The one certain pattern, if there is such, is that a shad spawn is underway on Ross Barnett Reservoir. Coincidentally, that was a given at the last event on Toledo Bend.
Shad are nocturnal spawners and when at peak, the activity can continue into the early morning hours, under low light conditions. We have those now on The Rez with cloud cover lingering from last night’s frontal passage.
The question remains. What will they do after the shad spawn?
There are no givens. I won’t repeat what we have already heard (“the lake will fish small,” etc.). At some point this morning the anglers must put away their shad spawn topwater baits and try other tactics.
Going boat to boat yesterday afternoon revealed what some plan to do. Use everything. At first, I thought anglers were just rearranging rods in the cavernous storage boxes, removing what they won’t use and stowing away in their trucks. I did not see much of that. Most of the rigs stayed in boats.
Of course, someone will figure it all out and narrow tactics down to a winning pattern.