Black Dog Bait Co.

Early to mid November on Lake Murray means that the largemouth bass and stripers are dialed in on shad, and it’s a great time of year to catch numbers of fish on variety of baits. Massive schools of shad can be found all over the lake this time of year. Shad will migrate toward the back of tributaries and creeks, and they will also congregate over large flats just off main lake. While the largemouth and stripers may relate to the same schools of bait an angler can increase their chances of catching a preferred species by focusing their efforts on the location of the bait.

Largemouth bass will often relate better to the schools of shad that follow the tributaries and creeks. On Lake Murray anglers can use a good map to select live creeks that narrow significantly toward the back end of the channel. Clouds of shad are generally scattered all over the ends of these channels and there will be bass relating to all of these scatters balls of bait. You’ll see bass randomly busting shad all around and if you get caught up in frantically chasing these individual blow-ups you will end up like the dog chasing his own tail. It’s right there in front of you and you think it should be easy to catch, but in the end you may put in a lot of work with limited success.

Be aware of what’s happening around you. Every creek channel will have it’s “hot spots” during this fall shad feast. Instead of chasing bass where ever you see them bust bait, notice where to you see the bass come up on shad in the same spots over and over. Often times these are areas where the creek channel swings near a secondary point or where it swings very near the bank. The majority of bass will hang out in the channel and repeatedly feast on shad on these key locations. A variety of lures will work in your favor. Match the size of the shad in the area and use crankbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater, and dropshots to get bit. Generally, these fall bass wont be the largest fish in the lake, but you can have a great time catching numbers of keeper sized bass.

If you prefer to catch larger fish that put up a great fight then stripers may be your best bet. While the largemouth seem to prefer the creeks the stripers will ofter ring the dinner bell on the shad congregated over large flats just off of the main lake. This may require a little time driving around in your boat, but all you have to do is keep your eyes open and use your electronics to find bait over large flats. Once you locate the bait you can rest assured that the stripers are close by. If they are busting on top just throw a 6″ Lunker Punker or your favorite topwater popper on them and “Game On.” Even if the fish aren’t busting on top the Lunker Punker will call ‘em up. Stripers will often move over the entire area to feed so be prepared to crank up your big motor in order to keep up with them.

The fall season is about catching lots of fish, so get out on your favorite lake or river and enjoy this wonderful sport of ours. Always remember to take care of your fishery and it’s resources so that it will remain productive for all of us to enjoy for generations to come.

Rob Thames
www.THAMESbassfishingadventures.com