A local bait and tackle store received a shipment of 100 puppies Saturday, and sold out by the end of the day. Soft plastic jerkbaits are also working well at times, especially those that are almost clear with some sparkle. Poppers can work at times, but they aren t as effective when schools of bass are actively busting schools of shad at the surface. Buzz baits are working at times, especially along shorelines for larger bass waiting in the brush to ambush shad. Hard plastic jerkbaits can also work.
Spoons can be very effective for larger bass when there is lots of surface action.
My primary fishing partner, Pat O Brien, and I took out a couple of TV folks last Friday. Even though they only fish a couple times a year, both the TV reporter and the camera man were able to land bucket-mouth largemouth using the Zara Puppy. Aikens pointed out that the full moon over the weekend meant bass were actively feeding on shad at night and therefore, the morning bite was usually slow. The action picked up in late morning and by the afternoons, there were often big boils of bass and shad covering acres of water in some locations. As the moon wanes, he said, the morning action should gradually pick up again.