With fall approaching school begins and so does schoolin’. Bass begin showing up in large numbers (schools) chasing baitfish and feeding heavily with the days of summer becoming shorter. Shad begin forming large schools, which also attracts bass and causes bass to form schools also. Bass form organized schools with the purpose of corralling baitfish and/or forcing them into areas where they are more vulnerable to attack. Bass can be found pushing baitfish into shallow water or into vegetation or structure which increases their odds for success. So, when you see bass in a school feeding they are usually positioned around some sort of structure, hump or flat next to deep water. This is an excellent time to discover new areas of cover because the bass will usually show you were the structure is located by consistent schooling activity. (Note: some schools of bass roam or follow the schools of bait fish and may come up schooling over open water).

19-time BASSMaster’s Classic Qualifier Gary Klein agrees. “ You can pattern the schooling bass by taking note of what kind of structure the bass are using to ambush the bait fish. Also try to use baits that are heavy enough for a long cast. This is necessary because it is important to stay on the perimeter of the schooling fish to keep from spooking the fish off of the structure they’re relating to.” Bass can be caught on a variety of baits that match the size and color of the shad bass are feeding on.

1995 BASSMaster’s Classic winner and 2 time Angler of the Year, Mark Davis, suggest using a smoke colored grub on a ¼ ounce head tied to 8 pound monofilament and spinning gear to entice a bite. “For water 8 feet or deeper; let the grub fall straight down, reel it in, then kill it fast and repeat”, says Mark. He also says “ One of my favorite tricks is using a 6 in. black or purple worm, using the same technique as the grub, to show the fish something different. And for water shallower than 8 ft. I like a Carolina-rig with a french fry type bait.”

Host of TV’s “One More Cast” and BASSMaster’s TV series, Shaw Grigsby, suggests, “Be fast. If you wait it may be too late. Have your rod in hand and be ready to fire a cast. Shaw says, “I like flashy lures for schooling fish. For top water lures use a couple of big pops of your lure. Fish are looking up and this may activate feeding activity and bring up fish from deep water.”  For suspended schooling fish Shaw uses a clear/smoke flake Luck-E Strike tube bait. “I try to finesse the fish when they are not on top actively feeding. I use little twitches and jerks to entice a strike”.(Note: When a fish misses a top water bait, I like to immediately cast a weightless Lake Fork tackle Magic Shad to the spot and let the bait drift down like an injured shad)

 MegaBucks 2000 winner Alton Jones suggests, “Make bass react with speed. I like burning a chrome Big-O crankbait and using erratic retrieves.” Alton also says, “Be ready for schoolers with rod in hand, waiting for fish to appear. Remember, schooling bass move vertically, looking up, when feeding. And bass will sometimes strike a lure as soon as it hits the water, as if they see it coming in the air. For fishing the bottom, underneath schooling bass, I use a Carolina-rig with a Lake Fork Tackle Ring Worm or a grub.”

Another trick that has worked well for me is using two Lake Fork Tackle Magic Shads, each tied to a single swivel. One should be tied on 6in. of line with the other tied to 8 to 12 in. of line. Use an erratic Retrieve, using fast jerks, on the rig for aggressive bass. For inactive bass, try letting the rig slowly sink for a more subtle approach.