Getting in the middle of a giant school of feeding bass is, for most anglers, akin to finding the Holy Grail. Seeing the school busting the water's surface from a distance is one thing, but actually being able to have success in catching a limit from their midst is quite another.
Elite Series pro Jimmy Mason has developed some simple keys to catching schooling fish during the fall transition, though he admits that it's still one of the sport's most challenging tasks. "Schooling bass can be a lot of fun, but they can also be really frustrating because they seem to be here one minute and gone the next," he admits. "
One thing you want to keep in mind is that the bass are basically acting like a wolf pack. They're trying to herd the baitfish to the surface so that they can have an easier time catching them by working together."
With that in mind, Mason explains that it is important for an angler to be able to understand the behavior of frightened baitfish. "When you see the shad starting to get nervous on top of the water, I recommend that you don't immediately start casting," explains Mason. "Instead, wait until you see the bass starting to break the surface. You want to get your bait right in the middle of the ball of shad." Often, a visible ball of shad may be a small number that have been separated from a larger school of baitfish. The isolated school of shad creates an excellent casting target. "When that happens, I like to have my boat right in the middle of all the action because the bass will likely be breaking all around me," he points out. "In these situations, it's difficult to know exactly where the majority of the action is going to take place, so the best thing you can do is have multiple options."
Lure selection for Mason is very important. He prefers a bait that he's able to cast long distances accurately, combined with the erratic nature of a fleeing shad. "My preferred bait is a Heddon Zara Spook or a YUM Houdini Shad," he says. "
Because of the way the baits are weighted, it's really easy to make accurate casts. That's extremely important when you're fishing schooling bass because you can miss the school by a foot and never get a bite." Mason suggests that another thing to keep an eye on is which direction the school of baitfish is being pushed. "A lot of times I'll even try and lead the school with my casts," he says. "If you've been paying attention, you can lead the school with a cast and bring your bait right through the heart of the action."
On lakes that are historically tough fisheries, schooling bass can be a key difference maker. "There's a time period in the fall when fishing can get pretty tough," says Mason. "When that happens, the most reliable pattern is often targeting schooling bass. You just have to approach it with a specific plan of attack to be successful."
(Provided exclusively to BASS Insider by Z3 Media)
