Just wondering how many of you feel that shad can be "blown" into points and banks by the wind. Everyone says fish the windy banks, because shad get blown there by the wind. Do you buy that theory? My thoughts later. Johnnie

Think the theory is most likely related to plankton being pushed. The leads to small minnows following forage and so on....
Will admit the effect is definitive when it comes to great lakes Smallmouth, the bite is awesome when the wind is howling.

Butch

yeah that makes alot of sense, i guess to follow the shad you must follow the plankton
poor tubers though.........hahahaha

I agree with this. I hate the wind, lol.

Yep I have to agree too. The wind beating on the banks gets the food chain going. Water gets stirred up, minnows and crawdads start moving around, plankton gets blown in and shad move in and then the preditors!!

I don't like fishing in the wind but I do love the results of toughing it out!

I think you guys have it right. I can't see shad being blown to the banks and not able to get away. They are there to feed-simple enough. I still read where some pro's say, yeah, the wind had the shad pinned and we cleaned house. Give me a break!. JC

I agree I hate trying to fish in the wind also. But if you use a heavier weight or bigger crankbait. it helps with control. Or find a nice shelttered cove out of the wind and fish the points into it I've had alot of luck. And you don't get beat up as bad. But somtimes thats not an option. I try to stay parallel to the mud line that is kicked up by the waves and I do the same when the water is kicked up by heavy boater traffic. A black on black jig with a rattle or bouncing a crankbait with rattles on the bottom works good.

I love those mud lines, have won tournaments crankin' where the dirty water and clean water meet. The bass lie just inside the muddy water looking out, when they see a bait fish, it's all over. Also like to fish carp boils, where lots of carp have muddied the shallows, bass often wait ther for bait fish as well.

Never thought of that one. We have alot of carp in the smaller lakes around here and in the backs of shallow coves on the bigger lakes I'll have to try that idea. I've actually caught carp on a wacky worm while fishing for bass. Heck of a fight but didn't help my live well any LOL.

Shad are often attracted to boat ramps for the same reasons. The prop wash stirs up the sediment attracting minnows, crawfish and shad. The bass move in for the kill, even while boats are being loaded and unloaded.