I have one word for you:

SHAD, SHAD, SHAD, SHAD !!!!


Fished the BFL last weekend as a co-angler. My partner didn't want to chase the shad, but that was the key to catching fish! I fished a different style than him from the back of the boat (making long casts across the flats to the shad schools) while he beat the bank. Needless to say, he zeroed while I had two keepers. Probably could have caught more, but we were only in productive water for a short period of time. The Rattle Trap worked early, but as the day went on, the fish started just following the bait to the boat. Put on a Bagley and stuck one on the second cast. Then, the fish started just following the bait back to the boat again (big ones too, 4 lbs +). Tried all I knew to get that crankbait bite fine tuned(downsized, different colors, different retrieve, etc.) but they kept on following and not hitting.

My advice to you would be to pick the most productive bay you know. Go all the way to back (and I mean ALL the way)and just start fishing your way back out using small cranks or a Rattle Trap. Keep your eyes open and your senses alert! If you find shad fish 'em!