My first bait ball

[TNDiver]

I fish in Old Hickory Lake, which is a muddy brown water.  Well while I was out the other day, I saw my first bait ball, at least while out fishing.   I saw a huge bait tornado while scuba diving and got into the middle of it.  Wish I had a video camera rolling because it was pretty cool, seeing all the predator fish darting in and out eating them up. Then I had to leave as I was getting sick! 

In any event, I saw it while on the front of my boat and of course I took my square bill off my rod.  I could also see fish feasting on it.  I threw a white swim jig into it, but didn't get anything, but then I lost the bait ball.  How long do they typically stay around and other than having a rod and lure ready, what else could I do if I run into another one?   

[Capt. BassinLou]

Witnessing bass on a full out feeding frenzy is quite the spectacle. Identifying what they are feeding on and matching the hatch sort of speak, will increase your chances in hooking up.

[Capt. BassinLou]

I know its off topic, but if you think seeing a bass feeding frenzy is exciting. Observing the same phenomenon off shore in the ocean is CRAZY!! 

[Wizard]

Bait balls form when predators are feeding or in the area. They may disappear when the feeding stops. A bait school is something else. Size and life span of the school is on another scale. LOZ has bait schools the size of football fields that  Some of them may last for weeks.

[coldfront]

Wizard:  I was thinking as I read through your post about what bait 'can' look like here on the TN river lakes.  in fall/winter, I encounter huge schools of shad (threadfin aka:  yellowtails) and some of them are like 'long flowing rivers' of shad.  these things can be huge.

think is, those schools are 'happy'.  acting like there's very little predation around.

it's when I find the schools that are actually ROUND and globular that the odds of predators go up.

am I off-base in thinking about how the different shape of the shad school can indicate 'odds' of catching?

[Mike Cork]

Shad generally ball up especially as we get into the fall. It's a security issues, the more of you their are, the less likely you're the one eaten...

But having anything that resembles what they are is your best chance. Also, don't be slow, when bass are busting through bait like this a slow moving prospect is usually passed up as something darting quickly looks more natural.

[TNDiver]

I know its off topic, but if you think seeing a bass feeding frenzy is exciting. Observing the same phenomenon off shore in the ocean is CRAZY!! 

Thats what I was in the middle of scuba diving.  I am guessing it was 50 feet tall and probably 30 feet wide.  I drifted down the middle.  It was like a tornado, like I said, I started feeling nauseous watching it from the inside out.  It was still pretty cool. 

[jwkelley51]

"what else could I do if I run into another one?" When I think they may come up chasing I always have a 1/2 or 3/4 oz spoon tied on, usually silver. Sometimes I pump it and sometimes it has to be burned but they will hit it and it can be thrown a mile, even into the wind. I've caught some big hybrids and striper letting it fall deeper. Putting a little swivel on the spoon helps with line twist. 

[Capt. BassinLou]

Thats what I was in the middle of scuba diving.  I am guessing it was 50 feet tall and probably 30 feet wide.  I drifted down the middle.  It was like a tornado, like I said, I started feeling nauseous watching it from the inside out.  It was still pretty cool.

Oh wow!!  That must have been exhilarating.

[Wizard]

I'm going to respond in the Dock forum tomorrow.

Wizard