I fish Lake o' the Pines Dam spillway. Last Sunday I had a ball catching school large mouth on a floating jointed minnow.
Went back tonight prepared for the same action, but the bass has left to be replaced by whitebass chasing shad. I caught a 3# white on a chrome Kastmaster. Never got another hit on that so I went to the jointed minnow that got one hit. Followed by a wacky worm to no avail. Then tied on a shad colored plug and got one hit. Next cast my knot broke loose and I called it a day.

I have caught 3 or 4 whites only by mistake while fishing for something else.

Any suggestions?

Please understand I am an opportunistic fisherman. I try to fish for what ever may be biting. Seems like if I go to target a species it won't be biting but something else will.

You can throw a small swim bait, and if they are chasing shad a small top water, 3-4 in chug or any small one. Check your graph as there might be bigger fish under them and use a 1 oz slab (jigging spoon) under them.

I sometimes throw a #9 shad wrap to get under the smaller ones.

This is in fast water right at the bottom of the spillway where it hits the pool. The presentation is made from the top of the wall about 20' or so above the water.

Can you give me some brand names of "slabs"? I am not sure what they are. I was using a Kastmaster spoon.

Oh, then trow a popping cork with about a 2 ft leader and a small jig

looks like this.

I fish the spillway pretty often and have my best catches of white bass and LMB on surface lures,Zara spook, zars puppy,torpedos in a chrome or a blue white color. Also catch crappie with a small topwater chartreuse color. I usually try to start fishing before sunrise and then only 'til about 9am stop. A white or green rooster tail 1/4 oz. works on the sub surface well also.

For what you're describing I would suggest a tail spinner lure like a Humdinger, Mouse or Little George.

I knew all I had to do was ask. Get such good ideas from TFF's.

John Varner, I had popping corks in the car and it never dawned
on me to use them.

Thanks for all the lure suggestions. If I look hard enough I have at least one of most of those lures mentioned.

The idea of fishing from before dawn ti about 9 am is darn good advise this time of year. I don't know if you have read many of my other posts about getting too hot, but fishing the cooler parts of the day is best advise going.

Again, thanks a lot.

1 oz. Kastmaster chrome + chart. The 1 oz is big enough that the dinks won't touch it but the big ones can smack it the dickens out of it. The lure is also heavy enough that you can throw it a mile.

I love to use a 1/2 to 3/4oz. rat-l-trap in diamond dust color. Used one Friday till the hooks got alittle dull and switched to a spit'n image. If they are schooling on top I have found work you bait fast just like a scared shad.

The farthest I cast in this situation is maybe 100', from about 20' above the water. Used a 1/2 kassmaster last night to catch a 2 or 3# white.
Its such a small area that they probably got used to it quickly.

When I was OTR trucker I carried KastMasters from the smallest (1/16th oz) all the way up to a 1 oz. They cast great and usually catch a couple of fish, but woe unto the sinner that lets the Kastmaster hit bottom. You never see it again.

Grandpa,
In your situation a 1/4 or 1/2 oz RatLTrap in chrome/blue or smoke gray would be hard to beat. Any small crankbait, like a Bomber 7A, in shad color will work great too. Slabs are lead bodied lures, similar to the kastmaster. They are painted or chromed and generally weigh from 1/2 oz up to 2 oz. 3/4 or 1 oz are probably most popular. Academy carries several brands, including the Mann O Lure by Tom Mann. It'll catch anything that swims.