I've been finding tons of schooling bait being gorged on by multiple schools/packs of bass lately on Badin Lake, specifically in the south and southeast coves of the lake, but I haven't been able to get these fish to bite anything I've thrown at them. They've pushed the shad balls up against shell beds and grass lines and are feasting.
There were quality bass feasting on bait, but what they're chasing seems to be incredibly small. Is this a second shad spawn? I've thrown small and big spoons, crank baits, finesse worms and shaky heads and still no strikes even when pulling directly into the schools or dropping below them and trying to "match the hatch" in terms of forage color and size, even throwing wildly differing alternatives to mix things up and keep at it.
The only thing I hadn't done, in hindsight that I've thought of since and considered viable, is to have hopped a heavy but compact jig through those deep water fish, but that's about it.
Any help or suggestions on what to do to target these fish better would be appreciated. Thanks all. Tight lines.