Mike Bucca’s “Bull Shad” Swimbait Hot

The overwhelming majority of swimbait manufacturers place their focus on producing trout imitation baits. Although they work in the Southeast, they do not give off a shad-like swim or profile. Enter Mike Bucca and his “Bull Shad” - a three-joint, four-piece, hard resin shad imitation swimbait. The poster child for rugged-simplicity, the Bull Shad offers little to aesthetically-demanding bait collectors, focusing instead on high-quality components and functionality.

Excellent hooks, split rings, and massive, internal hook-hanger swivels grace the bait. The exterior is purposefully Spartan with a muted, purplish hue and an extra-large 3-D eye. It’s a dead ringer for a weathered gizzard shad. In the water, the Bull Shad swims with a seductive undulation as convincing as any swimbait I have seen. Companion anglers continue to comment with disbelief and astonishment on the realism of this bait in the water.

In the field, this bait performs to an extraordinarily high level. I have tested the Bull Shad extensively in both rivers and lakes, and found it equally impressive in each scenario. The Bull Shad is very effective in rivers, as it offers a large profile meal that triggers the feeding mechanism of opportunistic, quick-strike river fish. A key asset of the Bull Shad is the ability to traverse current seams without rolling over. I’m consistently impressed at the size and numbers of fish that will attack this bait; even small shoal bass and spots not much bigger than the bait will unload on it. The Bull Shad is my go-to striped bass lure, accounting for almost 100% of all my striper catches.

Lake fish share equal love for the Bull Shad; fishing isolated points and structure produces monstrous strikes from ambushing predators. Realism and size make the Bull Shad stand out among schooling baitfish, and will often outperform conventional lures for numbers of fish caught. On a recent trip my Bull Shad pulled three nice bass from a school, while my friend, using normal tackle, came up empty.

I fish this bait primarily at a fast-paced, waking burn. Fish charge from cover and the depths to attack a fleeing baitfish trapped on the surface. If you have fish following, but not committing, rip the bait with sharp downward strokes of the rod tip.

Bottom line: this is one of the most effective swimbaits I have ever used, and at $55 it is quite the value considering the price of other offerings. For the swimbait elitists, it is no visual masterpiece, but it is readily available and does not cost a car payment. For the beginning swimbaiter, this is by-far the best entry bait you can buy. It has quickly become my confidence swimbait; so much so, that I recently sold off all of my other swimbaits. To have actual success with swimbaits you must commit to throwing them all day. You will quickly gain that confidence with the Bull Shad.

You can get your own Bull Shad through Mike Bucca's website.

Bait: Bull Shad
Manufacturer: Mike Bucca
Length: 6"
Weight: 1.75 ounces
Type: Slow Sink
Price: $55

The Monster Shad is a three joint, four piece hard swimbait based off the popular Bull Shad series. Measuring in at a whopping 5 ounces and 9 inches in total length, the Monster Shad is a legitimate trophy hunting lure.

The thought process behind this bait is to engineer a lure that mimics only the mature, gizzard shad; a forage that only the apex predators feed on. Trophy fish live distinctly separate lives from their smaller kin. They occupy different structure, hunt in different areas, and often feed on larger forage. Mimicking bigger forage selectively weeds out the smaller fish allowing you more opportunities to target trophy fish.

The 9 inch Monster Shad is a seriously heavy bait which requires a dedicated swimbait rod. An 8 foot rod like the Dobyns 807 is perfect for loading and launching a lure of this magnitude. Pair the rod with a heavy duty reel spooled with 25 pound, minimum, line. Fish the Monster Shad like any other Bull Shad swimbait, with a steady retrieve and a firm grip.

Specifications
Weight: 5 ounces
Length: 9 inches
Hooks: 2/0

Photos by Chris Funk