To add a bit more to what I've been doing...

I have as you mentioned found the herring to be very boat shy. I look for a bird event, drive over to it and turn the boat off to drift into it. Then I can usually pull up a few before the scare off. If the balls are tighter which I interpret to them being attacked from above and below it can last a little longer.

Last Monday there was a massive "anchovy event" in Skunk Bay and there were birds everywhere. I tried the same technique and found that the anchovies would often come back to the boat after the initial scare. The water was shimmering with anchovies all over 3 or feet down. Then I was able to pull in one or two at a time. It seemed like you could almost grab them but all attempts with my dipnet turned up nothing. I think it was just pushing them away, hence my curiousness about the proper net.

My interests in these fish are culinary, rather than bait related. I am salt curing the anchovies I did get, but would like to be able to get more...