Year after year, catch after catch, these lures forge solid reputations and gradually become the kings of their category. It becomes difficult for others to dethrone them. The market for soft lures is even more complicated, since there are so many references, and yet among the finesse, the Shad Impact seems to be at the top of the podium, for a long time now and probably for many years to come.
A misleading name
The Shad Impact, despite what its name might suggest, is not a shad but a finness lure, i.e. a flexible lure with a tapered shape and no caudal fin.
These soft lures are very mobile and produce very fine vibrations. They are often neglected by anglers, and even more so by beginners, because their use is disconcerting and unintuitive at first sight.
Yet these lures are incredibly effective, especially the Shad Impact!
Many sizes and colors
While the Shad Impact is particularly pleasing for its flexibility, mobility and attractant in the mass, it's the diversity of sizes and colors available that make it my favorite. A Shad Impact for every situation... In fact, it's always easy and possible to adapt to the mood of the fish and stick to the prey being hunted. You can imitate a bleak, a smelt, a worm or a young-of-the-year fry.
The Shad Impact is available in sizes from 2 to 5 inches and in some twenty colors, representing 80 possible combinations...
All fish, fresh and saltwater
The Shad Impact is a lure that I use both in the sea and in freshwater with equal confidence and success. While colors in shades of green and blue are my preference in saltwater, I particularly like white in freshwater.
Bass, mullet, pollack, mackerel and horse mackerel are just as easily fooled as perch, pike-perch and catfish. The smallest sizes are not outdone by the trout...
On the fly
At sea, I particularly use the Shad Impact for fly fishing in the water column. The aim is to mount the Shad Impact on a darter head, i.e. a triangular shape, and to give it a jerky swimming action with a succession of short, sharp jerks. In this way, your lure will swim from right to left, attracting active predators in open water. On the hunt, this type of animation is particularly effective, especially if you maintain a high rhythm punctuated by a regular pause to let your lure come back down. Beware, however, that the bait is often hit at this point.
To scratch
While I rarely fly fish in freshwater, I do scratch fish in both environments. When I use this technique, I often use finesse and almost exclusively the Shad Impact. It really proves to be a formidable tool when it comes to tackling posture and listless fish, as long as you know how to take advantage of its supple and mobile characteristics.
In this context, I'll be looking for the minimum weight that allows me to fly over the bottom either by drifting or with a very gentle retrieve using the tip. My aim is to present my Shad Impact as naturally and slowly as possible to predators lurking on the bottom. The slightest stimulus from the current or the scion will cause my lure to vibrate very gently and this is sometimes the only way to make them decide, especially with pike-perch which are particularly demanding in terms of presentation and weight.
In traction for the 5-inch
With a lead head and a very short hook, it's also possible to animate the Shad Impact with a sharp enough pull to make it undulate along its entire length. However, it remains slightly short to be fully adapted to this practice, and I sometimes have to lengthen it with an old, torn Shad Impact... A model in 6 and especially 7 inches would undoubtedly be terribly effective for sea bass in trolling areas!
Features
- Type : soft lures
- Size 2, 3, 4 and 5 inches (5 / 7.5 / 10 and 12.5 cm)
- Weight 0.9 / 2 / 5.2 and 7.2 g
- Action : Scratch and fly
- Material plastic with in-mold attractant squid flavor
- Colors : 20
- Actual sales price approx. ?10 per bag (12 to 6 lures)
- Brand : Keitech
- Distributor : Way Of Fishing
