Shads

[monkeyboy]

what about those readhead ones?

White body and red head.

Any good?

[argyll]

Storm are an american company but their shads are sourced in China as are just about all of those available from the major players. The only non chinese shads are those made by a number of smaller companies in the US and UK and are usually hand poured. The original storm shads and some of the newer shapes (there are variants)are identical to the Cabelas own brand (Living Eye) and also the Masterline shads, all coming presumably from the same moulds. Chris Leibrandt of Masterline confirmed that to me at a trade show a few years back when they first introduced them to the UK market. The only difference is in choice of colour. Probably the first on the market were the Cabelas own brand of which I still have around a dozen. They are made of a much softer rubber than later shads and have much brighter truer fishlike colours. They were also available with either metal or nylon heads(fast sink or slow sink) as did the Masterline variant.

I doubt if the fish will query their origin and I doubt if they'll turn their nose up at a 'chinese' if its dropped on their nose.

 

Hand pouring has no kudos in itself. The worse shads I've ever used were from the softbaitshop and were an obvious DIY job. Badly made, washed out colour, badly balanced. the best I've used are the ones I now use and which come from a little soft lure maker in the USA who only makes to order. Any colour/shade (not so important) and a choice of flavour (very important...aniseed is a banker)

 

[ 17. January 2005, 02:41 AM: Message edited by: argyll ]

[Newt]

Peter Waller:

By the way Newt, that Pro Bass XPS soft bodied lure with a black back and white belly fished it's socks off the other day. Don't know what they cost compared with our Fox Shads but it really is a great lure, thanks. Hard to beat a really good shad!

Now I wish I remembered exactly which lures I sent across to you.

 

If it was this one, then $4/5/6 for the 3/4/6 inch sizes. Otherwise, I really don't remember.

 

 

I was really sorry to see you post the other day that day a 9" soft shad lure is too big to do well with pike though. Maybe you can find a sea angler who wants a 9" Storm Wildeye Shad since yours should be arriving (along with a couple other goodies) some time this week. It's just that you folks kept saying all the lures I like are too small so I figured maybe you'd like a biggun.

 

[ 17. January 2005, 02:53 AM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[Peter Waller]

Thats the one! 6" of fish catching fun, great lure!

 

Well Newt, your generosity never ceases to amaze me. I will certainly be giving the old girls 9" of fun next week. Weight wise now is the height of our pike season, and I do know of a 34 pounder that I'm itching to catch. Just prey she eats a nice one pound bream just before I catch her as I've yet to crack the 35lb barrier. The old girls are still feeding but are already inching towards the spawning grounds. If I'm going to get my dreamt of 35 it will be in the next two or three weeks and my nice new 9" might just be the answer! Thanks in advance.

[Newt]

Peter - sending over stuff that is not really common in the UK and hearing that some of it actually catches fish is fun for me. The times I sent lures & bits to folks who either never tried them or if they tried, never admitted to it, weren't much fun and I've figured out that with you, I'll at least get an idea if an item is working or is a total dud.

 

The big shad may be overkill and never suitable for fresh water fishing. I have to confess I sent it somewhat tongue-in-cheek although it certainly is a lure that might attract a biggun.

 

It was sort of an afterthought since I was sending two bottles of another item I've talked about on here over the years that you don't seem to have over there. I think it will catch fish but it seems to have been a little too strange for AN anglers (except maybe Budgie who did seem to like the idea or possibly Argyll & Tim Kelly who like to keep their lure choices secret I think).

 

Errr - isn't mid-January a little early for even Pike to start staging for the spawn?

 

[ 17. January 2005, 02:36 PM: Message edited by: Newt ]

[Peter Waller]

Hope whatever it is, Newt, remains in the bottle till it arrives! I have this dread thought of catfish attractor leaking out in the post .

 

Pike used to spawn mid March, possible early April. But over the last few years this period has crept forward. By end of Feb seems to be the norm now. I've actually got a daffodil out in my garden right now, and that is early.

 

Re using what you send, what have people got to loose by trying it? A departed ANer sent me a load of US worms etc that he'd aquired. Clearly unused but they got me interested and I was grateful for them.

 

Mind you, I have had people e-mail me for things that I have then given them, not a word of thanks! As you say, not much fun.

[Newt]

Peter Waller:

Mind you, I have had people e-mail me for things that I have then given them, not a word of thanks! As you say, not much fun.

I've had the same experience but never twice from the same person since nearly anyone can be successfully rude to me once but is highly unlikely to ever get a second chance.

 

And I completely agree that having the bottles not break would be an excellent idea. I think they are packed well enough to remain intact. Each bottle in bubble wrap, the pair of them in a plastic baggie (in case of accidents), the baggie wrapped in a very special, fuzzy hat, and plenty of foam bits in the box.

 

If you get a picture of yourself in the hat and post it here, you might well win an award. It certainly tops the ones we see on Leon, Jim, et. al. in another running thread.

[Tim Kelly]

Have no fear Newt, the 9" storm shad is definitely a catcher. The only thing is you really need to cut off the back single and bend the internal wire down inside the body to attach a treble to the belly for good hooking (remember, pike aren't as obliging as bass when it comes to getting hooked!).

They are great baits for working fairly fast at about 20ft, so Peter will need to get out of the broads and into the rivers unless he's going to be short casting and winding like a dervish!

[Newt]

Good to know the size is OK Tim.

 

The one I sent Peter has a pair of LARGE single hooks though - ususual hook arrangement and the first time I've seen it.

 

Peter - maybe a picture when it finally arrives?

[Tim Kelly]

It's the same bait Newt, I just had to adapt it by cutting off the second single, slitting the belly and bending the wire frame that the second single was attached to down so that it stuck out through the belly, sealing the wound and attaching a treble! Easy really.... :-)