When do shad spawn

Scroggins finds the shad spawns occurring shortly after the bass complete their bedding season. Bream beds, which also follow the bass spawn, are a good sign that the mornings might hold shad-spawning activity. Topwaters also fit into this game, and reigning Bassmaster Classic champion Casey Ashley likes an Xcalibur Zell Pop in shad colors — but he makes a couple of important modifications.

First, a split ring affords optimal mobility. Other productive shad-spawn baits include weightless flukes, buzzbaits, jerkbaits, and square-bills and shallow-diving crankbaits that do a good job of attracting attention by ticking the tops of grass lines and bumping any hard structure. Last but not least, one of the most effective shad-spawn lure is one that simply imitates a cluster of shad.

Yep, the old egg beater, the five-splasher — the much maligned yet undeniably effective Alabama rig. Toledo Bend guide Darold Gleason suggests running an A-rig across the tops of submerged grass — but only with sufficient clearance.

I like the frenzy or blitz pattern that replicates the sound of bass busting baitfish. If you can get shad riled up during the spawn, the bass will get active, too. I get a lot of questions about how to use the HydroWave. Kevin VanDam's column appears weekly on Bassmaster.

You can also find him on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram. I imagine our southern brothers are rolling their eyes and scratching their heads. I always get Both baits are great choices when fished in a basic shad type color pattern, but my favorite is a solid white skirt and trailer on both.

As far as my rod and reel set up goes for this type of fishing I am keeping it relatively simple. A 7' MH rod and gear ration reel will do the job for both the spinnerbait and the jig.

I will normally fish the spinnerbait on 15 to 20 lb fluorocarbon but opt for a braided line for the swim jig, unless the water is ultra clear. So, the next time you get out on the water with the temperatures going up, find the right bass clothing for sun protection, and make sure you are trying to be more in tune with what is going on throughout the entire ecosystem, it could pay huge dividends.

Good luck! Shopping Cart. Here are my favorite baits to catch bass during the shad spawn. The shad will be flipping and breaking the surface and so will the bass that are chasing them. Fishing the shad spawn is a great way to load the boat early and you can usually catch a few big ones as well.

Get your shad style baits out and be ready at the breaking of day to intercept some of these big bass who are also fishing the shad spawn.