/ 
You only need to watch a few anglers fishing with soft lures to see that shads are the most popular and are used most often. Are they better than the others? I think we can already answer that question in the negative, because we all know that no one lure is better than another?it?s simply a matter of lures being worked effectively in the right context. So why do shads dominate?
Is there a real resemblance?
The first reason probably stems from anglers? imagination. Even though there are soft lures that look much more like real fish, many believe that the way shads swim and the vibrations they produce are what best mimic nature... All it takes is stepping back for just a few seconds and watching a fish swim to realize that this is nothing more than a misconception. The reasons must therefore lie elsewhere...
Reassuring?
In fact, the main reason shads are so popular is that they give anglers?and beginners in particular?a sense of confidence. They are the only soft lures that emit vibrations you can actually feel through your rod, and?along with swimbaits and grubs?you only need to watch them to see how they swim and feel completely confident about how to work them and the vibrations they produce.
Finness lures, craws, slugs, and tubes produce very subtle vibrations, and most anglers assume that fish can?t sense them. But fish have a lateral line?and we don?t...
Easy to use?
While slugs, finness lures, and craws require specific, technical retrieves to be used to their full potential, shads can be retrieved with a simple, straight retrieve using a reel. It?s extremely simple, accessible to everyone, and?once again?very reassuring for the angler.
The vast array of options
Let?s get this out of the way right away: there are different families of shads that produce very different vibrations, but a shad is still a shad, and the selection on the market is simply enormous. This diversity, compared to other types of soft lures, reinforces the fact that they are undoubtedly superior... ?If so many are sold and brands are developing so many of them, doesn?t that mean they?re superior to the others?? No! They?re just more profitable.
What?s more, there are so many shapes, sizes, and colors on the shelves that it?s easy to think you can adapt to any situation by having an endless variety of shads. But that?s not the case, and there are certainly situations where finesse lures and slugs will perform far better.
His personal experience
Finally, what really enhances the power of shads is each angler?s own personal story. Even though anglers of my generation first became familiar with Mister Twister?s famous ?Twist??which is, in fact, a grub?many anglers got their start and caught fish using shads. These real-life experiences and countless memories build confidence, and it?s only natural to tie a lure you know works to the end of your line.
