Strike King Red Eye Shads

[catchnm]

Looks like I'm gonna wind up with about 20 of these in my arsenal. Most are 1/2 oz. with about six 1/4 oz. Colors range from chart. belly craw to pearl, but most are shad imitations. My home lake is full of gizzard and threadfin shad. I fish waters where sunfish are forage for bass regularly also. I did get three bluegill type for that reason. Any tips, tactics, or plain old tricks anyone want to share.

[soccplayer07]

i do best with a yo-yo retrieve. however, there are days where a steady retrieve is the ticket. mix it up and let the fish tell you...

[Marty]

This type of lure lends itself to a variety of retrieves and there's probably not a wrong way to fish them. Burn them, slow them down, jig them, lift and drop and anything else your imagination comes up with.

[hookingem]

Try all sorts of different retrieves until you find the one you like or should i say the one the bass like!  very versatile bait one day last year on a lake the bass were so thick on a secondary point every other cast we were catching fish on these things.

[00 mod]

My best retrieve is steady reel with a complete stop and repeat about 4 times each cast. Stop for a complete second when you do. If that doesn't work try all other retrieves. 

On a side note, make sure to stock up on extra hooks so when you bend one you can replace it and not trash it.

Someone will chime in on the size of the hooks for each model.......

Jeff

[catchnm]

Someone will chime in on the size of the hooks for each model

That would be super.

[00 mod]

Pretty sure kvd said he changes his to mustad kvd elite Series triple grip size 2. But someone for sure will let you (us) know.

[ww2farmer]

Personally I don't find it necessary to go to bigger hooks when you change them out. I change mine out with KVD hooks, but stay with the stock size. 1/2 oz.= #4's, 3/4oz= #2's, and 1/4 oz = #6's. Works for me. The one time I did swap to #2's on a 1/2 oz bait I didn't get the "clean" rip from the grass I wanted, might have been just the grass I was in, but I have not up sized since then. It's up to you if you want to change the hooks out right away, the stock RES hooks are not the worst hooks SK puts on a bait, and for a few fish they hold up well, the KVD hooks though are just great, they seem to grab ever fish that even thinks about swiping the bait, and I am sure it's happened to me, or at the least will, but I can't think of a fish that I got a good hook into to begin with, ever getting off on those hooks.............yet,

[A-Rob]

I use the red eye shad in 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 oz sizes. I just change up the weight depending on the depth. I use the trebles that come on it for the most part, they're decent VMC hooks I think? If they dull out I change them, can't afford KVD's hooks they're expensive!

I toss that lure out, wind it in, rip it off the grass whatever. I usually spazz a bit b/c I can never clear the grass from the hooks, they usually just rip the top half of the weed from the bottom and 1 hangs on the entire time to my lure haha. I caught some nice fish tho on it.

Fish it on a MH David Fritts Glass American rodsmith rod, 7'0. Shimano Citica reel, 15# Fluorocarbon.

I get smallies trailing it a lot but not striking the lipless cranks. I usually just toss a senko out after and pick them up so it calls them in for me and works out great.

That's everythign i know on this topic...everything haha