Jackall Soul Shad 68SP

One of the many fine products I will be reviewing this year is the Jackall Soul Shad 68SP. This past weekend (May 21 st) I traveled to Lake Erie to fish for Smallmouth Bass that are begining their shallow water migrations onto the spawning flats. This time of year, an angler can have the time of his life fishing for these world-class Smallmouth if they are equipt with the right tackle and presentation. This year I decided to show the big smallies a new weapon! The Jackall Soul Shad 68SP is a shad style bait with a slim body, and tight action that is perfect for colder water applications. The slimmer body is designed to increase hook-up ratios, while the tight action gives the bait a natural appearance and size of the bait that the gamefish feed on. Being the high end lure that Jackall is known for, the Soul Shad had a weight transfer system built in. The weight is transfered to the back of the lure while casting and then repositioned to the belly of the bait where it is held in place by a magnet. This design gives the bait a perfect suspend and balance that is a must in any quality shad bait or jerkbait.
On this day, the smallmouth were not as aggressive as I wanted them, but would still hit the Soul Shad, but had many more follow-in’s than takers because of the clear skys and fishing pressure. I used the Soul Shad as a “search bait”. In doing this I can cover allot of water fairly quickly while locating the schooling smallmouth. Once located, by catching or spotting a follow-in, I could then drop a light weight tube rig directly into the bed. This was a sure way to get bit almost every cast.
The quality design of the Soul Shad is noted directly out of the package with the high quality finishes. I recommend the natural colors for clear water while I prefer the Tennesse Shad or Chartruse Shad colors for more stained water. Super Sharp hooks, weight transfer system, and perfect balance are all the selling points of this high end bait produced by Jackall. The Sould Shad comes in the 2.7″ size, 3/16 oz weight, and runs to a depth of 4-6 feet.
To work the lure in shallow water, I prefer lighter spinning tackle with 6 to 8 lb line. I cast the lure far, and work the bait back to the boat with the rod tip held high. Use a jerk and pause retrieve while ticking the bottom or weeds with the bill of the bait. The strikes will come on the pause so don’t be afraid to shake it while holding it still in the water. This extra action on a pause will trigger anything near it! With the large bill on this bait, you can roll the lure up over and around logs and rocks with minimal snagging and the fish will come up from underneith the cover to strike the bait! The colder the water, the slower the action you want to give the bait. You can truely never work a jerkbait or shad bait to slow. Give this high end product from Jackall Lures a try and I know you will find the same results that I have.