Texas Fishing Forum

Schooling Bass

Posted By: Nutman

Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 11:37 AM

went fishing yesterday evening for a couple of hours. Went to one of my normal spots and all of a sudden the bass are schooling all around me. For 2 hours I caught 1.5--3# schooling black bass. Tried several baits but they really only hit 2 of them,,,, a 4" hard jerk bait & a lightly weighted fluke that I just barely worked under the surface. I caught fish on just about every cast.... BUT
at the end of the 2 hours I felt kinda so-so. I felt like I "cheated", like I had just snuck out on my wife and met a girlfriend for an evening of drinking or like I called in sick for the day at work when I really wasn't sick. You know something you would do once in a while,,,,,but not all the time. It was fun to feel the tug on the line and wonder how big is this one gonna be. But in the midst of these schoolers I finally put the jerk baits down and picked up a worm rod to see if I could get a BIG one from below the schoolers.
so my question is: How do you feel about catching schooling bass ? Does it satisfy your fishing urge ? Do you stay on the schoolers or go looking for the bigger bass ?
Posted By: GROD

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 11:40 AM

Would depend if I'm out fun fishing and who was with me or if I was in a tournament and needed a kicker... I imagine there were a few in the 3-5lb range within the school too.... Catching is always a good time though.
Posted By: crapyetr

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 11:59 AM

isn't the point of fishin' ketchin'???...
Posted By: SteezMacQueen

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 12:00 PM

Had a very similar day Saturday. It was a tourney. Lol

Not a bite from 6am - 1pm. Was gonna just forfeit and get off the water. Went to a busy boat ramp and started casting while waiting. Caught one on almost every cast from 1pm-3pm. Then disqualified myself because in the 2 hour flurry of bass, I missed one on the culling and had six in the box when I bagged them for weigh in. Lol.
Duh.

Still a good end to a [censored] morning. Caught around 180-200 in the afternoon. All in a cove by the boat ramp. Afterwards, the surface started to look like a fish kill. Shad everywhere.

Would have had second place for sure....don't know about first, those guys caught a stud! Caught mine on a Rapala No6 natural shad lipless.

....as for was it satisfying? Well.....it was fun. But I'd rather catch a "real"'bag and one with an 8lb kicker. Lol.

Went Monday evening for a bit and had a more rewarding trip. Caught 3 fish, but I was practicing and only brought three baits on three rods. Caught a good keeper on each rod in 1 1/2 hours. It was a heavy grass lake and I left my comfort bait (senko rod and senkos) in the garage. Used a crank, spinner, and a punch.
Posted By: lipjerk

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 12:05 PM

Originally Posted By: GROD
Would depend if I'm out fun fishing and who was with me or if I was in a tournament and needed a kicker... I imagine there were a few in the 3-5lb range within the school too.... Catching is always a good time though.
Posted By: Nutman

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 12:20 PM

Don't get me wrong.......
It was a good fun time & I'll do it again........... just like calling in sick or that evening of drinking.
The really fun part was switching up baits to see what they would hit. They would not touch a rattle trap,,,or deep diver. But the fluke and the shallow running jerk bait they would tear up. I think the 4-5" size of the bait was the key. They weren't just in one spot either,,,,,that whole end of the lake was boiling with schoolers. Should be able to catch some bigger ones Saturday morning on plastics fished a little deeper.
Posted By: lipjerk

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 12:36 PM

Originally Posted By: Nutman
Don't get me wrong.......
It was a good fun time & I'll do it again........... just like calling in sick or that evening of drinking.
The really fun part was switching up baits to see what they would hit. They would not touch a rattle trap,,,or deep diver. But the fluke and the shallow running jerk bait they would tear up. I think the 4-5" size of the bait was the key. They weren't just in one spot either,,,,,that whole end of the lake was boiling with schoolers. Should be able to catch some bigger ones Saturday morning on plastics fished a little deeper.




