SPOONMINNOW
Member
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2016
- Messages
- 135
As usual, I throw bits of bread to sunfish in my pond and see how many are present and active. As I was pitch'n those little bits of starch, I noticed a few things that may apply to larger waters.
The water temperature is 48 degrees and fish are in shallow - from 3'-5' and loose schools are present along a 50' stretch. The water is semi-clear.
As the bread (formed into small balls) made a ring after splashing down, fish (near the surface charged), competing with other sunnies. Some just watched but became active a short time later and depending on next observation:
If I cast the bread to the same exact spot the 2nd or 3rd time, fewer fish went after it regardless the number of fish present. When the lure splashed down a few feet in any direction from the first hits, more fish scurried to get the bread - at times 10 fish from up to 8' away.
The bread that was hit more often was thrown to the side of the fish heads or to the side of the tightest group causing them to turn and attack. Not on top or in front of, but to the side from the way the fish were facing.
A 9" bass watched as the bread orgy occurred - very common.
Four crappie - one 13" - were caught in deeper water (7') along with 4 small bass. (Crappie, bass and yellow perch care less about bread thrown). Only the bass hit the Beetle Spin-type lure with curl tail grub. Later in the month with warmer water temperature, other species will.
One final observation: Fish were not present after 12 pm in the shallows I was throwing bread.
Possible lessons learned:
it sometimes might pay to cast to the sides of a school to allow a competitive charging of a lure if the strikes are fading.
Not all fish in a school are active at the same time but can become so with repeated casts near the school.
Fish that don't strike or just nip the lure the first time may become active and strike after more casts, aggravated by that small annoying object.
The water temperature is 48 degrees and fish are in shallow - from 3'-5' and loose schools are present along a 50' stretch. The water is semi-clear.
As the bread (formed into small balls) made a ring after splashing down, fish (near the surface charged), competing with other sunnies. Some just watched but became active a short time later and depending on next observation:
If I cast the bread to the same exact spot the 2nd or 3rd time, fewer fish went after it regardless the number of fish present. When the lure splashed down a few feet in any direction from the first hits, more fish scurried to get the bread - at times 10 fish from up to 8' away.
The bread that was hit more often was thrown to the side of the fish heads or to the side of the tightest group causing them to turn and attack. Not on top or in front of, but to the side from the way the fish were facing.
A 9" bass watched as the bread orgy occurred - very common.
Four crappie - one 13" - were caught in deeper water (7') along with 4 small bass. (Crappie, bass and yellow perch care less about bread thrown). Only the bass hit the Beetle Spin-type lure with curl tail grub. Later in the month with warmer water temperature, other species will.
One final observation: Fish were not present after 12 pm in the shallows I was throwing bread.
Possible lessons learned:
it sometimes might pay to cast to the sides of a school to allow a competitive charging of a lure if the strikes are fading.
Not all fish in a school are active at the same time but can become so with repeated casts near the school.
Fish that don't strike or just nip the lure the first time may become active and strike after more casts, aggravated by that small annoying object.
