So last weekend my dad and I fished Dunlap, which is a very high pressured, small river, dammed up into a lake. We noticed that there were an unusual amount of baitfish and minnows near the surface, in fact, there were so many, and they were so close to the surface, they were making a ripple on top of the water! We could see and hear bass attacking these giant balls of baitfish, which looked to be a bunch of good sized minnows! They were everywhere on the lake, and there wasn't a spot we fished where we didn't see all of this going on! Now, we couldn't catch any of those fish blowing up the schools of baitfish! So what could I throw to catch those fish, if they're catchable at all? I was thinking a small popper type bait..... Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

weightless, white fluke on light line.

alabama rig with small hollow belly's too.

Use the bait fish for bait .... got a cast net?

Sammy

I have luck with a small 3/16th oz. Booyah Pond Magic spinnerbait when fish are blowing up on baitfish It has a 2/0 Mustad hook and I sometimes us a trailer hook with it. Cast several feet past the bait fish and count it down 5 to 6 feet before reeling in. A slow steady retrieve works best for me. White seems to work best but your water color may require a darker color. Sometimes small is the answer. In this case bigger is not always better. That's what I tell my wife anyway.

1/4 oz chrome rattle trap.

A white streamer on a flyrod

This... they will attack that fluke like nothing else, thinking it's an easy target.

This was gonna be my second guess. I'll try this too. Thanks guys!

Wacky worm

Had the same thing happen when I was fishing and had luck with a weightless wacky rigged Senko.

have to downsize, my personal favorite would be the smallest rapala floating minnow you can throw. the little traps and spinnerbaits can get it done also.

The few times I have wittnessed this I caught them on a 3/8 oz spinnerbait or a Rooster tail. The Rooster caught the most numbers for some reason, reeled really fast through the school of shad. Good luck!

silver buddy

I had fun tearing up some schoolies the other day doing what you described throwing a white Zara Puppy at them. Just cast ahead of the ripples and start working quick. They'll often blow it up right when it hits the water. Good way to practice your topwater technique...and train some future lunkers!

Flukes and weightless 4" senkos will catch those fish too...although you will often gut hook the poor little guys fishing that small senko--they just inhale it all the way down.