Finally, a decent forecast on a proper bass tide!
I was sat at home looking at the weather forecast, tide table and my earlier catch data, thinking this day had far too much going for it for work to get in the way. It turned out to be one of my best bass fishing sessions, ever.
It was also my first opportunity to try out the production HTO Sad Shads. This was not even a remote risk given the anglers behind its design, and the perfect kind of fishing they are designed for. I planned to fish banks, reefs, and wrecks with depths between 80 and 110ft, and with the bigger tides I faced I already knew I would need the 90g Sad Shad.
I tied on the khaki colour to start, as it felt like the most natural colour I had in front of me. I was facing bright sunshine and clear water. The new lure worked from the very first drift (a section of reef) and ended up staying tied on all day.
There are many things I like about the Sad Shad design. Firstly, it is a sizeable lure with a short body. It is quite fat! This achieves the target of being a big bass magnet without creating a long lure. Long lures can fish great, but they often suffer from a few inherent design problems, namely; short bites (where a fish grabs a part of the lure that does not have a hook in it), and the issue of the tail jamming in the gape of the hook, or on the hook point. This can happen when a fish inhales the lure, blocking the hook-point, or upon occasion, just in normal use. Both have a marked impact on catch-rate (and boat fuel is expensive!).
So, the Sad Shad negates those issues, but sustains a suitable, sizeable meal for bigger fish. It is also available in the extremely useful 90g, which is simply perfect for the bigger tides of the South Coast when using a quality PE0.8-1.0 braided line, like the new HTO Tempest WX8 Braid.
I use my beloved Nebula SP 22ML (the lighter one) for most of my local bass fishing. It is at the extreme end of its useable range with the 90g Sad Shad, but you can only really feel that in an extended lift. Many anglers favour the slightly longer and more powerful 25MH model for heavy vertical (sink and draw), but my preference is for the lighter rod. It is a personal preference.
I fished the Sad Shad through the entire ebb tide and the first part of the flood. Only switching to a 60g Axia Casting Lure (yes, you can use it for vertical!) for the slack, which caught me a couple of bonus fish.
As the sun started setting, and I headed for home, the final tally included three bass over 70 cm, another three above 60 cm and a handful over 50 cm. I did not catch any undersize bass, which is both interesting and unusual for the area I fish. Hopefully, a testament to the power of the Sad Shad.
Looking forward to further testing during Autumn, early-Winter and beyond.
