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Went to Conway today. I don't normally fish Conway. Gold Creek Wilamina cove. Thousands of shad flipping in there. The bite was terrible even though i could see fish chasing shad. Someone said they've been in there a couple weeks. My thought was, the fish have been feeding heavily so they aren't hungry. Or they are keying on the shad and not biting much else including minnows which we used. Thoughts?? Thanks in advance!
Mitch the shad are there...The crappie are there. They are there like that every year and will stay through March. Gold creek's fish are allot like any other lake... if they decide they don't want to feed the Virgin Mary herself aint going to make it happen. Ive seen a tremendous amount of shad in the creeks/pool all over and very quickly limit out with nice fish. Other times you cant buy a bite. I dont buy into the belief there are so many shad they are not going to feed or bite. I do believe It's just up to them if the conditions are right they are going to bite... some shad or lots of shad. Ive also seen so many boats you could walk across them and every body catching the tarnation out of them. This is probly more rare than not but it does happen.
Mitch, it is hard to compete with live natural forage. But it can be done, the weekends are hard times to catch fish on Conway this time of year, best bet is go during the week. On another note, the boat traffic really affects the fish, it's been my observation while fishing up in Gold creek most people want to use anchors, in my opinion anchors are even worse than having 30 boats in the creek. If everyone would learn to using their trolling motor I think it would help the bite some. But think about it, when you are laying in your bed resting, you would not want some body to go and throw a twenty pound weight right beside you. Well I think crappie are the same way. When 20 or 30 boats start throwing 20lbs weights in the water and then start dragging them around and disrupting the brush the crappie get lock jaw. The wind will cause a persons anchor to drag on the bottom and next thing you know they are pulling up the brush cause its tangled in their anchor ropes. Not only does anchors disrupt the brush it stirs up mud clouds on the bottom when they are drifting around. No matter how windy it gets trolling motor and boat control is a key factor. My philosophy is to just say no to anchors.
I have anchored up to keep my boat tight against the banks and casting a jig and bobber out into the deeper water. Works well and if you throw that anchor into the alligator grass on the bank you aint moving. But ya dragging anchors across the bottom is a bad deal and damaging to the hard work people have done to make it better.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lkconwayguru
Amen bro, I hate anchors on this lake too. Nothing more upsetting than have someone pull up close and toss out an anchor. I find brushpiles moved and some pulled up above the surface by folks that use them . I hate to see folks find a brushpile and droip anchor right in the middle! If you must anchor , do it down wind and several yards away.Quote:
Originally Posted by CrappiePro
Nimrod - if you're directing that comment at me I understand why as I always anchor up wind of brush as that way I can stay 30 or 40 feet away and make a long downwind cast to the feesh with a light lure. I aint chunkin minners with ya know.
Thanks for the info gentlemen, I appreciate it!
Mitch, I was up on the pond one day last winter and I swear you could walk across the thing on top of the shad. I was fishing a tube jig and more often that not I'd throw it out and would snag a shad on the retrieve. I had the same theory as you. But like Russ said, I was back up in there a few week later...the shad were still there, but we did real good that day.
Hey CP...If the Virgin Mary were to fish Gold Creek, I'm gonna bet she'd do well no matter what the conditions. Her son was a great fisherman. Read Luke 5 and John 21.
Will those shad make good bait for catfishing if some could net them? Could you freeze them hole and use them this Summer as cut bait.
Yes they would make great bait for next summerQuote:
Originally Posted by Gindog
The only bad thing with fishing frozen shad is the tend to get mushy after they have been frozen. Fresh shad is the only way to go in my book
I have been in the pool and found out the fish were not where I wanted them to be. Example, if you see them chasing shad, they will be shallow. Try a jig just a few inches or feet under a cork.
I like them deep. But, they ain't always there.
DP
They dont get mushy if you save them right byPacking your shad dry in a ziplock bag and pack the bag with salt, then freeze them. the salt is a preservative. this will keep your shad from being mushy the next time you thaw some out to use a bait.Quote:
Originally Posted by SoreLipsNoFish
That might work if you are catfishing somewhere there is no current but catfishing where I'm used to fishinhing even that won't work. I've tried that exact recipe but with vacuum sealed foodsaver and they still weren't tough enough to handle the current. But yes guru you hit the nail on the head for freezing shad
Thanks I may try to see if I catch some and pack in salt for spring. Sorry I did not to mean to hijack your post on shad. I was just think out
There is no such thing as to many shad!!! but there is a such thing as not enough crappie!!! You could always catch them shad and smoke them, then can them like sardines.
Finally something I can agree on you Nimrod! Normally your just spewing hate and discontent among the brethren on here but I see no need for anchors, we ain't river fishing and usually plenty of stobs to tie to. I've heard many an older gentleman tell me once the fish get full they won't bite. Some of those same guys have said seeing all the big pods of bait tells them fish have more than enough to eat and it can hurt the bite often times. Trick is though when they start to bite they often times gorge themselves and will bite a lot of different stuff. Sometimes movement of brush is unintentional though. I had found a hump out on Degray where I'd found brush. It wasn't a couple weeks later I saw an older couple trying to get a cat untangled outa the snag where the fish had drug their jug as they often do. We managed to get the fish for them but brought up the top as well which I hated to see come up it was in a good place out there on that hump. As for the jigs vs live bait thing I'd rather fish jigs but sometimes it seems they want live bait. I've found if they are biting I can always catch a few on the jigs and often times bigger ones but more may come off live bait, hard to beat matching the hatch. I'd keep trying Lake Conway though I've heard a whole lot about it and those fish may have the feedbag on next time your there.Quote:
Originally Posted by NIMROD