Jigging isn’t something you do on the dancefloor these days, it’s something you do on the bank in search of predatory fish. The most common form is using a paddle-tailed soft lure with a round-headed jighead. You can change baits quickly and effectively, and cover lots of water.
The Tactic
Shads make a great search bait, as you can cover a lot of water quite quickly with them. They are extremely effective in tinted or coloured water, as they generate a lot of vibration. The Korum Ready Shads paddle at different speeds depending on the size. The 7.5cm imitates a small fish, that swims with a faster, more erratic tail action. The 10cm has more side-to-side wobble, and a medium-fast tail, whilst the largest versions have lots of body roll and a slower tail, just like a bigger prey fish would have. Matching the hatch often brings the best rewards, but bright baits have their day too.
What is it?
A shad is one of the most recognized baitfish in the world and the shape of them has become a common name with lure brands, for a lure that resembles a prey fish with a paddle tail. The great thing about shad profile lures is they imitate just about every small species very well. On our own shores that’s roach, rudd, gudgeon, minnows, dace, bleak and baby carp.
The Korum shads have chevrons along their body that help displace more water and create a darting action, very similar to most baitfish species escaping predators.
How To Fish?
The Korum Ready Shad is a great pattern to start lure fishing with as it’s so easy to fish with. Not just because it’s pre-rigged on a super sharp jighead, but it’s design makes it very simple to use. The joint in the body creates a natural flex point, so the tail is free to paddle during the retrieve. In my experience, shad lures are at their best when fishing with a lift and fall technique. Lifting your rod to different points, and at different speeds, kicks the tail on the lure hard, but the time for a bite is usually as the lure descends and swings back towards you. You’ll feel a ‘donk’ or ‘thud’ as the lure hits the bottom, so you can lift again and repeat all the way back to the bank. Experimentation with the speed, height of the lift, and how you feel the lure back down to the bottom will bring different results.
Colours
It’s amazing how quickly predators tune in to new colours, but they can grow wary of the more unnatural versions quite quickly. It’s fair to say that a good day on a bright bait can be something really special, but the more natural patterns have a little more longevity. In all instances, think about the water clarity when choosing a lure. Brights are good in coloured water, but so are dark patterns, or patterns with reflective elements. There are no rules with colour choice, so always stay armed with alternatives.
The Gear
We recommend a 5-15g or 10-30g depending on the size of lure being used. Match the weight of your rod to the total weight of your lure and jighead, not just the weight of the jighead. For perch or ultra-light Zander fishing, 0.8-0.14mm braid is perfect, with a short fluorocarbon leader a few feet long. If fishing for pike, add a good strong wire trace. For canals a small 1000 reel is ideal, but if you want to cast further, go up to a 3000 size.
Conclusion
Predators eat fish, so using a lure that closely imitates their prey in areas abundant with baitfish is a really key tactic when lure fishing. Learning how to fish with one particular shad and carrying multiple colours in my experience has been more effective than carrying 10 different shad patterns. Bear this in mind before filling the shopping cart with too many designs! Give it a try and keep checking here and our Youtube channel for more tips for lure fishing.