Entry 276-5

Why Strike King’s Lures Are the Way They Are with Shaw Grigsby

Part 5: The Big Brother of the Red Eye Shad

Question: Shaw. You had a lot to say about the Red Eye Shad when it came out, didn’t you?

Grigsby: As soon as I saw the first Red Eye Shad swimming in a pool, I knew we needed these lures for fishing big-bass lakes. So Strike King created the 3/4-ounce-size Red Eye Shad. As soon as the 1/2-ounce Red Eye Shad came to the market, we began working on a 3/4-ounce Red Eye Shad. I got some early prototypes and started testing this lure at Wheeler Lake in Alabama.

In the Elite Series tournament at Wheeler Lake I moved up to second or third place in only a day of fishing, thanks to the 3/4-ounce Red Eye Shad. I caught a number of 3- and 4-pound bass and even a 7 pounder in that tournament. I knew before the bait ever hit the market that the 3/4-ounce big brother to the 1/2-ounce Red Eye Shad would be successful, especially on big bass. I just finished a tournament on Pickwick Lake, and the Red Eye Shad was my primary bait.

Question: What’s your favorite –colored Red Eye Shad?

Grigsby: The Sexy Shad is my favorite color. Here’s a classic example of how the Strike King pros help create these baits. Kevin VanDam is totally responsible for the Sexy Shad color and proved it would catch more fish than any other color in our arsenal. So when I got the new 3/4-ounce Red Eye Shad in the Sexy Shad color, I knew it was one of the best colors for shad-type baits. I blistered the fish with that bait. Too, I really like the white-and-green color. I know a green back isn’t a flashy color, but I wouldn’t go anywhere without a green-and-white or a Sexy Shad-colored Red Eye Shad. The Red Eye Shad is unusual and a great fish-catching lure because of its vibrating action and tight wobble of the lipless crankbait.

Also when you stop the retrieve, the bait swims to the bottom instead of dropping like a rock, like most other lipless crankbaits. Many Strike King pros are excited about the Red Eye Shad because it has an action unlike any other lipless crankbait on the market. With the Red Eye Shad, we not only have the drawing power of a tight wobbly, lipless crankbait but also the strike-attracting power of a fall bait that swims to the bottom. When you’ve got a 3/4-ounce Red Eye Shad, you’ve got all these ingredients in a big bait that’s sure to attract big bass.

These are some of the baits I’ve designed, made suggestions on and helped select component parts for which I’m the most excited. Remember that Strike King’s Pro Staff tests, fishes and recommends all lures Strike King brings to the market before the consumer ever sees them. So when you buy a Strike King, you’re getting a fishing lure that’s already been pro-tested and pro-proven before it hits the market.

Contents:

• Part 1: This Ain’t Your Granddaddy’s Spinner Bait
• Part 2: The Little Spinner Bait with Lots of Weight
• Part 3: Don’t Forget the Zulu
• Part 4: Take the Glass Minnow to Salt Water
• Part 5: The Big Brother of the Red Eye Shad