Entry 246-4
Fishing Strike King’s New 2008 Lures with Mark Menendez
Editor’s Note: Mark Menendez of Paducah, Kentucky, one of the Strike King Pro Team members, fishes the Bassmaster Elite Series and the FLW tournament circuits and has fished three Bassmaster Classics. This week, Menendez will tell us what barely missing the 2008 Classic was like, and what he thinks about Strike King’s newest lures.
Part 4: The Sexy Shad Isn’t a Gimmick
Question: Mark, let’s talk about the Sexy Shad color. That color on almost any lure Strike King makes has really seemed to catch fire this year. Is the Sexy Shad color a gimmick or a better color for catching bass than we’ve ever seen?
Menendez: No, the Sexy Shad color isn’t a gimmick. It’s a natural-looking color because of the way the lures are painted and the way the gradient of the color shades down on both sides of the lure. The yellow stripe in this color looks like the yellow-tailed baitfish you’ll find on the Tennessee River chain of lakes. It’s also the way in which the colors are laid on the lure that makes the difference in the Sexy Shad color’s catching ability.
One color shines through another color, so you’re not just seeing a flat color. You’re seeing the colors that come from the base coat all the way to the outer edge of the bait, which is how bass are accustomed to seeing baitfish. The colors change as the fish swims through the water, and as the light strikes the colors on the baitfish.
Kevin VanDam designed that color and used it to win two events in 2007. He added the chrome model this year and has already won one event with it. 
When VanDam designed and painted the bait to be the most-effective tool he could use and had enough faith in to not only fish in national tournaments, but to win with it, he wasn’t trying to create a gimmick. VanDam, more than any individual, proved with three tournament wins, that the Sexy Shad color would catch bass.
The difference between the real deal and a gimmick is that a gimmick is a color someone believes is supposed to catch bass. The real deal is when a tournament fisherman like Kevin VanDam designs a color, takes that color out on the tournament trail, and not only proves he can catch bass with it, but that he can win BASS’s Elite Series tournaments with it. This dispels any of the critics who may say the Sexy Shad color is a gimmick. VanDam has put his money where his mouth is and has bet on that color. He’s won three major bass tournaments with it against the best bass fishermen in the nation and earned three, $100,000 checks. How much more proof does anyone else need that the Sexy Shad is the real deal?
Question: On what Strike King lure do you like the Sexy Shad color the best?
Menendez: I like it on a Strike King Series 3 crankbait. I also fish it a lot on the Mini 3 crankbait, especially early in the season after the shad have spawned. The Mini 3 is a little bait with a big attitude. I catch numbers of 3- to 4-pound fish with that little lure, especially when the shad are small. Another advantage to the Mini 3 is that it isn’t difficult to cast. With many of the crappie-sized crankbaits, you generally need to cast it with a spinning rod. But the Mini 3 is weighted like a bullet, and you can cast it a long way, even on a baitcasting reel. When the shad start getting bigger, I’ll choose the Series 3 or the Series 5 crankbait.
Contents:
- Part 1: Six Points Away from Fishing the Classic
- Part 2: The Rage Craw and Jig Combination
- Part 3: Don’t Rush the Football
- Part 4: The Sexy Shad Isn’t a Gimmick
- Part 5: The Shadalicious and the Sexy Spoon
