shad fishing

kopite2k06

Well-known member
could one of the boat lads please put a pic or diagram up for a shad rig. I know some lads use booms and some dont so an example of each would by nice . cheers
 
try this link though i rig mine slightly different i put the snap swivel attached to the 4ft shad trace through the top eye of the snap swivel thats tied to the mainline with the weight on.i do this because if the weight gets snagged and the swivel opens up you dont lose your shad trace.i use 4/0 crane swivel for mainline and 2/0 to the end of shad trace.
hope this helps.
Fishing With Shads - Kayak, Shore And Boat Fishing | Kayak, Shore And Boat Fishing
 
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No picture or diagram needed, tie a snap link swivel on the end of your main line , attach your lead directly to this by the loop in the lead, tie a barrel swivel to one end of a 3ft length of 30lb amnesia and a shad to the other end , clip the swivel into the snap link alongside your lead ........ That's it;)
Lower it over the side of the boat , the lead will hang steady in the water whilst the shad moves away from it in the current , release the hold on the line and the lead will plummet to the bottom with the shad following it , once you hit bottom put the reel in gear and lift the lead slowly up and down till it all goes tight :cool:
 
try this link though i rig mine slightly different i put the snap swivel attached to the 4ft shad trace through the top eye of the snap swivel thats tied to the mainline with the weight on.
Fishing With Shads - Kayak, Shore And Boat Fishing | Kayak, Shore And Boat Fishing

The picture of the shad rig is spot on ;), no need for the snap on the shad swivel though , and the described method of fishing is how I used to do it, 20 turns of the reel then let it go back down, but unless I'm fishing over a wreck and have to reel in line to clear the wreck I don't do the slowly reeling in any more , just raise and lower the rod tip to make the shad "work" along the bottom. I don't use 6 ft or 20 ft leaders either , the longer the leader gets the more shads you snag up, 3-4ft seems to be long enough to get the action going and short enough to get less snags. One other thing, don't strike when you feel a bite, just lift the rod slowly higher till it tightens up or you have to drop it back again.
Easy peasy shad fishing, very enjoyable way to fish, no messy bait to contend with, very few foul hookups , not hard work like a pirk can be, don't get too much bother from unwanted species , don't fet snagged up as much with only one hook and it being on top of the shad., probably lots more that makes shad fishing so good , not least the sheer numbers of fish you can catch on them.
 
Hi Ray,the snap swivel on the shad trace is just to make it quicker to replace or change your shad. Theres no right way or wrong way its just what works for you, i got my tips after a days fishing on Sea Otter 2 and never looked back:):):)
 
Hi Ray,the snap swivel on the shad trace is just to make it quicker to replace or change your shad. Theres no right way or wrong way its just what works for you, i got my tips after a days fishing on Sea Otter 2 and never looked back:):):)

It doesn't make it any quicker though, it's just as quick to open the main line snap as the shad snap so why have two? It's just something else to get your line wrapped around. I know it will still work and rarely snag the line , but it does occasionally, and they cost more and are less reliable than a simple swivel , so I don't see the point in using one,.
I'm not having a go or saying I'm right and your wrong or anything, it's like the booms, I bought loads of them when I first started and chucked them in the bin not long afterwards when I realised they made the rig worse for many reasons rather than better, each to their own though, boom and snap swivel makers have to make a living :D
 
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