That would be fun just to see what baits you get bit on. I don't see schooling bass too terribly often, but if I do, I'm throwing at them most of the time. Just too fun not to, and I know what you mean about feeling like you're cheating, you get that evil little grin on your face haha
Posted By: Bass Buster1

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 12:40 PM

I don't run around on my wife and I don't call in sick even when I am, but schooling fish even though it is cheating and kinda dirty...I am in!! They are just plain fun even if they are on the small side!! I really love it when I can get them eating a top water every cast!
Posted By: UTDmiller

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 12:43 PM

Love schooling fish when out having fun. I like to try new baits then too, just to get the hang of how they are worked and what not. Though, a lot of time like you mentioned, they will only hit a few types of baits

edit: typos, waking up
Posted By: Bryanj

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 01:31 PM

If they are schooling, I am fishing for them! I love catching!
Posted By: west tex angler

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 01:36 PM

Some of my biggest bass have come from fishing the bottom under a school of surfacing fish.
I like to use a fluke.
Posted By: Donald Harper

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 01:51 PM

This has worked twice for me over the years. I could see and hear the wave of schoolers coming into the cove toward my boat. They were all around and very easy to catch on all the baits mentioned. There were no size to them. They were working their way down the shoreline as they approached the point I was sitting on.

I worked my way straight through them in the direction they came from on both occasions. One of these trips produce several Bass up to 8 lbs. outside of the school as the larger fish were following and picking up all the injured bait. It happened late in the afternoon. We came back to that same shoreline the next morning at daylight and caught big fish on a spook for the first hour of light. The other trip was huge Stripers that were so aggressive, we could not keep from catching one. They were also following the school. I am sure the Bass were there somewhere but we just couldn't hook up.
Posted By: stratos caster

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 04:29 PM

I too felt a little guilty until my uncle told me if you have them cornered hammer them because they will even the score in the long run.
Posted By: FlaNative

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 06:39 PM

I'm sorry, I missed the part where you gave out the coordinates where the school was found... roflmao
Posted By: Bill Durham

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 07:35 PM

before I moved to Texas, those schoolers were most likely 3-5lb hybrids.. and those guys are a blast to catch.
Posted By: Chuck72

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 08:29 PM

Originally Posted By: west tex angler
Some of my biggest bass have come from fishing the bottom under a school of surfacing fish.
I like to use a fluke.

+1 except I like throwing a Carolina rigged crankbait at them.
Posted By: 04champ

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 08:44 PM

did you try a yellow magic?
Posted By: Smurfs

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 08:52 PM

Originally Posted By: 04champ
did you try a yellow magic?

thumb
Posted By: Smurfs

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 08:53 PM

Originally Posted By: crapyetr
isn't the point of fishin' ketchin'???...

de
Posted By: Frank the Tank

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 10:29 PM

I'm not a pro and future AOY like Steez, so I take what I can get, and if that's schoolers, it schoolers......... I feel pretty good about it
Posted By: SeaAggie2015

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 10:47 PM

Nope, never feel guilty or like I cheated when I'm fishing. Too many times I have zeroed to make me feel bad for catching them schooling.
Posted By: Lewis Perry

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 10:52 PM

Its hard to understand why a fisherman would feel guilty about catching schoolers. I don't fish tournaments but I do fish a lot and still love it at 77 yrs old. Schoolers whether largemouth or stripers are the ultimate thrill for me. Largest largemouth schooler for me is 7 lb. but most 1-2 lb. Even I can catch em when they are schooling.
Posted By: Nutman

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 11:16 PM

Just asking how you feel
I had so much fun that I am taking my wife out tomorrow evening for some real "action"
She is a better fisher person than I am and she wants in.
Gonna be a lot of fun
Posted By: PaPa@fork

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/12/16 11:47 PM

Beats being skunked any day
Posted By: Mike Zachary

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/13/16 12:02 AM

Originally Posted By: Lewis Perry
Its hard to understand why a fisherman would feel guilty about catching schoolers. I don't fish tournaments but I do fish a lot and still love it at 77 yrs old. Schoolers whether largemouth or stripers are the ultimate thrill for me. Largest largemouth schooler for me is 7 lb. but most 1-2 lb. Even I can catch em when they are schooling.


