LFT Lures "Live Baby" Shad

[rivercrappievt]

Hey guys, we have been fishing these baits for the past week or two and have written a review for them, you can find it here.
LFT Lures "Live" Baby Shad lure Review
Lake Fork Trophy Lures « D & B Ice Adventures's Blog
I don't know if this is the right place to post it, I didn't see a lure review thread or anything. These baits have been producing quality fish in decent numbers up here in Vermont. Have any of you had any success with them?

[Crappie Vermonster]

I started useing them last year and love them this time of year I use them under a bobber but when the water warms i just cast them out on a jig and reel. On bomoseen and champlain my go to colors are limetruse and electric chiken. do they make a glow in the dark color that you know of cause i even use them ice fishing and a glow color would be great.

[rivercrappievt]

Yes they do have some glow colors. Youtube them, theres some guys in canada that use them ice fishing and they jack up some giants!

[Crestliner08]

Nice blog and report. I have several version of the LF Live Magic Shad that I use for bass fishing. Problem with them is that you can't cast them too hard, or you'll cast off the tails! Especially with the 5" model. These small ones for crappie look very interesting. Something I'll definitely be giving a whirl this season. Thanks!

[no1son]

This is another of those excellent modern plastic tails. There are getting to be so many of them that one can't carry them all anymore. We have been using the Lake Fork Trophy Live Baby Shad all spring and are very impressed.

This one is well worth adding to one's arsenal whether vertically jigged, bobbered or cast. For us the black backed, white bellied color works far and away the best, pretty much just the straight shad pattern, even though we don't have shad in the natural lakes we fish here in Minnesota. Hang onto your pole you never know just what will take these little baits next. Last evening while I was taking smaller crappies on a much smaller tail jigging vertically, my partner took 4 largemouths with this, 3 of them over 5 pounds while casting. (I took another of over 20" on the little inch and a quarter luv nub I was using - the largemouts definitely moved in on the crappie hole last evening. Pretty exciting evening on the ultralights. At one point we actually had a double both over 20".)

Where the bottom allows try letting the cast settle to the bottom and then retrieving on a short draw ending in a twitch and then a pause and repeat working the bait along the bottom. Straight retrieve is also good due to the action these tails have all by themselves. I would suggest using light lines so one doesn't inhibit the natural action of these very active plastics. We use 2 and 4 pound and then live on the reel's drag for any larger bonus fish that show up.

It is also interesting to see someone else taking a bullhead on the little plastics. We don't have many browns around here but our black bullheads will also take them, once in a while.

FWIW I have no financial interest in any bait or tackle company. My partner picked up the first ones early after ice out on a whim. A pretty effective whim it was, too, and has been all spring.

[shipahoy41]

Nice post. Thanks.

[Hitek]

Yes, I have used them with success. The bad part about them is that they do not hold up all that well. We switched to the slab bandits by crazy angler with the same success but they last ALOT longer. They have a different shape but I have been extremely pleased with them.

[TDHcrappiemaster]

LFT Live Baby Shad is all I use any more.
They are the best crappie bait on the market in my opinion.

All my crappie fishing guide trips are done with Live Baby shad and juiced up Baits panfish spray.
As far as the life of the bait. If you are catching crappie then no issues if you get into small bluegill then they might tear a tail off.
My Clients this year in three 6 hour trips have landed 220, 92, 130 and 202 crappie. Three different lakes here in Indiana.
I fish tournaments with them every other weekend and out of four tournaments in 2012 which averaged 38 boats. My partner and I have finished 1st, two 2nds and 3rd. And I promise you all we use if Lake Fork Live Baby Shad and Juiced up Baits panfish spray.

If anyone is on the fence about buying some you need to stop thinking about it and get them. These things flat out catch fish!

[Crappie Vermonster]

Some times the gills do pull the tail off but other times you can cath the big ones in my lakes they like the bluegill and purple colored ones. Alot of fish like to eat these little baits

[indianachinker]

Well I know that for sure he uses them we fish in the same tournaments. I use them bout 50% of the time. They do make a differnce. But still love using Southern Pro baits.