arthur wipers oh the struggle!

Went up to arthur sat night with a buddy to the shannon bay region for some wiper action from shore. Had what we thought where schools of alwives all around us hitting the surface. Now awlves from what i looked up are 6-18 inches long. But saw nothing catch a single fish any tips or tricks?

18" alewives?  They get about 9" long as full adults, and that's plenty big let me tell you.  Anything bigger than that is probably a gizzard shad (same ballpark but different shape and they get huge).
 
As for tips... put in your time on the water.  If you were in the schools of bait you were in the right place.  The wipers don't always feed aggressively, it is a matter of right place + right time.  Sometimes they just aren't eating.
 
Good luck out there.

python73
18" alewives?  They get about 9" long as full adults, and that's plenty big let me tell you.  Anything bigger than that is probably a gizzard shad (same ballpark but different shape and they get huge).
 
As for tips... put in your time on the water.  If you were in the schools of bait you were in the right place.  The wipers don't always feed aggressively, it is a matter of right place + right time.  Sometimes they just aren't eating.
 
Good luck out there.

Tell me about it........  Dragging live bait on Shenango yesterday, no 'wipers', no 'eyes', no 'nothing'.  Stupid fish anyway.
 
Hey Zelie..........  when ya gonna bring that new Starcraft up and splash around Shenango?

I,ve caught inactive fish by blowing up a night crawler on a floating jighead . Just let them sit using a sliding sinker. Keep a close eye on your rod ...

I personally don't target them at night much past 7/4, although many still do successfully.  The water is warm, and fish will be hanging out deep during the day.  Try focusing on some shore lines near deeper sections of the lake. 

Yep, although much of their food is at the surface.  They should be schooled up rather well during the day in the pelagic depths, often times though, they move to the surface to sip the plankton.  The wipers will usually be hanging pretty deep during the day, to be in their comfort zone.  80 degree + water is not where they want to be, unless there is a ton of food.  If you can find these schools of sipping alewives, often times the wipers will unleash on them.  Although, it usually only happens for a few seconds, and often I am 100+ yards away, and by the time I am able to get to them, it is done...  At this time of the year, I only target them from a boat, most times well beyond reach from shore.  Although, there are some shore spots that can reach them, if they happen to pass by.  I'd focus towards the deeper half of the lake and find some drop offs, channels or other man made structure that the alewives will follow.  Dusk and dawn seem the best, and often come out of the depths a little.