Bass Fishing Lures That Mimic Live Shad

One of the most prevalent bait fish in many bass waters is the shad, and for that reason shad are also a major food source for bass. Both large and smallmouth bass feed on shad, but shad are probably best known as a largemouth bass bait. In any case, any serious bass angler needs to have effective shad imitations as a part of their bass fishing arsenal.

In this article I will outline a few of the most effective bass fishing lures that mimic live shad. This is the key to any effective fishing lure. You want your lure, no matter which type of lure you choose to use, to mimic the live bait fish that it represents in an effective manner. The following bass fishing lures certainly accomplish this fact, mimicking live shad in a very effective manner.

The first bass lure that looks incredibly realistic are soft plastics. The Storm "Wildeye" Swim Shad is incredibly realistic, for example. The Storm "WildEye" Swim Shad 5" and 6" Swim Baits feature an array of fish catching colors and patterns, and mimic live shad quite nicely. These bass baits are just a soft plastic body with a hook running through it. Very simple, yet very effective.

Another effective soft plastic is the Berkley Gulp Jerk Shad. This bass bait actually "lives" in a solution that is designed to attract bass. This scents is then dispersed into the water as the shad is retrieved, leaving a trail of bass attracting scent that bass find hard to resist. These jerk baits are rigged just like any soft plastic jerk bait would be and are very effective for suspended bass.

When it comes to bass fishing lures that mimic live shad the KickTail Minnow is the next lure that must be mentioned. This unique swim bait features a hard head with a soft plastic body that mimics a live shad in an almost unbelievable manner. This bait really looks like a live shad when being retrieved. This bass bait is amazingly realistic under the water.

The bottom line is that these fishing lures mimic live shad to a very high degree. Any (or all) of them must be a part of any serious bass fisherman's repertoire, especially if live shad are prevalent in the body of water that you fish for bass. Bass, both large and small mouth, find all of these bass fishing lures hard to resist.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 25 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his five year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.

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Bass Fishing Tips - Under The Trees!

A good bass fishing article from Scott Michael below.

Fishing For Bass in the Trees

This article is another in my series of articles on bass fishing. It involves my system of fishing for bass in laydowns and over hanging trees with a floating minnow lure.

The best Lay Downs to Target

I prefer to target fresh laydowns with leaves still on the branches with this system, as they will still have insects on them and this will draw bait fish which will in turn draw in the bass to feed.

What Lure to use

My old stand by for this is the original floating rapala in brown gold color. This is not to say that your favorite minnow bait will not work but I have been catching fish with this lure in this situation for over 30 years and see no reason to change.

My Preferred Tackle

With out Question my favorite tackle for this system is a 7 foot medium St Coix spinning rod with a Shimano reel and 10 lb line.

Boat Position

I will approach my trees form a direct angle with the bow of my boat pointing directly into the trees so as to be able to reach all points of the cover. and to able to skip my bait up under the over hanging trees if possible.

With lay downs boat position is not as crucial as you only need to be sure you can pick apart the different spots on the laydowns... ie getting a cast up near the bank where the root of the tree comes into the water this will usually be the most shaded area on the laydown and afford the bass an ambush point.

Working the lure in over hangs

I will start by casting my floating rapala to the farthest point I can up under an overhanging tree. I will allow it to rest for a few seconds and then begin a retrieve of subtle jerks pulling the bait just under the water and then allowing it to float back to the surface like a submarine and let it sit for a second then repeat back to the boat.

Be sure to change up your cadence if your not getting bit... as a rule largemouth bass prefer the slower retrieve and smallmouth prefer a sharp quick jerking motion , experiment with your retrieve let the bass tell you what they want.

Working the bait in laydowns

My approach for laydowns never wavers I always use the same technique when fishing laydowns and wood piles. I will throw the rapala as close to the cover as I can , and use a super slow retrieve by small slow jerks under the water let the bait surface and sit for as long as you can stand it..then repeat.

I will fish every ambush point possible on this type of cover and hit each "spot on the spot" several times.

This technique will produce year round I pound this pattern hard in rivers with wood piles for smallmouth, it is deadly. The next time your out, put on that floating minnow bait and give this technique a try you wont be disappointed.

I have been fishing for bass for over 40 years you can find more articles, tips, tricks, videos and more at TournamentBassTackle.com. Get more articles tips and tricks at http://www.tournamentbasstackle.com.

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