shad continue to roam in the winter months, they generally remain in deep water because of their temperature tolerances. There are millions of shad, far more than there are bass. Threadfin shad can have multiple spawning periods between April and August, as long as the water temperature ranges between 66 and 75 degrees, which is another possible explanation for their movements to shallow water each evening. Open: Robertson soars to the top at Cherokee, Get best fishing times with lunar fishing calendars, Daily Limit: With AOY on the line, Mullins just going fishing, Changing seasons – stratification and the turnover.
Keep in mind, however, that the old adage of "find the shad and you will find the bass" does not always hold true. "Newly hatched shad larvae gradually migrate to pelagic areas (living near the surface of open areas of the lake) as they grow," says Hill. Because shad often comprise such a large proportion of the total fish population in a lake, however, they can influence the availability of these other creatures. The game fish and their primary food source, threadfin and gizzard shad, will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). Those are important words of praise for two fish about which the fisheries community has done little official research. Often, it is to a mossbed, treeline or other type of vegetation; it is not simply to open, shallow water. Instead, Hamilton attributes his world championship to a tiny, silvery white fish named Dorosoma petenense, better known as the threadfin shad. "Then, early in the morning, these same shad leave and head toward deeper water, where they roam throughout the day. The fish kills occur most often in shallower lakes, or in sections of a lake that are primarily shallow, when the temperature drops quickly and then stays cold. The challenge is to locate the spots that give predators a feeding advantage as the schools of shad cruise through the area. As summer gives way to fall, nutrients in the main lake are depleted and temperatures decline, putting a damper on plankton growth. That is, they graze on the organic goop that coats the lake bottom or timber, rock or riprap. "It was only when the shad began to bunch tightly and hold deeper — 7 or 8 feet over the top of the structure — that I'd catch anything.
Anglers can take advantage of this pattern to locate actively feeding bass and quickly fill a limit. Schools of baitfish do not guarantee bass will be present. "We do know that huge concentrations of shad will move into shallow water to seek shoreline cover during nocturnal hours.
Shad, in fact, spend much of their lives roaming throughout a lake, but these migrations into shallow water occur daily between spring and fall. When the baitfish were scattered, even though they were near the surface, I never caught any bass. "You fish around the school, keying on any structure or cover that may be available. "Robert Hamilton and David Fritts are not the first anglers to win tournaments because of shad.
"As summer progresses, I use larger and larger crankbaits, because the shad are getting larger. So don't automatically abandon the areas where you were catching fish in the summer just because the leaves are turning colors. Both species, the threadfin in particular, are especially sensitive to cold water. "The two types of shad in our impoundments, threadfin and the gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), can have profound impacts on the entire aquatic ecosystem because they are such important foods — not only for bass, but also for many other species," says fishery scientist Dr. Loren Hill. This sudden influx of prey appeals to opportunistic bass. The first migration occurs as the lake transitions from summer to fall and the second migration occurs when the lake transitions from fall to winter. Fall is upon us. To understand it you have to closer look — or in this case smaller — to see what is driving the migration.
Over the years, anglers and guides have occasionally noticed these movements and been able to take advantage of them, because bass followed the shad.
Professional guides on highland lakes have reported daily shad migrations that could be tracked for more than half a mile.
It's only when some obstacle tends to bunch the baitfish that we really notice them.
Gizzard shad, especially larger ones that trophy bass like to eat, are often benthic feeders. But what is really going on with these shad? In both cases, the game fish and their primary food source threadfin shad will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). These also happen to be natural ambush points. One predictable pattern this time of year is the migration of shad into the creeks ... and the resulting bass feeding frenzy!
In part, this temperature/stress relationship may be one of the reasons shad seem to be continually moving throughout a lake. Shad, of course, are not the only food on the bass menu. The eggs are adhesive and stick to the first hard surface they touch.
