Kevin Van Dam Forums

Alright, ill admit, I’ve never caught a fish on this color. And what bugs me the most about kvd is how its sexy shad this and sexy shad that. Now I know its a marketing thing and that that’s the hype he’s brought up. It definately looks like a great color, but never to my knowledge has it ever been classified as a specific color for a specific water clarity. I fish a lot of water that has american and gizard shad but the water is usually stained or muddy. Or maybe its because I’ve never has any luck with a strike king crankbait period! Ill have to give a bandit in a sexy shad color a try to see, but as of now I’ve lost faith in this color and am not sure why its hyped as such a magic color. Now the gold sexy shad I’ve caught a few off of, but nothing to brag about. I know there’s a color for different situation. But why does kvd never specify that? I would assume its a clear water color? Help me understand this please!

I had a bandit 300 in the sparkle ghost color (sexy shad), and loved it, till a muskie stole it from me. I like using it in clear water situations with a nice over cast or stained water on a clear day. I’m gunna pick a few up the next time I’m at a Bass Pro.

KVD actually did specify what you are talking about.  If you listened or read the article about the Classic, he said he was using a different color during practice, and then noticed the baitfish had sort of a gold color to them and that is why he went with the gold sexy shad.

You have to match the hatch..no matter what the pros say.  They dont give away all their secrets and protect much of their real knowledge…thats why they are pros.

I read an article a few months ago about flippin.  I pride myself on being an excellent short string fisherman…..and thought hey…maybe there is a new tip in this article.  Let me tell you…this was the most BS and vague article on flippin and pitchin I have ever read.  Basically said you can catch fish around brush, stumps, and boat docks…DUH…who doesnt know that.

That article right there is what I am talking about when I say the pros protect alot of their knowledge, or disguise it with common fishing practice, just reworded to make it sound a little better.

—-I have caught plenty of fish on the original sexy shad by the way.  I usually fish it early or late in the year when the shad are starting to grow, or at the end when they are getting ready to die off.  That is around here where we get ice.

Xranger you are 100% correct. I match the hatch always, I just don’t understand why that color is so hopped up. Idk I just haven’t had any luck with a pattern like that. Any other color I can usually match up and do extremly well on. I did also read that article from the classic, and its understandable but all I hear out of kvd is sexy shad sexy shad sexy shad…

I’ve caught 2 norrtherns on a sexy shad pattern, and a walleye on a chart sexy shad pattern… never got a bass on it.

I have caught several smallies and large mouth on a lipless crank bait in sexy shad

I have to 2nd what xranger is saying. These guys give us a small amount of info we can use but the majority of what is printed is for beginners. I know X has been a marshal, and I have done it a few times. Being on the boat and watching is leaps and bounds more educational then reading print. With that said, I know a lot of you guys havent had the chance to do this. I highly recommend it. I primarily marshal “ledge fishing” lakes so I can learn offshore stuff and sonar use. After seeing these guys in action first hand, Ill be the first to admit I had no clue how to fish a deep diver efficiently. I think that could be the thing with some of you guys too. We may think we are doing something the right way, but we may be only doing it 50% effectively.
Sexy Shad was a color developed primarily for the Tennessee River and its lakes.
I have to head to a meeting. Ill finish up on this later.

I still have to say that it is a confidence thing. Example would be Kevin spoke about shallow water cranking so I purchased a 1XS in sexy shad cuz it was the hot new color. I have to admit that I caught a lot of bass on that one crank and have thrown it in places I would never had if Kevin didn’t tell me that you just have to have confidence that it will not snag. The point is, I think that there are always several factors and luck is one. Have I caught a lot of bass on sexy shad crank bait?  HECK YES! I do have a sexy shad burner spinner bait that I have yet to catch a bass on BUT I hardly throw it. You have to admit seeing a bass wack a shallow crank is a scream. compared to a spinner bait bite. I say do what ya like after all we do it for fun right. BUT don’t be a one trick pony cuz there will be days when that trick won’t work.  It also needs to be said that I live an hour from his house so we fish the same lakes ....don’t mean to brag but I have an advantage that Kevin or Randy tell me what to throw in what lake at what time of year.

I have had pretty good success with sexy shad overall. But I think the lakes I fish are stained enough for it to produce consistently. So the water is right for the bait, which is really important. Some of you guys who arent doing as well as you feel you should might want to look at the chartreuse sexy shad or the ghost sexy shad.

I have caught plenty on the sexy shad lipless and the 4 series square bill..as well as some on the spinner bait.  I have also done well with the chrome sexy on really sunny days.

I have other cranks also, and the lighter colored or sexy shad colored cranks produce just fine.  I think its a matter of getting the conditions right, and of course being around the fish. 

There are always little things that really help..like..bumping the stumps with cranks, or ripping the lipless through the grass.  Thing like that are the real key to triggering bites, not necessarily the color.

I caught my first LM on the river yesterday.  All fish came from bumping the stumps with the buzzbait…no other way.  And all my flippin fish came from right on the stumps…not 2 feet away..I had to lay the bait on the stump to get bit.

I just remembered I saw an episode of bill dance outdoors the other day where he was talking about hard baits colors. He said color rarely makes a difference, it is mostly the action, shape, and running depth of the bait that triggers strikes. He proved it by throwing a hot pink crankbait and caught one on the first cast… in his stocked lake.

^^^^lol…..

  I’ve yet to catch a bass on the sexy shad either. Caught quite a few jack’s on them but no bass. I’ve painted up some similar to a sexy shad except with a greenish/brown back and tore the fish up. I’ve never seen a bait fish here in FL with a blue back like the sexy shad. the threadfin have a stripe similar to it but that’s the only similarity to any bait fish we have down here.

I have done good with the color and have a lot of confidence in it. That being said I’m not going to freak out if I loose my only sexy shad bait on the water. I have to agree with Bill that size, shape, and action as well working the bait correctly are far more important than color. For example this past weekend my dad and I got into a large school of offshore fish that I found on a foxy shad fat free shad. I didnt have the same bait in the same color for dad but I had the same exact model bait in a different color. We both caught fish from the same spot cast after cast with the differennt color lures. In the next hour and a half we boated 42 bass. My point is it was being in the right spot with a bait that had the right action not necessarily a certain color.

I really like the Strike King Pro-Model crankbaits. I have a lot of confidence in them, and they are also affordable. I have them in a couple different models, and a few different colors. The Sexy Shad pattern does have its place, but when I’m cranking in stained water the first bait I grab is a Chartreuse Sexy shad colored crank. It seems to silhouette a lot better than a straight Sexy Shad colored bait. If Sexy Shad isn’t working for you, experiment with differnt colors untill you find something that works.

I have caught a few bass here in Alabama on the sexy shad but the go to colors are Rayburn Red and Gold&Black;.Charteuse Shad is good on Smith Lake.

There is a local lake that is chartreuse shad dominant pattern.  You can catch fish on other shad type colors…but the chartreuse shad is a 2-1 favorite if you can get the crank or spinnerbait bite going. I have yet to have a great day with any craw type colors either.  But I can flip the hell out of the lake any day of the week.