Shads/Plastics

[Andy Macfarlane]

Now I tend to just cast and engage the handle and then wait for the shad to hit the bottom. then I just kinda flick the jig 6" or so upwards with the rod and take up the slack. This seems to pull a few fish but I just wondered...how do you fish yours?

[argyll]

From the bank just wind them back holding as close to bottom as possible. Just fast enough to keep the tail wagging. From the boat, sink and draw with short strokes. Again keeping it close to bottom.

Edited February 4, 2006 by argyll

[Peter Waller]

As Argyll does plus very shallow, just beneath the surface and unweighted. I some times use a long rod so I can really lift the lure off the bottom and the allow it to fall back, perhaps only gaining a foot or two of line. During the summer I will do that with the help of a Roberts Tackle Lift. Shads are real all depth lures, love 'em.

[Tim Kelly]

You get far better contact with the lure if you work the shad off the reel rather than with the rod. Braided line floats and the thicker it is the more buoyant it is, giving the line an upwards curve in the water, so when you retrieve a couple of feet of line the shad rises, then drops again when you stop. Using the reel for the bait movement also means your rod is always in a good position to strike from.

[Andy Macfarlane]

You get far better contact with the lure if you work the shad off the reel rather than with the rod. Braided line floats and the thicker it is the more buoyant it is, giving the line an upwards curve in the water, so when you retrieve a couple of feet of line the shad rises, then drops again when you stop. Using the reel for the bait movement also means your rod is always in a good position to strike from.

 

 

I've actually tried that that but it didn't have instant results and so I gave up pretty quickly. I'll bear it in mind.

[StuMac]

I've had quite a few pike on them, biggest just over 10 and definately have confidence in them. I've tried all the above but I find the most effective thing is just to cast em outr and reel 'em back, just fast enough for the tail to work. I find the takes can be strange, often very gentle as if you've knocked a piece of weed. I've had had jacks in the boat that havn't been hooked - they were just hanging on to the lure.

[Newt]

From the sound of it, you are missing one of your best chances to catch by engaging the reel when the lure hits the water. Doing that makes it sink with a forward movement which can put the pred off a bit.

 

I've often had takes on the initial drop with the lure dropping free. You do have to watch the line like a hawk and strike if you see a twitch, a sidewise movement, or if the lure takes too long reaching bottom because all of those can be a sign of a take and even a huge fish may not give much warning.

 

Try a worm rigged wacky style (hook only and hooked thru the middle so both ends are free to wiggle). The high-salt-content worms are usually heavy enough to cast pretty well that way.

 

Regardless of how you fish plastics, become a serious line watcher because even with a more traditional sink & draw, you may never feel the take but you can almost always see an indication unless the weather is too windy.

 

Consider multiplier rather than fixed spool since with a multiplier, you can hold the rod so that the line is retrieved between your thumb & forefinger since that way, and especially with braid, you can feel the slightest tap.

 

Strikes to set the hook cost you nothing so when in doubt, strike. I'd be willing to bet you are not noticing more than maybe one in ten or twenty takes. Plural 'you' BTW since even professionals don't notice more than one in five when they are paying close attention and there is serious money involved.

 

If you can locate some really horrible cover such as log jams this time of year or weed when things warm up, rig your plastic weedless and fish in the worst part of it. For this you will need a stout rod and heavier line than usual. If fishing a texas rig, you will also need to peg the weight to the front of the hook so it can't slide.

[Peter Waller]

The point that Newt raises applies just as much to spoons and many other lures. Taking pike 'on the drop' happens too often for it not to be a worthwhile technique.

 

What Tim says is, I think, absolutely right with jerks etc., but there are times when a lift and a drop back, jigging with forward movement I suppose, can be really succesful, the pike taking the shad and just mouthing it ala deadbaits. Times like that then an immediate strike might be too soon, its an instinct thing I suppose.

[jerry weijers]

I fish my shad and another plastics on a very differents ways depening on what for fish i fish and what for water i fish .

Here in holland we have a lot of still water so the need of heavy jigs we don't have but i fish a lot of twisters and grubs shads without leads so i can fish at the surface

But we say in holland a good fishermen with plastic has 1 plastic and 10 head

 

 

gr jerry

 

ps i can show it beter then i write it

[Andy Macfarlane]

Cheers for the replies guys.