Entry 167-2

Shaw Grigsby on Late Spring and Early Summer Fishing

Part 2: The Diamond Shad

Strike King Diamond ShadEditor's Note: If you want to know how to catch bass on any day, you’ll always get the best information from the anglers who fish the most. Anglers who fish the most are professional anglers and guides. The second way that you learn the best information on how to catch bass on any day you go fishing is to obtain information from the anglers who make the most money. Strike King Pro, Shaw Grigsby, fits both of these criteria. He’s made over $1 million in tournament fishing and earns a good income from his TV show. This 48-year-old fisherman from Gainesville, Florida, fishes as much, if not more, than any angler I know. When he’s not fishing tournaments, he’s fishing for his TV show. We’ve asked him what the best tactics are to catch the most bass in June, and this week you’ll see his answers.

Question: What’s another technique that you use at this time of year?

Grigsby: The one bait that I always have tied on a rod when I’m fishing is the Diamond Shad. I probably fish the Diamond Shad more now than at any other time of year.

Strike King Diamond ShadQuestion: What colors do you like?

Grigsby: I like the chrome blue and the chrome black. During the late season, the shad start spawning and are easy prey for the bass. I believe that the lipless crankbaits like the Diamond Shad can be deadly effective at this time of year. This is a bait you can fish anywhere in the country, and you can fish it almost all year long.

Question: Are you fishing the Diamond Shad on schooling bass that you can see?

Grigsby: No, not at all. I fish the Diamond Shad down the bank. That’s what I like about the Diamond Shad. You can fish it down the bank at any time of year, cover a lot of water and catch a lot of bass. The Diamond Shad’s one of the most-universal lures I know. It’s appropriate for any lake in the country, at any time of year.

When the weather’s super-cold and the bass are holding in deep water, the best way to fish the Diamond Shad is to let it fall and then rip it off the bottom to imitate a dying shad. I prefer the Diamond Shad as a shallow-water bait.

Strike King Diamond ShadIn late spring and early summer, remember what the bass are doing. They just have finished spawning. The spawn has taken a lot of their energy and pulled weight off them. The fish are hungry and want to eat. They’ll be actively feeding and chasing bait. The Diamond Shad is the perfect lure to fish right now. I like it because it’s a fast bait. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to fish the Diamond Shad. The bait is very effective when you take it out of the package, tie it on a line, cast it and retrieve it.

I often add twitches in my retrieve to give the bait a more-erratic action. There’s no telling how many bass have been caught just casting and retrieving this lure on a steady retrieve. The Diamond Shad is a great bait to use right now, and I won’t go fishing without it.




 

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