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Storm Shad

4K views 28 replies 22 participants last post by  JACKSON 
#1 ·
I normally use bucktails to catch schoolie stripers from the shore. How effective is Storm Shad for catching Stripers from surf? What other fishs did you catch with the Storm Shad?
 
#2 ·
Jfishm:

I love the Storm Wildeye. You can tell from my posts in the fall. I use the 4" in the back bays and the 5" in the Surf. They work very well. They are good for shorter distances because of their castability. Yes, Bluefish will eat them. I also use bucktails which I love also.
 
#4 ·
We used the shad bodies with jigheads alot last year, and found that the bluefish really do tear em up. We probably averaged 7 to 1 bodies to heads, and some days would loose a dozen bodies to short strikes. Now if I'm getting short strikes I put a stinger hook on and that will often get small blues.
 

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#5 ·
The storm shads work great. When blues are around it can prove expensive but try this------when a blue bites the tail off or bites the thing down to the jig head, throw a porkrind on it. Sounds silly but it works! I would only do this if you are into some good action. If the bites are few and far between, just use a new shad.
 
#6 ·
glue em'

I would never leave home without these guys...love the 6" in the inlets. I know the tails often disappear with one swipe from a blue but for the other times, where the hook pulls through somewhat or the tail is ripped, Bill Wetzel recommends crazy glue, assuming the damage isn't that great. Haven't tried this yet but I'm sure it will work. I think Wild Eyes are the absolute best deal out there.
Pete
 
#8 ·
Awesome

I've used them once...my last fishing trip of the year...nailed 5 fish 20-28# from the beach. Needless to say...I can't wait to try them again. I am definately stocking up on these big time for this up coming season. One down side...after each fish, the shad was pretty torn up and useless, but if I can catch one fish for each $1 shad I use...they are worth it.
 
#11 ·
a little review

Hmmm. I?m always leery about making a general statement about a lure or plug. When hunting for Stripers conditions will dictate what you should throw, especially in the surf. Wind, tides, available bait, current, water clarity, cloud cover, day or night, and the structure I?m fishing will dictate what I?m going to throw. For example I?m probably not going to throw a 6? wild eye when the primary bait in the water are sand eels. A better choice may be a needlefish or a mambo minnow with a slug-o tease, A oo7, kastmaster with a tube etc. If there is a 20-knot wind in my face I may just choose to stick with the needlefish, possibly a loaded one. My point is there is no one best lure or plug. Having said that the storm wild eye is a fantastic imitation of peanuts, bunker, shad, herring, and mullet. I love the way the tail vibrates threw the water, and it can be especially effective when the strippers are aggressive, and you swim it on the top using fast retrieves thereby getting a nice looking wake from the wobbly tail. It surprisingly cast extremely well even in windy conditions. It?s also a good choice with a good current as the wild eye will hold a position and maintain its action. If one gets cut up-I recommend using crazt glue to put it back together-it will be as good as new. When blue fish are around I just don?t use them. There is plenty of other things to throw at blue fish. Some of the negatives for me at least--- the wild eye has difficulty holding very strong current at times i.e. It was not usable during 20 knot or more North east winds at Montauk. The sweep was just too great. --There is not quite enough space between the shank of the hook and the body of the lure. This creates several missed strikes. The barb on the hook is also a little small. This I believe also creates less hookups-especially if the fish gets her head turned on you. (I go barbless on my back trebles on my plugs, but not on the single hooks-not looking for a debate on barbless ?just my preference.) Also because it has high buoyancy I can?t get it down far enough in deep fast rips. I?m going to experiment with attempting to load them this year ?so I think I?ll have that problem solved. Every plug and lure has positive and negative sides to it?The storm wild eye is a must to have in your bag!
 
#19 ·
Storm Plastics

I use the bunker and golden mullett patterns in the jersey surf alot. They did great job during the fall migration last november.I love them. If the storm pattern is resident in the water you will get fish with these plastics. I use them in the surf with light tackle. The ultimate storm plastic is the 9 inch bunker pattern. (which is sometimes hard to find) Used off the jetty at barnaget light during Oct/Nov.

The 4 inch Shad pattern also gets it done during the spring time hudson river run.
 
#20 ·
I use the 6 inch shad bodys cheaper.
I don't use the shad lead heads hooks to lite gap too small.
I use a smiling bill or ball jig head with large forged hooks.
I work them in the summer right on the bottom ultra slow bumping rocks puffing up sand hopping along
I get a lot bigger bass using this method I guess it looks like a little flounder or fluke on the bottom
And I've gotten some nice fluke too.
 
#22 ·
Storm Shad: What is better?

In my opinion, there is nothing better than the storm shad product. If there is let me know what it is and I will buy it. My only complaint is that on one occasion, I lost a large fish (guessing over 36") that somehow levered the hook out of it's mouth. The body seperated from the hook and left me with the weight and a partial hook. I hope it is not a product defect because I haven't fished with anything better. I think they are a great value.
 
#25 ·
Machete:

Never fished the storm shads but in my early years I used to troll, sandworms, plugs and alou eels from a tin boat on the sound and in the Hudson. Back then it was strictly oar power. It was a good way to locate fish. Once I found em I'd start casting. Later on I invested in an electric motor. Same results less work. No reason why they wouldn't work as well.

Steve
 
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