Story by Hunter Baughman | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Hope everyone had a great week last week. I fished a couple of local tournaments and was able to win one and finish third in the other fishing with two great buddies. Can’t ask for much more. We also bought a new mower that negated whatever prize money I made!
In one of those tournaments we found an area holding females that were staging from the spawn. There were pre-spawn and post-spawn fish using it. We caught a couple of good ones there then went into a spawning area to finish the limit and smashed fry guarders on a frog.
The other tournament we landed on an incredible shad spawn. There were fish feeding everywhere. Our biggest came on a walking-style topwater and the rest on a Damiki rig. However, there were more big ones in the area. Three missed the topwater that would have easily won the tournament. Such are the fast and furious times of the shad spawn.
Saturday was one of the best shad spawns I’ve seen in a very long time. It’s a phenomenon that I feel like I miss some years. But when you hit it right, it’s a blast. And it should be happening right now across most of the South.
When this annual phenomenon happens, all the shad go to the bank and it’s pure chaos. Usually this coincides with water temperatures consistently staying in the 70s. For lots of the country that will be in May.
They can spawn anywhere but usually prefer to lay their eggs on a hard object. I’ve seen it happen on docks, riprap, bridge pilings, shallow shell bars and even in willow grass. When the fish find the shad, they go nuts—blowing up everywhere! The only downfall to this excitement is that the bass are prone to miss the lure. There is so much going on at one time—and they’re moving so fast while feeding—it’s very common for short strikes to occur. Nevertheless, there are normally enough bites happening that plenty of fish get caught.
Lure selection is simple. Just use shad-shaped and colored baits. That’s all you need. Topwaters are a staple. So are swim jigs, swimbaits and spinnerbaits. Basically, anything resembling a shad will get bit.
This normally only happens in low-light conditions. Early in the morning and late in the evening are the prime times. So, if you’re looking to capitalize on this bite, you better get out of bed early because it won’t last long.
And just as the shad spawn ends as each day brightens, the whole thing ends. Before you know it, it’s come and gone, so “make hay” before the sun shines and while you still can. You don’t want to miss it.
Until next week, good luck!
Hunter Baughman – Angler Profile
