Largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass gorge on shad when available. When shad are abundant, these are five reliable fishing lures that will haul-in fish.
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How to fish it: A spinnerbait is versatile. Bulge it across the surface, work it along weed edges, or yo-yo it down a ledge. All work in the right conditions. |
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How to fish it: Go fast during warm water conditions, and slow down when things get cold. Pauses can be critical for triggering hits. Bone, Pearl, and Sexy Shad are good colors. The Lucky Craft Bevy Shad is a personal favorite when I need a bait with a small profile. When bass want it bigger, it's tough to beat these jerkbaits I discussed in an earlier blog. |
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Flukes
How to fish it: Ultra-slow retrieves work when fish are fussy. I rig them Tex-posed on a wide-gap worm hook or on a 3/16 or 1/4-ounce jig head. A fluke is a great throw-back bait when a bass is interested but unwilling to hit a speedier lure. |
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Shad Cranks
Why it works: It produces bass in a mix of shallow and mid-depth scenarios. |
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Spoons
How to fish it: Use a jigging spoon to vertically jig over a pod of bass. Equally deadly is casting a big spoon, like a Strike King Sexy Spoon, to work ledges or fan cast flats. |
The above lures catch bass in a range of conditions and at varying depths throughout the year. Try them the next time you're targeting shad-eating bass. You won't be disappointed.
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