Baitfish and fishing

[Mongro02]

I was out on the Mississippi last night down by Prescott. Fishing near the Wisconsin side...about 9:00 to 9:15 pm, I noticed splashes all around me. Looked with a light in the water and saw tons of baitfish swimming around.

Caught a few with a minnow net, I noticed they were Shiners.

Caught 5 small walleyes and a 18-incher before the baitfish came in. After that heard splashes and saw bait fish jumping in the air running for their lives.

Anyways, my question is...Is it hopeless to fish during these conditions as the fish have so much to feed on?

Is there anything that will draw fish to bite during these feeding times?

Just curious...

[SCUMFROG]

No it's not hopless. It's almost like shooting fish in a bucket. Just try and match the bait fish with a lure. And cast over the school and crank though it, stopping and let it fall or pause and wham you got-um.

[The Grebe]

We used to fish below St Anthony dam on the Mississippi, a number of years back. We had a fine mesh, long handled dip net and we would seine probably the same kind of shiners, right out of the corners by the cement wall. We would hook them through the lips on a Lindy type set up ( Quick version, to many snags for the real deal) and we would catch just about any kind of fish in the river on them, wally's, bass, cats, crappies, even a little gar once in awhile.

[Dennis Steele]

One thing you should remember is that no matter how much bait fish are in the area,there is a predator waiting near by for an easy meal.Make you offering the easiest meal and you just got bit.

[Mongro02]

Maybe next time I'll have to take a few I catch and put it on a hook and toss it back out there.

We tried jigs, rapalas and kastmasters, but nothing would bite.

There was splashes all around and you could see little baitfish jumping out of the water. It was quite an amazing sight.