FishLab calls this power-packed spoon a ‘shad’ but when any Northeast angler lays eyes on them, they are only going to see one thing: a peanut bunker. That’s not my way of saying that FishLab got it wrong, it’s one of those tomāto/tomato things, and up here in the North Country we can really benefit from having a tin that can replicate this staple bait.
Right away my mind ran ahead to September when I saw these things and, of course, I was thinking about albies, bonito and Spanish macks. The designation as a ‘flutter spoon’ might make some believe that the Bio-Shad is not capable of being fished on a steady retrieve, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, the Bio-Shad is an excellent ‘cast and retrieve’ bait with a wide tail-kick that can be fished at all speeds from a deep wobble to a frantic, shallow wake.
Then we come to the flutter part of the equation. With the explosion in popularity of using artificials for sea bass and doing it with ‘slow-pitch’ tackle, flutter spoons have quickly become a hot commodity. These baits were designed to mimic dying shad, (which will make them a killer for early winter largemouth bass too), the action is kind of like a fast-falling leaf, a zig-zagging descent, and with three sizes, you can dial in the correct heft to get your bait down into the strike zone through slow to moderate current. This makes them a double-threat, you can jig them using a lift-drop technique while you wait for stripers, blues or albies to pop up on the surface. Reel up quick and fire at will!
The Bio-Shad is available in five fishy colors that run the gamut from their flashy ‘Chartreuse Shad’ which will grab attention in dirty water, to the aptly-named color ‘Shad’ which is a dead ringer for a peanut bunker, to the all-around staple ‘White/Silver’ which will catch fish in nearly every situation. These baits are also available in three sizes; a 1-3/4 inch, ½-ounce version, a 2-inch, ¾-ouncer and a 2-1/4-incher that weighs in at 1 ounce. All three will keep up, casting-wise, with other baits in their weight class, they hold up well and come equipped with quality hooks and components.
So whether you’re slow-pitching for sea bass and porgies, matching the peanut hatch for stripers, blues and even fluke or zipping tins at light speed for albies and bones, the FishLab Bio-Shad Flutter Spoon is one that you will definitely want to have in your arsenal. These baits retail between $10 and $11 and are available at tackle shops throughout the region and online. For more information, check out www.fishlabtackle.com.