Shad are mostly filter feeders that eat primarily phytoplankton and zooplankton and cruise in huge schools, often traveling many miles in search of plankton-rich water. At each place Fritts found and caught bass, he also saw plenty of baitfish activity. Resident bass don't need to move when the buffet is right there in their living room. "In late spring, I like small crankbaits," explains Hamilton. As soon as the eggs are deposited, the adults leave. While they will usually not travel miles and miles following a school of shad, those that are resident in an area will certainly take advantage of the prey that swims into their home territory. There is a flip side to this fall migration pattern that you should not ignore. These feeding binges appear to occur most often when the school of shad is more compressed, as it might be when it funnels along a ditch or channel, or when it rises or sinks over a ridge or other type of structure to a particular depth, as Hamilton found during his Classic win. It wasn't even due to perfect luck. In the shallow coves and creeks however, the last warm, sunny days can cause quick warm-ups, and the plankton can continue to bloom.
"I could ride over the underwater structure I was fishing and see the shad on my depthfinder. So, in general, fall shad movements are fairly predictable and do offer an opportunity to find actively feeding bass more easily since they are concentrated in smaller areas in creeks and coves. The shad were so thick at times I couldn't even see the bottom, but those were the times bass started feeding. JOIN TODAY!
Shad schools, which may include larger older fish from previous years and small juvenile shad that were spawned in late summer, migrate into the creeks in search of food.
Take a look at the lures that landed anglers top finishes last week at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open at Cherokee Lake. In the winter, when the water grows much colder, the shad migrate back out of the creeks and into main lake depths. The answer to that often depends on the season of the year as well as where the shad are located. With longer nights and cold fronts, the leaves begin to turn, the waters cool and the fish move shallow. But remember that some portion of the bass population may have everything they need in offshore hangouts.
Fast-forward a year, to the 1993 Classic on the same lake. These are ambush points where the resident bass regularly feed.
When Robert Hamilton won the 1992 Bassmaster Classic on Alabama's Logan Martin Lake, it wasn't — as many believe — due to using the perfect lure or finding the perfect structure.
Water temperatures for gizzard shad at this time can be as cold as 57 degrees or as warm as 75 degrees, so the activity normally begins as early as mid-April in parts of their range.
Although bass feed heavily on both gizzard and threadfin shad throughout most of the year, nature has its own ways of taking care of possible overpopulations of these prolific baitfish. Enough is known, however, to realize that the well-being of sportfish populations depends on threadfin and gizzard shad. Although the shad continue to roam in the winter months, they generally remain in deep water because of their temperature tolerances. There are millions of shad, far more than there are bass. Threadfin shad can have multiple spawning periods between April and August, as long as the water temperature ranges between 66 and 75 degrees, which is another possible explanation for their movements to shallow water each evening. Open: Robertson soars to the top at Cherokee, Get best fishing times with lunar fishing calendars, Daily Limit: With AOY on the line, Mullins just going fishing, Changing seasons – stratification and the turnover.
Keep in mind, however, that the old adage of "find the shad and you will find the bass" does not always hold true. "Newly hatched shad larvae gradually migrate to pelagic areas (living near the surface of open areas of the lake) as they grow," says Hill. Because shad often comprise such a large proportion of the total fish population in a lake, however, they can influence the availability of these other creatures. The game fish and their primary food source, threadfin and gizzard shad, will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). Those are important words of praise for two fish about which the fisheries community has done little official research. Often, it is to a mossbed, treeline or other type of vegetation; it is not simply to open, shallow water. Instead, Hamilton attributes his world championship to a tiny, silvery white fish named Dorosoma petenense, better known as the threadfin shad. "Then, early in the morning, these same shad leave and head toward deeper water, where they roam throughout the day. The fish kills occur most often in shallower lakes, or in sections of a lake that are primarily shallow, when the temperature drops quickly and then stays cold. The challenge is to locate the spots that give predators a feeding advantage as the schools of shad cruise through the area. As summer gives way to fall, nutrients in the main lake are depleted and temperatures decline, putting a damper on plankton growth. That is, they graze on the organic goop that coats the lake bottom or timber, rock or riprap. "It was only when the shad began to bunch tightly and hold deeper — 7 or 8 feet over the top of the structure — that I'd catch anything.
Anglers can take advantage of this pattern to locate actively feeding bass and quickly fill a limit. Schools of baitfish do not guarantee bass will be present. "We do know that huge concentrations of shad will move into shallow water to seek shoreline cover during nocturnal hours.
Shad, in fact, spend much of their lives roaming throughout a lake, but these migrations into shallow water occur daily between spring and fall. When the baitfish were scattered, even though they were near the surface, I never caught any bass. "You fish around the school, keying on any structure or cover that may be available. "Robert Hamilton and David Fritts are not the first anglers to win tournaments because of shad.
