Schooling Peacock Bass

[Stan Wright]

This last week the peacock bass (and some large mouth) have been chasing shad on the surface from Cow Point, down to the dam, and around up to Morgans Point..

The freshwater park and boat launch ramp opens at 7:00 AM. The fish were busting the surface as we rounded Cow Pt. As the sun rose and the clouds burned off the action slowed. By 10:30 only a few scattered fish broke the surface and only stayed up for 3 or 4 seconds making it almost impossable to get to the action and catch a fish.

You could see the fish and large schools of bait on the fish finder. Hanging at 10 to 12 feet below the boat, not interested in anything.

When ever a school of fish broke the surface within reach of my fly rod, the small silver fly attracted a strike. If I had to motor over to the action, it was usually too late and the feeding fish had sounded. One guy with a spinning rod and silver metal spoon could reach out and touch fish that were way out of my reach. LOL

If you want to get into the action.... go early.

Aloha,
Stan

[skunked]

I am curious to know if anyone here has actually seen and confirmed that the threadfin shad still exist in the lake? I remember when I was a kid, I used to see the schools of thousands of shad swimming around in tight formation near the surface. I haven't seen that in more than 10 years. Just wondering.

[Stan Wright]

They were there yesterday..... LOL.... Some of the fish I got yesterday spit up small shad. I could see huge schools or "balls" of shad on the fish finder. You can see the shad schools on the surface on really glassy calm days. The "nervous water" looks like rain drops on the surface.

Stan