Caffeine Shad - I'm A Believer

[martintheduck]

Seems to be a common thing for me - "No, I won't try that thing I've never tried before... I won't like it."

 

Well today I broke down and bought some SK Caffeine Shad, and WOW!!!! What a great looking bait.

 

They are SO soft, the fall is so sexy it's scary, and the swim action is creepily realistic looking. Reminds me or a senko. They are heavily salted and have a nice weight so you can crank those suckers for miles in a 1/4oz swimbait hook. Will be fishing them tomorrow with a 1/8th or weightless. Fished some really muddy water today with a white caffeine shad/chart. dip tail and they CRUSHED it. I mean C.R.U.S.H.E.D it. 

 

Just wanted to pass the good word along - if you haven't tried them, DO IT!

[Cgrinder]

Just swimming them? I've been meaning to try those.

[rockchalk06]

They are great. It's a toss up between the Caffeine Shad and the Bruiser Baits Rad Shad. They are awesome.

They don't last as long as I wish they would, but they do catch fish.

[martintheduck]

Just swimming them? I've been meaning to try those.

 

 

Steady retrieve they flutter around really nice...or popping them they look real good. I was  letting em sink to 15 ft and burning em yesterday.

[MarkH024]

They have a great side to side action if you work it like a jerkbait. Kill it so it flutters on the fall. It's a bass magnet. One of my go to baits. I love it. I need to stock up.

[Loop_Dad]

The one with the boot tail? I tried and I am still having better results with swimming fluke.

 

BTW, What dip do you use? Yesterday I bought my first dip (well it is in a pen form), but was disappointed how little it changed the color of plastic.

[Brian Needham]

JJ's is the preferred dip for long lasting color, IMO.

 

it dyes the bait through and through not just the surface

[MarkH024]

Loop this is the caffeine shad. The boot tail is the swimming shad. Ialso use jjs for sscent but in clear. I prefer the plastics color that it comes in.

[Loop_Dad]

Loop this is the caffeine shad. The boot tail is the swimming shad. Ialso use jjs for sscent but in clear. I prefer the plastics color that it comes in.

 

I just thought the swimming version of that since OP mentioned his steady retrieve...

[MarkH024]

I just thought the swimming version of that since OP mentioned his steady retrieve...

Perhaps youre right. I like the original ones myself. For paddle tail swimbaits I go with SK Shadalicous.

[martintheduck]

The one with the boot tail? I tried and I am still having better results with swimming fluke.

 

BTW, What dip do you use? Yesterday I bought my first dip (well it is in a pen form), but was disappointed how little it changed the color of plastic.

 

 

It's the caffeine shad with the straight tail... not the paddle. The caffeine looks awesome on a steady retrieve despite not having a paddle tail.  It has a lazy looking movement to it...the tail moves a bit and the body wobbles around something SEXY - not the hard continuous paddling of the paddle tails. I can't describe it any different than that. Spend the $4 on a pack and see for yourself.

 

As for dips... no place here sells JJ's, so I've ended up using some stuff called "spike-it" from academy. It actually has worked really well. The dye is potent and the garlic scent stays all day.

 

[DelcoSol]

I just got a pack of these today in smoky shad color. Looking to use them tomorrow. Has anyone tried these on a Jika rig, Texas rig, or Mojo rig? I was just watching some more of Gene's videos and I am going to try the mojo rig tomorrow. Interested to see how these do for me tomorrow.

[martintheduck]

Based on what I saw yesterday, it seems like they'd lose their appeal if fished anything other than t-rig style (or with a weighted hook). I'm curious to know the same thing Delco. Report back please if you try them like that.

[DelcoSol]

Will do. I have been reading a lot about different rigs so I want to try out some new stuff tomorrow. The fish will tell me what they like. Might even try one on a drop shot too. What size hook were you using?

[MarkH024]

They're too heavy for drop shot in my opinion. For a soft plastic they're heavy. I fish mine weightless on a 5/o ewg hook.

[Diggy]

I've always heard good things about them but I haven't tried them yet. I will add them to my baits to buy list.

[Loop_Dad]

 

It's the caffeine shad with the straight tail... not the paddle. The caffeine looks awesome on a steady retrieve despite not having a paddle tail.  It has a lazy looking movement to it...the tail moves a bit and the body wobbles around something SEXY - not the hard continuous paddling of the paddle tails. I can't describe it any different than that. Spend the $4 on a pack and see for yourself.

 

As for dips... no place here sells JJ's, so I've ended up using some stuff called "spike-it" from academy. It actually has worked really well. The dye is potent and the garlic scent stays all day.

 

 

 

Oh ok, yeah I might give a try sometime.

 

The Spike-it is the one I got yesterday also. I was interested in the color, not the sent.  I guess my expectation of the color strength was a bit too much for these products. I will stick with buying plastic with color I want for now.

[martintheduck]

I was using a 4/0 EWG 1/4oz swimhook. Watched a video earlier and KVD throws em weightless a lot. The are WAY heavier than a zoom fluke. I'm on my way to river in a bit and going to try weightless.

 

 

The chartreuse showed up really well on white plastics for me.

[Felix77]

I love these ... slow roll them, twitch them, yo-yo them. Awesome.

Also are a great skipping bait.

[SGT Rico]

After trying the caffeine shad, all other soft jerk baits are obsolete. I have fish with some of the best brand soft jerk bait company, but none have the wiggling motion the caffeine shad has when you kill it. Not even the Yamamoto D shad shimmies down like the caffeine shade.

[DelcoSol]

No luck with the caffeine shad today. Fish were finicky today. They did however want the jig and 6XD 

[Arv]

This is my go to fluke style lure

[JeziHogg]

They're too heavy for drop shot in my opinion. For a soft plastic they're heavy. I fish mine weightless on a 5/o ewg hook.

A perfect alternative to that is the KVD Dream Shot (its a caffeine shad that was modified for drop shotting)

[martintheduck]

No luck with the caffeine shad today. Fish were finicky today. They did however want the jig and 6XD 

 

 

At least you had luck.I went to the river today and everything was dead. Cranks, jigs, jerks, spinners, worms... nothing. Did get a bite from a gar though... pfft. Just couldn't key into anything today.

[MarkH024]

A perfect alternative to that is the KVD Dream Shot (its a caffeine shad that was modified for drop shotting)

Yes I use the dream shot. It is a great bait. Not super durable so a bottle of Mend-It will make your stash survive a tad longer.