"As summer progresses, I use larger and larger crankbaits, because the shad are getting larger. So don't automatically abandon the areas where you were catching fish in the summer just because the leaves are turning colors. Both species, the threadfin in particular, are especially sensitive to cold water. "The two types of shad in our impoundments, threadfin and the gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), can have profound impacts on the entire aquatic ecosystem because they are such important foods — not only for bass, but also for many other species," says fishery scientist Dr. Loren Hill. This sudden influx of prey appeals to opportunistic bass. The first migration occurs as the lake transitions from summer to fall and the second migration occurs when the lake transitions from fall to winter. Fall is upon us. To understand it you have to closer look — or in this case smaller — to see what is driving the migration.
Over the years, anglers and guides have occasionally noticed these movements and been able to take advantage of them, because bass followed the shad.
Professional guides on highland lakes have reported daily shad migrations that could be tracked for more than half a mile.
It's only when some obstacle tends to bunch the baitfish that we really notice them.
Gizzard shad, especially larger ones that trophy bass like to eat, are often benthic feeders. But what is really going on with these shad? In both cases, the game fish and their primary food source threadfin shad will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). These also happen to be natural ambush points. One predictable pattern this time of year is the migration of shad into the creeks ... and the resulting bass feeding frenzy!
In part, this temperature/stress relationship may be one of the reasons shad seem to be continually moving throughout a lake. Shad, of course, are not the only food on the bass menu. The eggs are adhesive and stick to the first hard surface they touch.
Shad are mostly filter feeders that eat primarily phytoplankton and zooplankton and cruise in huge schools, often traveling many miles in search of plankton-rich water. At each place Fritts found and caught bass, he also saw plenty of baitfish activity. Resident bass don't need to move when the buffet is right there in their living room. "In late spring, I like small crankbaits," explains Hamilton. As soon as the eggs are deposited, the adults leave. While they will usually not travel miles and miles following a school of shad, those that are resident in an area will certainly take advantage of the prey that swims into their home territory. There is a flip side to this fall migration pattern that you should not ignore. These feeding binges appear to occur most often when the school of shad is more compressed, as it might be when it funnels along a ditch or channel, or when it rises or sinks over a ridge or other type of structure to a particular depth, as Hamilton found during his Classic win. It wasn't even due to perfect luck. In the shallow coves and creeks however, the last warm, sunny days can cause quick warm-ups, and the plankton can continue to bloom.
"I could ride over the underwater structure I was fishing and see the shad on my depthfinder. So, in general, fall shad movements are fairly predictable and do offer an opportunity to find actively feeding bass more easily since they are concentrated in smaller areas in creeks and coves. The shad were so thick at times I couldn't even see the bottom, but those were the times bass started feeding. JOIN TODAY!
Shad schools, which may include larger older fish from previous years and small juvenile shad that were spawned in late summer, migrate into the creeks in search of food.
Take a look at the lures that landed anglers top finishes last week at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open at Cherokee Lake. In the winter, when the water grows much colder, the shad migrate back out of the creeks and into main lake depths. The answer to that often depends on the season of the year as well as where the shad are located. With longer nights and cold fronts, the leaves begin to turn, the waters cool and the fish move shallow. But remember that some portion of the bass population may have everything they need in offshore hangouts.
Fast-forward a year, to the 1993 Classic on the same lake. These are ambush points where the resident bass regularly feed.
When Robert Hamilton won the 1992 Bassmaster Classic on Alabama's Logan Martin Lake, it wasn't — as many believe — due to using the perfect lure or finding the perfect structure.
Water temperatures for gizzard shad at this time can be as cold as 57 degrees or as warm as 75 degrees, so the activity normally begins as early as mid-April in parts of their range.
Although bass feed heavily on both gizzard and threadfin shad throughout most of the year, nature has its own ways of taking care of possible overpopulations of these prolific baitfish. Enough is known, however, to realize that the well-being of sportfish populations depends on threadfin and gizzard shad. Although the shad continue to roam in the winter months, they generally remain in deep water because of their temperature tolerances. There are millions of shad, far more than there are bass. Threadfin shad can have multiple spawning periods between April and August, as long as the water temperature ranges between 66 and 75 degrees, which is another possible explanation for their movements to shallow water each evening. Open: Robertson soars to the top at Cherokee, Get best fishing times with lunar fishing calendars, Daily Limit: With AOY on the line, Mullins just going fishing, Changing seasons – stratification and the turnover.
