Manns Shads Review
Manns Shads have been around for donkey’s years, and they were one of the first shad type paddle- tailed baits that I used, however, I am still using them now- they are that effective! You can get them in various sizes from 2 inch to 6 inch, my “go to” sizes for zander are 4 inch, for Pike 6 inches.
They come in a massive range of colours: from Fire Shad, which surprisingly is green, to the more natural Real Fish, which is a silver white with a black back.
They are made of a very soft plastic, which is why I like them, and maybe why others do not. Yes, they rip and tear easily, and you may only get a couple of fish on each lure, but does that matter, they are really as cheap as chips. Expect to pay around £1 each for the larger 6 inch versions, and £0.50 for the 4 inch ones.
They have a quite large paddle- tail set at nearly 90 degrees, which causes a great displacement in the water, and, because of the soft plastic, it causes the tail to corkscrew around, and then release, again creating a very unique sound wave in the water that fish find irresistible. A good tip I find with these is to mount them on heaver jig heads than you would normally use, as the fat paddle- tail does make them rise quite quickly in the water. I do find these shads work better on a straight retrieve, but they are also successful hopped along the bottom or fished vertically.
As for jig head sizes I find a 3/0 is about right for the 4 inch version and a 6/0 is a good size for the 6 inch ones, also I always put a stinger on them, as they are prone to getting tail- nipped in colder weather.
