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Oct 30
Today I hit the lake with a client for 5 hours. I had a good report from one of my guides yesterday so I was anxious to get out and take a stab at them. We left from Fate Sanders and headed straight to Jones Mill Cove. The bait was everywhere!!! In the back, on the right side, on the left point and out in the main channel. I started on the long point on the left. We started casting directly into the shad with shad pattern rattle traps and Alabama Rigs. After just a few minutes my client hooked into a 5lb striper that took a while to get in on his spinning rig…awesome! A few minutes later I switched over to my 1/2oz chorme rattle trap and caught a 2.5lb hybrid followed by a 3lb white bass! At this time we were in the middle of the channel(50ft) and casting to random schools of bait. I trolled back to the main point and fished my way into the cove. We made cast after cast without any action. Well, there was a ton of action, but nothing would hit our rattle traps, A-rig, or even spooks and shad raps. I made one last pass to the main point near the bank with my finesse 1/4oz shaky head with a green/pumpkin red flake Zoom trick worm. After a few cast dragging back slowly…..GULP! I set the hook and the fight was on. I tired out a 4.5lb largemouth and swung him in the boat! We fished for 20 minutes without another bite and made a move.
Next, we moved to Stewarts Creek in the ski cove. I scanned around for 5 minutes without finding any bait and high tailed it out of there.
I motored to the mouth of the Smyrna pump house(coming from Fate Sanders) and stopped on the left point. There was bait everywhere with an occasional bass feeding on the surface. After 10 minutes of casting my client caught 1.5lb largemouth. I had my boat in 6ft-8ft casting into 2ft-3ft. We fished the entire left bank and then moved to the right bank without a bite.
I motored up lake to the big flat on the right just past Fall Creek. Once again, bait everywhere with bass slamming shad on the surface. We started in 6ft and fished 200 yards into 2ft with only one bite from a white bass.
Next, I traveled behind Fate Sanders Marina. As I approached I did not see any bait, but thought that might be a good thing since we had not been catching a lot in the large schools of shad. We started on the left mud flat casting into 2ft with our rattle traps. Once we reached the back left corner my client caught a 2lb largemouth! Alright, here we go…..NOT. We fished the entire cove without another bite.
I figured we would try Jones Mill Cove again where we started this morning. As we approached I could see even more bait and bass than when we were there in the morning. I idled up to the point and started casting my A-rig and my client continued with his rattle trap. The next 30 minutes we took 1,000 cast without a bite! VERY frustrating!!! I picked up my shaky head and cast it into 4ft-6ft(we were in 25ft). The next 15 minutes I caught a 2.5lb and a short bass! We fished a little longer and then packed it up.
Not a horrible day, but one of those days you think your on the brink of a fantastic day and it just never happens. It can be so frustrating chasing bait all day trying to find a school of catchable bass. Nevertheless, there is a tons of action on the lake! If you can get into the right place or out on the right day, you can completely wear the bass out!!!
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5 Replies
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Brian, I have had some moderate success fishing those bait balls with a blade bait, like a Silver Buddy.
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I almost pulled into Jones Mill Cove yesterday, but I counted 5 boats in there so I said I would come back later. When I came back, still a lot of boats. I would have never thought to slow down and fish a shaky head to get them to bite right now. And I had the same experience as you in stewards creek :D.
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Creekcrappie, if you can’t get the bigger fish to hit by bringing your bait through the bait ball, the Shakeyhead can be fished under the bait ball and it will usually catch the bigger fish that are more lethargic. At least that is my experience.
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I was having the same kind of day on Monday except it seemed like every time I put the sexy shad trap in the middle of a bait ball I was hooking more of the shad than getting and hits. Plus I noticed I would get a lot of followers but would turn tail. Then I realized the hatch was exactly same size and color as my live target Bait ball shad square bill and so threw that one just outside the bait and the bite was on. Stripes, Whites, and largemouth for a little over an hour nothing but direct hits on the live target. It was the first time I actually stayed in one spot for a long time. I was only able to get out for a few hours but very much worth it.
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I was having the same kind of day on Monday except it seemed like every time I put the sexy shad trap in the middle of a bait ball I was hooking more of the shad than getting and hits. Plus I noticed I would get a lot of followers but would turn tail. Then I realized the hatch was exactly same size and color as my live target Bait ball shad square bill and so threw that one just outside the bait and the bite was on. Stripes, Whites, and largemouth for a little over an hour nothing but direct hits on the live target. It was the first time I actually stayed in one spot for a long time. I was only able to get out for a few hours but very much worth it.
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