Keep in mind, however, that the old adage of "find the shad and you will find the bass" does not always hold true. "Newly hatched shad larvae gradually migrate to pelagic areas (living near the surface of open areas of the lake) as they grow," says Hill. Because shad often comprise such a large proportion of the total fish population in a lake, however, they can influence the availability of these other creatures. The game fish and their primary food source, threadfin and gizzard shad, will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). Those are important words of praise for two fish about which the fisheries community has done little official research. Often, it is to a mossbed, treeline or other type of vegetation; it is not simply to open, shallow water. Instead, Hamilton attributes his world championship to a tiny, silvery white fish named Dorosoma petenense, better known as the threadfin shad. "Then, early in the morning, these same shad leave and head toward deeper water, where they roam throughout the day. The fish kills occur most often in shallower lakes, or in sections of a lake that are primarily shallow, when the temperature drops quickly and then stays cold. The challenge is to locate the spots that give predators a feeding advantage as the schools of shad cruise through the area. As summer gives way to fall, nutrients in the main lake are depleted and temperatures decline, putting a damper on plankton growth. That is, they graze on the organic goop that coats the lake bottom or timber, rock or riprap. "It was only when the shad began to bunch tightly and hold deeper — 7 or 8 feet over the top of the structure — that I'd catch anything.
Anglers can take advantage of this pattern to locate actively feeding bass and quickly fill a limit. Schools of baitfish do not guarantee bass will be present. "We do know that huge concentrations of shad will move into shallow water to seek shoreline cover during nocturnal hours.
Shad, in fact, spend much of their lives roaming throughout a lake, but these migrations into shallow water occur daily between spring and fall. When the baitfish were scattered, even though they were near the surface, I never caught any bass. "You fish around the school, keying on any structure or cover that may be available. "Robert Hamilton and David Fritts are not the first anglers to win tournaments because of shad.
"As summer progresses, I use larger and larger crankbaits, because the shad are getting larger. So don't automatically abandon the areas where you were catching fish in the summer just because the leaves are turning colors. Both species, the threadfin in particular, are especially sensitive to cold water. "The two types of shad in our impoundments, threadfin and the gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), can have profound impacts on the entire aquatic ecosystem because they are such important foods — not only for bass, but also for many other species," says fishery scientist Dr. Loren Hill. This sudden influx of prey appeals to opportunistic bass. The first migration occurs as the lake transitions from summer to fall and the second migration occurs when the lake transitions from fall to winter. Fall is upon us. To understand it you have to closer look — or in this case smaller — to see what is driving the migration.
Over the years, anglers and guides have occasionally noticed these movements and been able to take advantage of them, because bass followed the shad.
Professional guides on highland lakes have reported daily shad migrations that could be tracked for more than half a mile.
It's only when some obstacle tends to bunch the baitfish that we really notice them.
Gizzard shad, especially larger ones that trophy bass like to eat, are often benthic feeders. But what is really going on with these shad? In both cases, the game fish and their primary food source threadfin shad will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). These also happen to be natural ambush points. One predictable pattern this time of year is the migration of shad into the creeks ... and the resulting bass feeding frenzy!
In part, this temperature/stress relationship may be one of the reasons shad seem to be continually moving throughout a lake. Shad, of course, are not the only food on the bass menu. The eggs are adhesive and stick to the first hard surface they touch.
Shad are mostly filter feeders that eat primarily phytoplankton and zooplankton and cruise in huge schools, often traveling many miles in search of plankton-rich water. At each place Fritts found and caught bass, he also saw plenty of baitfish activity. Resident bass don't need to move when the buffet is right there in their living room. "In late spring, I like small crankbaits," explains Hamilton. As soon as the eggs are deposited, the adults leave. While they will usually not travel miles and miles following a school of shad, those that are resident in an area will certainly take advantage of the prey that swims into their home territory. There is a flip side to this fall migration pattern that you should not ignore. These feeding binges appear to occur most often when the school of shad is more compressed, as it might be when it funnels along a ditch or channel, or when it rises or sinks over a ridge or other type of structure to a particular depth, as Hamilton found during his Classic win. It wasn't even due to perfect luck. In the shallow coves and creeks however, the last warm, sunny days can cause quick warm-ups, and the plankton can continue to bloom.
