Best Shad Fishing Plugs of 2025
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Shad fishing plugs are a type of fishing lure designed to attract and catch shad, a popular game fish found in many rivers and streams. These plugs come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours, and are designed to mimic the natural movements and appearance of shad baitfish. They are typically made from durable materials such as plastic or wood, and are equipped with hooks and other features to help increase their effectiveness. Shad fishing plugs are a popular choice among anglers looking to catch this elusive fish, and can be a valuable addition to any fishing tackle collection.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Shad Fishing Plugs
Berkley Hit Stick Crankbait, Tennessee Shad
The Berkley Hit Stick is a versatile crankbait that can be used as a finesse jerk bait, trolling bait, or casting bait for predator fish. It features an enticing tight tail action, providing the largest rolling action of any Berkley hard bait, ensuring maximum side flash even at slow speeds. With its high-pitch rattle, it effectively attracts predator game fish. Additionally, the sharp Fusion19 hooks offer easy penetration and excellent holding ability, making it ideal for both shore and boat fishing.
Strike King Red Eye Shad Fishing Lure
The Strike King Red Eye Shad is designed for exceptional performance on the water. Its incredible action mimics a wounded baitfish, attracting predators effectively. The realistic paint adds to its lifelike appearance, making it more enticing for fish. Equipped with premium hooks, you can trust that your catch will stay hooked. Additionally, the lure features 3D eyes, enhancing its realism and increasing your chances of a successful catch. This combination of features ensures that you can fish with confidence and efficiency.
LUCKY CRAFT Flashminnow 110 Surf Fishing Lure
The LUCKY CRAFT Flashminnow 110 is a versatile surf fishing lure measuring 4-1/2 inches (110mm) in length. Weighing 5/8 oz (16.5g), it allows for easy casting, making it suitable for various fishing conditions. Designed to dive to a depth of 1-2 feet (0.5m), this lure is perfect for targeting fish in shallow waters. Its slow suspending action enhances its effectiveness, making it attractive to fish. You’ll appreciate the VMC #6 hooks that ensure strong hookups when you use this lure.
Strike King KVD Square Bill Fishing Lure
The Strike King KVD Lure features a unique action that mimics the movement of prey, making it highly effective for attracting fish. With no internal rattles, it provides a stealthy approach that can be advantageous in clear water conditions. This lure dives between 3 to 6 feet, allowing you to target fish at various depths. Its 3/8 oz weight ensures easy casting, giving you more control over your fishing experience. This combination of features makes it a great choice for anglers looking to enhance their catch rate.
Strike King KVD 1.5 Hard Knock Crankbait
The Strike King KVD Crankbait is designed to enhance your bass fishing experience. Its size and action mirror the original KVD 1.5 Squarebill, making it familiar and effective. The unique Hard Knock rattle system delivers a deep thud that resonates underwater, perfect for attracting fish in lower visibility conditions. This sound is particularly effective in heavy cover, driving bass wild. You’ll find that this crankbait not only draws the attention of fish but also increases your chances of a successful catch.
Strike King Red Eye Shad Crankbait Lure
The Strike King Red Eye Shad is a premier lipless crankbait designed for serious anglers. Its excellent action and premium features, including 3D eyes and free-floating rattles, attract bass and walleye effectively. You can utilise it across various seasons, whether you're fishing along grass edges in spring or aggressively ripping it in summer. The sharp size 4 treble hooks ensure that once a fish bites, it stays hooked, giving you confidence on the water.
BANDIT LURES Walleye Shallow Minnow Jerkbait
The BANDIT LURES Jerkbait is a versatile fishing lure designed for targeting walleye, zander, and other predator fish. Measuring 4 3/4 inches, it dives to around 12 feet, making it ideal for deeper trolling on long casts. The lure features effective colour patterns that work in various conditions, ensuring you can attract fish no matter where you are. Additionally, tough trebles and piercing 3D eyes provide a reliable target, enhancing your chances of a successful catch.
Strike King KVD Jerkbait Fishing Lure, Chartreuse
The Strike King Jerkbait Lure is designed to enhance your fishing experience. It features a weight transfer system, allowing for longer casts and improved accuracy, making it easier for you to reach those elusive fish. The lure is equipped with realistic 3D eyes, which can attract fish by mimicking the appearance of natural prey. Additionally, its premium black nickel hooks provide excellent durability and sharpness, ensuring a secure hook-set when you make a catch. This combination of features makes it a reliable choice for anglers of all levels.
Strike King KVD Jerkbait Fishing Lure 469
The Strike King Jerkbait 469 is designed for avid anglers seeking efficiency and effectiveness. The weight transfer system enhances casting distance and accuracy, allowing you to reach those tricky spots with ease. With 3D eyes that create a life-like appearance, the lure attracts fish, increasing your chances of a successful catch. Additionally, the premium black nickel hooks ensure durability and sharpness, providing confidence that your catch won't escape. Overall, this lure combines innovative features to elevate your fishing experience.
ODS Lure Minnow Bait Fishing Set
The ODS Lure Fishing Tackle is crafted from high-quality ABS plastic, ensuring durability for your fishing adventures. Its realistic design features high-resolution body details and 3D lifelike fish eyes, making it an attractive choice for catching various fish. You can easily control the lure's dive speed and depth by adjusting the retrieval speed of your fishing line. Additionally, it comes rigged with a strong flat ring and sharp treble hook, providing confidence in your catch.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What do you use for shad fishing?
Shad darts are a longtime go-to for these fish. Traditional color patterns include red and white, but other bright-colored dart-style lures will catch shad. There are a good number of small spoons, simple spinners and crappie-style weighted jig heads with bright twisty-tails that will account for lots of hooked shad.
2. What is a shad lure good for?
The quivering, undulating tails give them an alluring motion and send out vibrations that add an auditory appeal to lure a fish to strike. Plus, they also work year-round, in both cold weather conditions and on brutally hot summer days. No wonder soft plastic shad lures are one of the most effective baits you can use.
3. What fish can you catch with a plug?
As a general rule large plugs are used for large fish, and small plugs for small fish. Fishermen casting for very small fish such as crappie will use very small plugs, and anglers fishing for large fish such muskellunge or Murray cod will use extremely large plugs.
During our shad fishing plug research, we found 40 shad fishing plug products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 19,991 customer reviews through our big data system to write the shad fishing plugs list. We found that most customers choose shad fishing plugs with an average price of £16.00.
The shad fishing plugs are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of shad fishing plugs, including BERKLEY, Strike King, LUCKY CRAFT, BANDIT LURES, ods lure.
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