It's that magical time of year again when the bass are schooling
up thick. It seems a good time to review the basics of fishing
for schoolers or "How to Load the Boat Without Really
Trying".
The first step is obviously to find the schools. Look for diving
birds or surface splashing, (obvious). What may not be quite so
obvious is you can pretty well predict where the action will take
place. Look for structure, (points, ledges, holes), near deep
water. The easiest way for a school of bass to ambush a school of
bait fish is to push them out of deep water onto a shallow piece
of structure then attack from beneath. It more or less pins the
bait to the surface with the shallow structure acting as a
corral. If you're in the area of a lake where the main lake body
is broken up with a lot of shallow structure, your chances are
better than most for finding a school of bass. And don't overlook
that isolated oil slick over deep water, or that familiar
"fishy" smell. It could be a sign of active feeders
wailing on a school of shad just below the surface. And if not,
you found a good crappie hole for the next trip.
When a school comes up, there are still a couple of things you
need to find out before you throw that first lure. What size are
the bait fish? What size are the bass? Is the school tightly
packed or a loose area of single feeders? Are they slashing and
chasing anything that moves, or leisurely picking off the
cripples? Is the school staying pretty much in one spot or
pushing and chasing the bait all over the lake? Once you find the
mood of the fish, that will pretty much tell you how to work the
school the most effectively.
The biggest and most common mistake made happens when a boat
approaches a school. I can't count how many times I've seen a
boat come roaring in on an active school only to watch them
disappear before the first cast is made. If left alone, most
schools will be active for at least an hour, any many times
several hours. If you spook them once, they're gone for the day.
Approach a school with your trolling motor, not the big motor.
Try to come up from behind, be that: from down wind; from the
deeper water towards the shallows; from where they were to where
they're going; or in most cases, all of the above. Use the time
as you approach to figure out what the shape, size, and mood of
the school is going to be. Have your partner tie up both your
lures once you've settled on your choice. A couple of extra
minutes now could well spell the difference in a boat load or a
bust. Keep far enough back so a long cast just catches the edge
of the school, not the middle or across the active area. By just
tickling the edges, you may not get bit every cast, but once
every fifth cast over an hour isn't bad. If you are coming from
behind the school, don't wait until you get to the surface action
to start fishing. The biggest fish are generally less aggressive
and many times will trail a school of smaller feeders and pick
off the leaving!
The most important information about a school is the size of the
bait. Match your bait to the size of the bait fish. For 3 to 5+
inch shad, a large willow leaf spinner bait or a 3/4 oz Rattle
Trap is a good start. If you don't get hit on these baits, try a
7 inch jerk bait or large shallow running crank bait. If the bait
fish are your basic 2 inch minnows, a Little George, Gitzits, or
a 4 inch Sluggo could just be the ticket. For a faster bait try a
1/4 oz Rattle Traps, Pop-Rs, or Tiny Torpedoes in Chrome or
White.
The size of the bass will dictate how you fish the school. If you
have small bass chasing small bait, you've got a good chance to
waste your day trying to find a legal fish. If you have small
bass chasing big bait, chances are some good fish are in the
area. Try a suspending jerk bait or a Carolina worm just behind
the school if it's moving, or at the edge of the deep water if on
a shoal. The bigger fish are most likely feeding on the fresh
kill as they drop to the bottom. If you have 3 - 5 lb. fish on
the surface, a real kicker could be near but get your limit off
the feeders first. A 7 inch Sluggo or a Zara Spook would be my
first choices. A Willow Leaf Spinner Bait or a Poe's 300 could
also work well. If you have those 1 - 2 lb. grade fish working
the top on smaller bait, still get a limit before trying for the
hawgs. This is the time for those Little Georges or a Salt and
Pepper Gitzit. A 4 inch Sluggo will work at times when nothing
else will draw a bite.
A tightly bunched school boiling the surface will generally hit
anything that moves, as long as they don't get too good of look
at it. In this case work what ever bait you chose just a fast as
you can. Now is when those high gear ratio reels work wonders.
There's just no way to out reel a fish if he really wants it! The
trick seems to be to give the fish just a spit second to see the
bait and have him hit it before looking. Clear or Salt and Pepper
lure works great in clear water since the fish can't see it and
are just hitting at the movement. Pop-Rs will draw up bites from
schoolers that go down if you really rip it as fast as you can.
Speed is the key and those with faint hearts need not apply.
If your school is scattered over a wider area, then you're more
on a feeding station than a true school. If you see fish busting
all over the place in seemingly random small schools, it's going
to be a bit tougher, but the results can be spectacular if you
find the key. But, try to work this situation as a typical
school, the end of the day will find you with a great story and
an empty livewell. This condition normally has number of
predictable conditions associated with it. It is characterized by
reduced light, either cloud cover or a high wind, a large volume
of bait in the area, medium to shallow water flats, and a rising
surface temperature. These conditions will bring the bass up in
droves but it's also the time when horror stories abound about
lock jawed fish and short strikes. These fish will be feeding but
are likely to be gorged by the time you find them. They will have
had their fill of bait and be very selective about what to have
for dessert. Present an opportunity just too good to pass up. If
you have your heart set on surface lures, try the clear plastic
ones or with just a hint of color. Clear Spooks, Crippled
Minnows, or Bang-O-Lures work well in this situation. Work them
slow with plenty of pauses. Most strikes come just as the lure to
starting to move after being stopped for a while. You may find
better success trying under the surface. A suspending bait or one
that falls slowly can be deadly under these conditions. A slit
shot Sluggo in Shad color or on a light Carolina rig just
twitched every once in a while can convince even the most
stubborn fish to bite. Dead Worming works now when nothing else
gets a second glance. Be slow and patient and don't expect the
hard hit. These fish may just pick up the lure and move awhile
before they bother to eat it. Concentrate on what you're doing
and don't miss a bite you work hard for.
What ever the conditions, don't assume just because the fish
go down for a while that the party's over. The fish are there
they're just recovering from the last lunge. Work the area with
small slow moving baits that won't spook the school out of the
area. Be ready when the action gets fast. One old trick for
schoolers is to have your partner cast right beside a fish you
have hooked. Many times your partner will catch a second bass
curious about what the first bass just ate. You won't need many
doubles for your limit, just make sure your fish is hooked good
before you try anything except putting him in the net.
Fishing schools give us some of the best memories we'll ever have
about fast action and tons of bass. It's not hard and works most
of the time if you'll pay attention to what you're doing and
think before you act. When you're on the water this spring,
please be careful because "School's In!".
Paul Crawford
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