"I could ride over the underwater structure I was fishing and see the shad on my depthfinder. So, in general, fall shad movements are fairly predictable and do offer an opportunity to find actively feeding bass more easily since they are concentrated in smaller areas in creeks and coves. The shad were so thick at times I couldn't even see the bottom, but those were the times bass started feeding. JOIN TODAY!
Shad schools, which may include larger older fish from previous years and small juvenile shad that were spawned in late summer, migrate into the creeks in search of food.
Take a look at the lures that landed anglers top finishes last week at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open at Cherokee Lake. In the winter, when the water grows much colder, the shad migrate back out of the creeks and into main lake depths. The answer to that often depends on the season of the year as well as where the shad are located. With longer nights and cold fronts, the leaves begin to turn, the waters cool and the fish move shallow. But remember that some portion of the bass population may have everything they need in offshore hangouts.
Fast-forward a year, to the 1993 Classic on the same lake. These are ambush points where the resident bass regularly feed.
When Robert Hamilton won the 1992 Bassmaster Classic on Alabama's Logan Martin Lake, it wasn't — as many believe — due to using the perfect lure or finding the perfect structure.
Water temperatures for gizzard shad at this time can be as cold as 57 degrees or as warm as 75 degrees, so the activity normally begins as early as mid-April in parts of their range.
Although bass feed heavily on both gizzard and threadfin shad throughout most of the year, nature has its own ways of taking care of possible overpopulations of these prolific baitfish. Enough is known, however, to realize that the well-being of sportfish populations depends on threadfin and gizzard shad. Although the shad continue to roam in the winter months, they generally remain in deep water because of their temperature tolerances. There are millions of shad, far more than there are bass. Threadfin shad can have multiple spawning periods between April and August, as long as the water temperature ranges between 66 and 75 degrees, which is another possible explanation for their movements to shallow water each evening. Open: Robertson soars to the top at Cherokee, Get best fishing times with lunar fishing calendars, Daily Limit: With AOY on the line, Mullins just going fishing, Changing seasons – stratification and the turnover.
Keep in mind, however, that the old adage of "find the shad and you will find the bass" does not always hold true. "Newly hatched shad larvae gradually migrate to pelagic areas (living near the surface of open areas of the lake) as they grow," says Hill. Because shad often comprise such a large proportion of the total fish population in a lake, however, they can influence the availability of these other creatures. The game fish and their primary food source, threadfin and gizzard shad, will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). Those are important words of praise for two fish about which the fisheries community has done little official research. Often, it is to a mossbed, treeline or other type of vegetation; it is not simply to open, shallow water. Instead, Hamilton attributes his world championship to a tiny, silvery white fish named Dorosoma petenense, better known as the threadfin shad. "Then, early in the morning, these same shad leave and head toward deeper water, where they roam throughout the day. The fish kills occur most often in shallower lakes, or in sections of a lake that are primarily shallow, when the temperature drops quickly and then stays cold. The challenge is to locate the spots that give predators a feeding advantage as the schools of shad cruise through the area. As summer gives way to fall, nutrients in the main lake are depleted and temperatures decline, putting a damper on plankton growth. That is, they graze on the organic goop that coats the lake bottom or timber, rock or riprap. "It was only when the shad began to bunch tightly and hold deeper — 7 or 8 feet over the top of the structure — that I'd catch anything.
Anglers can take advantage of this pattern to locate actively feeding bass and quickly fill a limit. Schools of baitfish do not guarantee bass will be present. "We do know that huge concentrations of shad will move into shallow water to seek shoreline cover during nocturnal hours.
Shad, in fact, spend much of their lives roaming throughout a lake, but these migrations into shallow water occur daily between spring and fall. When the baitfish were scattered, even though they were near the surface, I never caught any bass. "You fish around the school, keying on any structure or cover that may be available. "Robert Hamilton and David Fritts are not the first anglers to win tournaments because of shad.