Amen preacher!! I wish I knew where and how to catch some lol.
Posted By: ChanceHuiet

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/13/16 07:19 AM

I'm actually the opposite. I don't really like chasing schoolers. I'd rather leave them and go try to catch 1 big one. Or more haha. There is a lake I suspect you might have been on that does that, whole end of the lake schooling, scenario. I normally go to the opposite side to get away from them. I might be slightly out my mind though.
Posted By: jwcromer

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/13/16 01:40 PM

I wonder if the bass feels bad when they don't let me catch em
Posted By: stratos1760dv

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/13/16 02:00 PM

Sounds like I need to take my buddy to Athens today or tomorrow and let him catch schoolers. He has not caught a fish in 15 years! Thanks for the info
Posted By: Nutman

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/13/16 04:29 PM

Don't know if they are doing it in the mornings,,,,,,but the evening school rush is on.
I'll be out there again this evening ........ 5pm till dark 30.
Posted By: lconn4

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/13/16 04:55 PM

I got into a school of 6 and 7 lbs fish on Monticello, near the big bridge one morning a few years ago. Noticed a lot of activity on the surface from a distance as I paddled closer, then tons of small bait wounded and dead floating on the surface. First thought was that something other than bass had caused a fish kill. By the time I got there the surface activity had ended but on my first cast with jig I got bit and reeled in a 22 inch fat one. Second cast the same. Third cast lost one and then got bit as soon as first pulled off. For about 10 minutes it was the best bass fishing I'd ever experienced. Went to a deep diving crankbait to get more hooks in the water and caught two more as school surfaced and the big ones came crashing right into my kayak. Too busy to weigh or measure after the first couple but it had to of been 30+ pounds for best 5.
Posted By: Bobby Milam

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/13/16 09:58 PM

Bored after awhile? Yes. Guilty? Never.
Sometimes it is just good to catch numbers. I'll stop on schooling sandbass sometimes just to have some fun until it gets boring. I've been blaned so many times that it feels good just to catch some small ones so I don't feel like I am wasting all of my money. It makes me get out there and search for quality ones. Schooling bass have kept me from throwing my rod in the lake and finding a new hobby.
Posted By: David Burton

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/14/16 12:58 AM

It is a good tool to learn a new technique when not in a tournament. That's how I first was able to "feel" how to fish a drop-shot (Athens last year).

In a tournament, it is a quick way to get a limit and take the pressure off!


I was trying to find a lake to hit because Roberts (my local and next tournament lake) and Fork are gonna get pounded all weekend. Might see you out there tomorrow!
Posted By: Nutman

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/14/16 01:40 AM

C'Mon out.
Should be a good day
Posted By: Frank the Tank

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/14/16 03:38 AM

How'd you do tonight Nut?
Posted By: Nutman

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/14/16 09:20 AM

NADA,,,,,
No action on the lake.....5-7:30pm
Headed out this morning.
Posted By: Nutman

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/14/16 01:41 PM

Leaving them biting
But the potential for lightning is too great
Posted By: Brocephus

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/14/16 02:12 PM

did this on lake Fork back in April.... all 12 - 16 inch bass, almost every cast, exclusively on a jerk bait. We caught about 25 total between the 3 of us before they quit

Great times
Posted By: ChrisPowellFishing

Re: Schooling Bass - 05/14/16 06:51 PM

If your fishing a tourney catch your Five to get your confidence boosted. then look for some better quality fish and start culling. If your fun fishing catch em all till they are sore mouthed! If your wanting to gain confidence in a new lure or technique, Depending on the situation feeding fish can really help you understand what to do and what not do, maybe even a better understanding of how that react to that specific Lure or technique
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