Okay all you "in the know" Whites/Hybrid/Striper fishermen/guides, have a question for you all ...

What makes these fish all of sudden start going for Slabs (as they currently are) and then later in the Fall/Winter stop taking Slabs and start hitting live shad? And when is or what determines the "official" start of live bait season so to speak?

Any takers?

That's a good question,this is my theory.I beleive it has to do with the aggressiveness of the fish that are in the area.As you know they are mostly a school fish .There are parts of the year when they spread out over a large area,that is when I think live bait is good,it will tempt a single fish better than something moving to fast.Sometimes it is like dead sticking a sassy shad on the bottom.
That's my pennies worth on this topic.

fish on the hunt! easy meal? definitly a reaction strike i would tend to believe...burning,casting and working the slab or bottom bumping/jigging seems strange to all newbies but having caught so many it's undeniable! bait is also at its population peak of nice shad in the fall/winter. more shad=more schooling lol! i only use it when it's the only way to catch fish. late spring thru summer is shad "season" if ya ask me but some use it ALWAYS! for fall fishing slabs are GREAT!!!

Lures are the best during fall/winter. I dont know many that use live bait in the winter.

Slabs and plastic swim baits will produce year round. Just change your presentation. That is all I use on Lewisville. There have been times when I have been fishing next to a live bait fisherman and he is catching and I am watching, but it does not happen very often. I prefer artificals and an ocasional day of humiliation is worth not having the hassle of using live bait. Just my preference.
JV is correct. All you need on a cold day is a box of sassy shad or wild eyes.

Yes, I am still learnin' the ropes here JV and figured I might have had my "times" of the year screwed up there. Thanks for the correction on that "live bait thing" as thats what I was really looking for anyway in this post.
Seemed to remember fishing live at Texoma in the winter time up there. Also wanted to know why the fish seemed to do better on live bait versus artificials as time passed through the winter ... any opinions on that one?

dead sticking flukes or other soft plastics work great in the winter and they are easier to keep alive . If you see them pushing bait in the shallows work a swim bait like a riptide mullet or wildeye and you'll do well. I may sound like a sissy but in the winter I want to try to stay as dry as possible and I usually end up with a good bit of water on my when I'm throwing the cast net for shad.

ensignjason, Roger that on the dryness factor in the cold weather! I'd call that flat out smart rather than "sissy"!

What exactly is this "dead sticking" technique I've heard about so? Pls be as detailed as you can. I've heard the term and seems its just hanging a swim bait at certain depth with limited movement but want to be sure. Thanks!

Deadsticking is a cold water technique in which you tie on a jig or swim bait. Use your graph to find fish then drop your artificial at that depth. You can have a rod in each hand then just hold both still. Try to put your bait right in front of their noses. Slight movements are ok but remember bait is sluggish in cold water. Light line medium action sensitive rods work best. Fish usually will bite very light much like a crappie and if your not paying attention to set the hook they will simply spit it out. Colder the water the smaller the bait.

Great explanation! Thanks Stripaholic!

Fishbyte, I go one step further one the lazy chart - I'll drift my boat across likely areas with four to six rods in the holders. Loads of fun with two people and six rods doubling over all at once!!

One other tip that you may know already, when you're using a slab jig - especially deadsticking - tie on a fly or small grub on a dropper loop above the slab. When the fish are less active, that will often get more fish than the jig itself will.

We use live bait all the time seems ok for our fish. We only slab when live bait does not work. If we have regroup after those 2 fail it is time to troll.

I use artificials year round.

Using the fly above a slab will work but if you are in a thick school, there is a good chance they will both get hit--sounds like fun until the line breaks. On the deadsticking--I would use braid if you have it as you will be able to detect the more subtle strikes.----2 more hours and Im Port A bound yea!!!