"As summer progresses, I use larger and larger crankbaits, because the shad are getting larger. So don't automatically abandon the areas where you were catching fish in the summer just because the leaves are turning colors. Both species, the threadfin in particular, are especially sensitive to cold water. "The two types of shad in our impoundments, threadfin and the gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), can have profound impacts on the entire aquatic ecosystem because they are such important foods — not only for bass, but also for many other species," says fishery scientist Dr. Loren Hill. This sudden influx of prey appeals to opportunistic bass. The first migration occurs as the lake transitions from summer to fall and the second migration occurs when the lake transitions from fall to winter. Fall is upon us. To understand it you have to closer look — or in this case smaller — to see what is driving the migration.
Over the years, anglers and guides have occasionally noticed these movements and been able to take advantage of them, because bass followed the shad.
Professional guides on highland lakes have reported daily shad migrations that could be tracked for more than half a mile.
It's only when some obstacle tends to bunch the baitfish that we really notice them.
Once shad are located, the obvious question is how to take advantage of them to catch bass.
Because bass are such opportunistic feeders, their diet includes such diverse items as crawfish, bluegill and other small sunfish, frogs, baby ducks, rainbow trout and even their own offspring. There is very little that is truly random about bass feeding patterns. Good oxygen, comfortable temperature and plenty of food means there's no need to migrate. When bass are feeding heavily on schools of shad, sometimes 'matching the hatch' with the right size of lure is really important.".
Do bass anglers need every color of the rainbow. Open: Robertson soars to the top at Cherokee, Get best fishing times with lunar fishing calendars, Daily Limit: With AOY on the line, Mullins just going fishing, Podcast: AOY Championship Fantasy talk with Rich Lindgren, Fantasy Fishing: Mark Daniels Jr. was best pick at Classic, 2018 Bassmaster Classic Bracket to expand, The International Game Fish Association inducts Rick Clunn into Fishing Hall of Fame, Stephen Browning: The Crankmaster General, Changing seasons – stratification and the turnover.
JOIN TODAY!
Gizzard shad, especially larger ones that trophy bass like to eat, are often benthic feeders. But what is really going on with these shad? In both cases, the game fish and their primary food source threadfin shad will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). These also happen to be natural ambush points. One predictable pattern this time of year is the migration of shad into the creeks ... and the resulting bass feeding frenzy!
In part, this temperature/stress relationship may be one of the reasons shad seem to be continually moving throughout a lake. Shad, of course, are not the only food on the bass menu. The eggs are adhesive and stick to the first hard surface they touch.
Shad are mostly filter feeders that eat primarily phytoplankton and zooplankton and cruise in huge schools, often traveling many miles in search of plankton-rich water. At each place Fritts found and caught bass, he also saw plenty of baitfish activity. Resident bass don't need to move when the buffet is right there in their living room. "In late spring, I like small crankbaits," explains Hamilton. As soon as the eggs are deposited, the adults leave. While they will usually not travel miles and miles following a school of shad, those that are resident in an area will certainly take advantage of the prey that swims into their home territory. There is a flip side to this fall migration pattern that you should not ignore. These feeding binges appear to occur most often when the school of shad is more compressed, as it might be when it funnels along a ditch or channel, or when it rises or sinks over a ridge or other type of structure to a particular depth, as Hamilton found during his Classic win. It wasn't even due to perfect luck. In the shallow coves and creeks however, the last warm, sunny days can cause quick warm-ups, and the plankton can continue to bloom.
"I could ride over the underwater structure I was fishing and see the shad on my depthfinder. So, in general, fall shad movements are fairly predictable and do offer an opportunity to find actively feeding bass more easily since they are concentrated in smaller areas in creeks and coves. The shad were so thick at times I couldn't even see the bottom, but those were the times bass started feeding. JOIN TODAY!
Shad schools, which may include larger older fish from previous years and small juvenile shad that were spawned in late summer, migrate into the creeks in search of food.
Take a look at the lures that landed anglers top finishes last week at the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Open at Cherokee Lake. In the winter, when the water grows much colder, the shad migrate back out of the creeks and into main lake depths. The answer to that often depends on the season of the year as well as where the shad are located. With longer nights and cold fronts, the leaves begin to turn, the waters cool and the fish move shallow. But remember that some portion of the bass population may have everything they need in offshore hangouts.
