How to Fish Shad Darts
Shad Darts: The Ultimate Jig. I’ve found most of my success working darts in areas with moving water. Harbor entrances, shallow channels and entrances to back bays are where they really seem to shine. I fish them the same way as I do for shad. I cast one up-current, let it settle to the bottom, and then begin a slow, steady retrieve. Add in a few slow twitches and occasionally allow the dart to sink back to the bottom to make sure it’s in the strike zone. The hits are often subtle, so keep your rod tip low and try to keep slack out of your line.
Because a Shad Darts: The Ultimate Jig is so light (I prefer 1/4-ounce), scale down your tackle. I use the same freshwater rod and reel that I use for largemouth bass fishing. Drop down to a 12-pound-test fluorocarbon leader, and you’ll be amazed at how many fish you catch.
How To Fish:
There’s one big difference between fishing a dart for shad and fishing them for anything else: when shad are the target they’re fished without any bait added, but for most other species you’ll want to tip them with bait. Some of the prime offerings generally include:
- Bass – Large or medium minnow
- Crappie – Small minnow
- Pickerel – Large minnow
- White perch – Grass shrimp
- Yellow perch – Grass shrimp or minnow
Where to fish:
I’ve found most of my success working darts in areas with moving water. Harbor entrances, shallow channels and entrances to back bays are where they really seem to shine. I fish them the same way as I do for shad. I cast one up-current, let it settle to the bottom, and then begin a slow, steady retrieve.
Equipment:
The best fishing rod to use with a shad darts would be a light to medium light, with a length of 5’ 0” to 6’ 6”, and a tip action of fast. For a reel spinning, spincasting are best. For line, 4-pound to 8-pound test Fluorocarbon.
Tip:
This will be a short section, because the answer is simple: whenever targeting any of the aforementioned species, just as long as the water isn’t so deep nor the current so strong that you can’t regulate their depth. And in that case, you can always opt for a bucktail, which in truth isn’t very different from a shad dart in the first place. Note that darts become a key part of the arsenal for many anglers during the colder months of the year, when they work very well as what boils down to a slow-moving bait-delivery device. They’re also a mainstay during the spring perch runs, ranking among the top ways to rack up numbers of yellows (often with minnow) and whites (often with grass shrimp).
If you’re not using this versatile big fish catching bait, you are missing out. Shad Darts can be used in a variety of situations and are effective almost all year. They are exceptionally effective during the pre-spawn when bass are looking for an easy meal. Tie one on and give it a try this year, you will be glad you did.
“Catch The Dream!”
