Hard Facts About Hard Baits

Shads and Shad-ows

Ranking second on the walleye crankbait front and most popular among casters targeting structure like rock points or reefs are shad-bodied crankbaits like Normark Shad Raps, Rebel Shad-R’s, Bagley Shads, Cordell C. C. Rattlin’ Shads or Wee Shads, and Storm Thin Fins and new Lightnin’ Shads. Closely resembling triangular-shaped shad forage, shad baits are considerably deeper-bodied than minnow imitators, yet still thin. This creates the illusion of a shad- or alewife-shaped baitfish profile, along with a fairly subtle action when compared with rounder-bodied baits. Once again, subtle action predominates for walleyes. Also great bass lures when reduced vibration and action are preferred, shad baits are available in shallow- and deep-diving versions that run from a foot or two to perhaps 6 feet on a cast and retrieve. They also are underutilized as trolling lures, even though they perform well wherever shad or alewife forage predominate.

Lightweight balsa shads are difficult to cast on heavy line, thus the preference for tossing them with about 8-pound-test monofilament and spinning gear. Plastic-bodied shads, particularly those with rattles like the Rebel Mystic Shad-R, are heavier and easier to cast long distances or into the wind. Some, like the Shad-R and Excalibur Shad-R, are available in both floating and suspending versions.

Casting or trolling, these relatively flat-sided baits are sensitive to speed; too much speed and they go out of balance, ruining the retrieve or trolling pass, unless the lure is properly tuned to run above 2 or 2.5 mph. Anglers fishing eastern shad-based impoundments often troll shad baits at high speeds—3 to 5 mph—just beneath the surface for suspended walleyes and muskies.

Shad-ows are hybrids of the shad and minnow imitator categories, encompassing a large number of crankbaits that are rounder-bodied than minnowbaits, often with a bit of hump or curvature. Lures like the Mann’s Stretch Series, Lindy-Little Joe Shadling, Cordell Wally Diver, Mann’s Wally-Trac, Rebel Shad-R, and Luhr-Jensen Power Dive Minnow more or less fall into this category. Most come with a fairly substantial diving lip, making them good casting lures for banging bottom or ripping weed tops, or when the fish prefer more action than a minnow imitator or shad provide. Shad-ows also tend to dive 7 to 10 feet on a cast, and beyond 15 feet when trolled on an unweighted line.

Most of the time, shad-ows are about as aggressive as you want for walleyes. Yet not all the time, as the following category demonstrates.

Aggressive Wobblers

Historically, this class of lures dates back farther than traditional diving crankbaits, to lures like the Flat Fish and Lazy Ike, which are still around and productive today. Generically referred to as banana baits due to their humpbacked profile, they wiggle side to side, even with little forward movement. They also lack a diving lip, achieving what little depth they do strictly via the angled nose of the body. Thus they’re predominantly trolling lures—longlined in shallow water, generally at night, or trolled near bottom in deep water with a weight a few feet ahead of the lure. Their aerodynamically challenging shape and light weight defeat any casting effort.

Banana baits have either treble hooks or sets of gang hooks—small trebles attached via wire spreaders. The old theory was, more hooks, better hooking. This is particularly true when gang trebles get twisted in a landing net. What the old-timers did do, and which still is productive today, was to tip one set of hooks with pieces of nightcrawler, adding scent and taste without stifling the action. A similar tactic on a shivering minnow imitator might kill the wiggle altogether.

Also included in this category are wide-wobbling diving lures, the most famous being the Storm Hot‘N Tot, a trolling lure of wide repute. Tots can be trolled on unweighted lines down 10 to 25 feet. Beyond that, add snap weights or other lead to sink ‘em farther. Once again, the wide-wobbling body will accept tipping the hooks with a piece of crawler. You might include Storm’s Wart series and Luhr-Jensen’s Hot Shot in this category as well. And when walleyes are feeding on crayfish, try Reef Runner’s Scooter, Rebel’s Crawfish, Luhr-Jensen’s Crankin’ Klawdad, and Arbogast’s Mud Bug; otherwise, traditional round-bodied alphabaits in crayfish patterns fit the bill.