Fast-forward a year, to the 1993 Classic on the same lake. These are ambush points where the resident bass regularly feed.
When Robert Hamilton won the 1992 Bassmaster Classic on Alabama's Logan Martin Lake, it wasn't — as many believe — due to using the perfect lure or finding the perfect structure.
Water temperatures for gizzard shad at this time can be as cold as 57 degrees or as warm as 75 degrees, so the activity normally begins as early as mid-April in parts of their range.
Although bass feed heavily on both gizzard and threadfin shad throughout most of the year, nature has its own ways of taking care of possible overpopulations of these prolific baitfish. Enough is known, however, to realize that the well-being of sportfish populations depends on threadfin and gizzard shad. Although the shad continue to roam in the winter months, they generally remain in deep water because of their temperature tolerances. There are millions of shad, far more than there are bass. Threadfin shad can have multiple spawning periods between April and August, as long as the water temperature ranges between 66 and 75 degrees, which is another possible explanation for their movements to shallow water each evening. Open: Robertson soars to the top at Cherokee, Get best fishing times with lunar fishing calendars, Daily Limit: With AOY on the line, Mullins just going fishing, Changing seasons – stratification and the turnover.
Keep in mind, however, that the old adage of "find the shad and you will find the bass" does not always hold true. "Newly hatched shad larvae gradually migrate to pelagic areas (living near the surface of open areas of the lake) as they grow," says Hill. Because shad often comprise such a large proportion of the total fish population in a lake, however, they can influence the availability of these other creatures. The game fish and their primary food source, threadfin and gizzard shad, will first move from deep water to shallow water (summer to fall transition) and then from shallow water to deep water (fall to winter transition). Those are important words of praise for two fish about which the fisheries community has done little official research. Often, it is to a mossbed, treeline or other type of vegetation; it is not simply to open, shallow water. Instead, Hamilton attributes his world championship to a tiny, silvery white fish named Dorosoma petenense, better known as the threadfin shad. "Then, early in the morning, these same shad leave and head toward deeper water, where they roam throughout the day. The fish kills occur most often in shallower lakes, or in sections of a lake that are primarily shallow, when the temperature drops quickly and then stays cold. The challenge is to locate the spots that give predators a feeding advantage as the schools of shad cruise through the area. As summer gives way to fall, nutrients in the main lake are depleted and temperatures decline, putting a damper on plankton growth. That is, they graze on the organic goop that coats the lake bottom or timber, rock or riprap. "It was only when the shad began to bunch tightly and hold deeper — 7 or 8 feet over the top of the structure — that I'd catch anything.
Anglers can take advantage of this pattern to locate actively feeding bass and quickly fill a limit. Schools of baitfish do not guarantee bass will be present. "We do know that huge concentrations of shad will move into shallow water to seek shoreline cover during nocturnal hours.
Shad, in fact, spend much of their lives roaming throughout a lake, but these migrations into shallow water occur daily between spring and fall. When the baitfish were scattered, even though they were near the surface, I never caught any bass. "You fish around the school, keying on any structure or cover that may be available. "Robert Hamilton and David Fritts are not the first anglers to win tournaments because of shad.
"As summer progresses, I use larger and larger crankbaits, because the shad are getting larger. So don't automatically abandon the areas where you were catching fish in the summer just because the leaves are turning colors. Both species, the threadfin in particular, are especially sensitive to cold water. "The two types of shad in our impoundments, threadfin and the gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), can have profound impacts on the entire aquatic ecosystem because they are such important foods — not only for bass, but also for many other species," says fishery scientist Dr. Loren Hill. This sudden influx of prey appeals to opportunistic bass. The first migration occurs as the lake transitions from summer to fall and the second migration occurs when the lake transitions from fall to winter. Fall is upon us. To understand it you have to closer look — or in this case smaller — to see what is driving the migration.
Over the years, anglers and guides have occasionally noticed these movements and been able to take advantage of them, because bass followed the shad.
Professional guides on highland lakes have reported daily shad migrations that could be tracked for more than half a mile.
It's only when some obstacle tends to bunch the baitfish that we really notice them.
What anglers observe is only part of the food chain dynamic. Shad become the one key ingredient to the angler’s success during both of these migrations.
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