Storm Shads

[WhiteBucket]

I have used the bunker and rainbow trout patterns with great success. Last year the tackle shops were all out so I got some Herring(maybe Shad?), Golden Mullet and Pearl for backups. I never used any of them last year. Has anyone fished these varieties? How do they work? Any conditions I should try certain ones under?

[captbill35]

I love the pearls.

[hyperstriper]

i have done well w/ the pearl coler. If you've had success w/ the bunker color then use the new colors in the same conditions.

[Mike]

Caught fish on all of them but as stated above the pearl color is great. Be sure to have an assortment of different sizes from 3 to 6 inches in particular.

[RyanF]

i try to match the conditions. I like the spot on the gill of the bunker pattern when peanuts are around, chartruese when the water is murky, you know. but to be honest my results dont change much as long as you get the size right

RyanF

[Bob ECT]

Golden Mullet and Pearl are some of my favorites.

[Gilly21]

I only stock up on Golden Mullet and Pearl. I wish they would make a BLACK.

[TheProf]

Love the golden mullet and bunker. Size is definitely key though. Like Mike said keep all sizes on hand, have had days where they won't hit a certain size at all, make a change and they won't stop hitting them.

[Gilly21]

What the Prof said. For two weeks I couldn't buy a bite on a 6" storm but slayed the fish in the same hole on a 5".

[Clambelly]

Buddy used chart. shads, outfished my bunker color on some days, but also seemed more popular with the blues. :mad:

[Hightides]

Pearl is my number 1 all around storm lure, then the bunker pattern. Had alot of success with them this year.

[WhiteBucket]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

[capt. ed]

I buy tons of the pearl. An equal amount of Chartreuse/Silver. Those two are my main colors, but I keep a mix of the other colors handy as well. Third fav. is the newer pink color.

[PortlyRedhead]

Capt. Ed - have you switched from the Bass Assasains that are so popular in the Bay to the Storm Shads or do you fish with both products?

[brew]

Never had much success with these. What are you guys fishing these with? Spinning rods or conventionals? Do you fish them when you would otherwise fish live bait? Are you tying direct to the main line or using some sort of leader?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I was checking out the Mega Bait shads. They look real nice as well.

[capt. ed]

I still fish BAs, and BKDs as well. Late summer and through the fall I've got some real "go-to" shallow water rockpiles and those shad bodies lures work wonders in the light of day. Topwater in low light, then shads a couple feet down in brighter light. Calcuttas, and Tsunamis work just as well, but I still prefer Storms myself. Here the last few seasons I've skipped the leader altogether for schoolie stripers in stained water. Still catch just as many without the flourocarbon, maybe even more. Wouldn't rely on no leader for bigger fish for various reasons.

[RyanF]

i want to pick up some of these BKDs. Any advice?

Thanks,
RyanF

[Mike]

Brew, the shads are fantastic fish catchers. You're probably not putting in enough time with them and changing to something else too quickly. Start with pearl color in the 4-5 inch category and try different retrieves--you might also want to fish it with a teaser. I, and I believe most others, fish them with spinning equipment with a 3 ft. fluro-carbon leader between the lure and the main line.

[PortlyRedhead]

RyanF -

From Shorecatch.com , a site with which I have zero affiliation besides I enjoy their reports and photographs of fall blitzes when I am stuck at a computer

http://basskandydelights.hypermart.net/

Plastic for plastic.

Isn't E-commerce great?

PS - support your local tackle shop.

[Capt Steve]

I have used the Tsunami shads in Pearl and Chartreuse , 6" and 7". They work great!

[brew]

Originally posted by Mike:
Brew, the shads are fantastic fish catchers. You're probably not putting in enough time with them and changing to something else too quickly. Start with pearl color in the 4-5 inch category and try different retrieves--you might also want to fish it with a teaser. I, and I believe most others, fish them with spinning equipment with a 3 ft. fluro-carbon leader between the lure and the main line. Mike - thanks for the tips. So similar to fishing with bucktails. I like the teaser idea as well. I'm going to give these a real shot this year and see what happens.

thanks again!

[capt. ed]

If you think you're on fish and not hooking up, vary your retrieve. Swim baits can be steady swimmers (fast/slow) or jerked/paused or even jigged off the bottom. On a trip to CBBT last in December of 04 I was killing 'em off the bridge pilings with a "do nothin" approach. Casted out around pilings and basically let it sit there almost still in the current. Just slaughtered 'em once I dialed in. Just goes to show you gotta try different approaches sometimes.

[Casting disaster]

The blue shad pattern is worth having as well.

[RyanF]

Thanks Redhead

[WhiteBucket]

I have my best luck fishing two at a time on a spec rig. I like to use a 6" on the bottom and a smaller size on the top(same type). I catch twice as many fish than fishing singles, and it's not because I am catching alot of doubles.

[Parrot6909]

Do you have a picture of that rig?

[RyanF]

I do that occassionally as well whitebucket. I just rig a 3 inch one teaser style ahead of a larger one. Also helps when the small one is the right size but not heavy enough.

Tried them as a teaser ahead of a plug with no luck however. Think they are too heavy and impede the action of the plug?

RyanF