Fishing the Shad Spawn

Its time for Georgia bass fishermen to go hunting – for the shad spawn. Spawning shad draw bass to the banks like a winning Bassmasters Classic lure draws anglers’ dollars, and you can enjoy some fast action in the mornings right now.
The end of last April one of my bass clubs had a tournament at Walter George. I camped at Lake Point State Park on Thursday and practiced Friday for the tournament. Early Friday morning as I idled under the bridge I saw the tell-tail flicker of shad on the rocks. I didn’t stop but filed it away for the tournament.
Saturday morning I was still taking up money from a late arrival when the tournament director let everyone else go. I was mad until I saw nobody stopped on the side of the riprap where I had seen the shad. I idled to it and quickly caught two good keepers on a spinnerbait. After fishing nine hours, running all over the lake, I had added one small spot to my livewell.
On the way to weigh-in I stopped at the bridge and caught another good keeper near where I had seen the shad. I told everyone I was going to stay put on Sunday, right there at the bridge. And I did, but saw no shad and caught no fish. Two of the guys in my club were fishing the other side of the riprap and I saw them catching bass and at about 10:00 they idled over and said they had eight keepers.
I left and tried another spot but soon headed back to the bridge. The club members had moved over to the side I had been fishing so I hit the other side. I stayed there for 30 minutes and landed a limit of bass slow rolling a spinnerbait on the rocks. The shad, and the bass, had moved to the other side of the riprap.
Starting in April schools of threadfin shad move to shoreline cover and lay their eggs. The eggs stick to hard surfaces until they hatch. They spawn so shallow you will often see them jumping out of the water onto the bank, and see them splashing along, looking like a small wave running down the bank.
The eggs need something hard to stick to so shad are attracted to riprap, seawalls, grassbeds and even dock floats and boats. The bass will follow them and run in to eat. Birds will also be eating them, swooping down or standing on the bank. Splashing and birds right on the bank are a good way to find the shad.
Shad spawn at first light and the activity is often over by the time the sun comes up, so you have to be on the water early. With only 30 minutes to fish on a sunny day and maybe and hour on cloudy days you must know where the shad are spawning so it is critical to get on the water early and locate them.
A spinnerbait is the best bait for the shad spawn since you need to cast it right on the bank. Crankbaits and rattle baits will work but are more likely to get hung. Choose a white one-quarter ounce double willow leaf spinnerbait with number three or four silver blades to match the small shad. Cast it as shallow as possible, even hitting the bank, and work it parallel to the bank. Be ready for a hit as soon as the bait touches the water.
You will often see shad following your bait, a very good sign you are in the right area. Make as many casts as possible before the shad move out. When they move deeper, slow roll your spinnerbait in the same area in deeper water since the bass will often stay under the shad.
Don’t miss the shad spawn; it is some of the best fishing of the year.