BLAZE Magazine Special Edition 2006-2016 | Page 44

I can tell you from my experiences this fall that big
smallmouths smash the Cutter. I’ve caught numerous
smallies in the 3-5-pound class and several 20-inch
largemouths in just a couple outings.
Bad Shad
After years of fishing light shad baits on a spinning rod to get
good casting distance, I was stunned when Fritts said one
of his priorities for this bait is the ability to fish it effectively
on bait casting gear.
The Berkley Bad Shad comes in two sizes, 5 and 7, and is
the first shad-profile bait I’ve fished that’s heavy enough for
long casts and still offers a great shad-like action.
And when it comes to target species, the Bad Shad is an
equal opportunity employer.
This fall pro guide Eric Haataja was catching giant brown
trout on them in the Great Lakes; I’ve caught a ton of
smallmouth and walleye on them as well. This fall I covered
water quicker than ever before, chunking and winding
this bait in both rivers and lakes. The crawfish pattern is
a serious must-have for smallie nuts. While I have yet to
fish the bait in southern reservoirs loaded with shad and
largemouth, it should really shine there, especially during
cold-weather months.
Parting thoughts
With these six new baits, Berkley offers a comprehensive
solution for most bass fishing scenarios – and they plan to
aggressively add to it in the near future. That’s good news
for anglers because we benefit from countless hours of
laboratory and real-world testing. The result? Baits designed
around performance details that consistently catch fish.
About Steve Pennaz
Steve Pennaz excels at finding and catching fish on new
waters, a skill developed over 30 years of extensive travel in
search of giant fish. His television series, Lake Commandos,
Man vs. Lake vs. Man, helps anglers understand the steps to
building successful patterns on the water.
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| SPECIAL EDITION 2006-2016