When you spend as much time chasing walleyes as we do, you quickly learn that there are a handful of presentations that just flat-out catch fish almost everywhere you go.
I’ve been fortunate enough to fish walleyes all across North America—from the Dakotas and Minnesota to Wisconsin, the Great Lakes and throughout Ontario. Every body of water is a little different, but one bait that continues to produce for me is the 3.5-inch Big Bite Baits Suicide Shad.
It’s an incredibly versatile little swimbait that can be fished shallow, deep, around weeds, over rocks or simply trolled along close to the bottom. That versatility is exactly why it has become one of my favorite walleye presentations.
A Great Bait for Canadian Walleyes
We were recently fishing at Slate Falls Outposts in Ontario, and the quality of the walleye fishing was simply amazing. There are a lot of fish in these waters, including some really beautiful walleyes.
One of the things that always impresses me about these northern Canadian waters is the coloration of the fish. Some of these walleyes are absolutely gorgeous.
And when you’re dealing with numbers of aggressive walleyes, a swimbait is one of the best ways I know to cover water and trigger strikes.
That’s where the Suicide Shad really shines.
Why I Like the 3.5-Inch Suicide Shad
The 3.5-inch Suicide Shad is just about the perfect size for a wide range of walleye situations.
One of the colors I really like is Sunrise. It’s a bright, highly visible color, but Big Bite Baits also offers the Suicide Shad in a wide variety of more natural-looking patterns.
That gives you the ability to experiment.
Some days those walleyes really respond to something bright and noticeable. Other times, particularly in clear water, a more natural forage pattern can be the ticket.
But color is only one part of the equation. The real advantage of this bait is how many different ways you can fish it.
Match Your Jig Weight to the Situation
I’ll fish the Suicide Shad on a wide variety of jig-head weights depending on water depth and how I want to present the bait.
The important thing is matching the weight to the depth and presentation.
When you’re fishing moderate to shallow water, you don’t necessarily need a heavy jig. As you move deeper—or when you want to maintain consistent contact near the bottom—you can step up considerably in weight.
In deeper-water situations, I’ll use a 1/2-ounce, 3/4-ounce or even a 1-ounce jig head.
That heavier head isn’t necessarily about fishing the bait aggressively. In fact, sometimes it’s exactly the opposite. The additional weight allows me to keep the bait close to the bottom while moving very slowly and maintaining excellent control.
Casting the Suicide Shad
In shallow to moderate depths, casting is one of my favorite ways to fish this combination.
It could be around rocks. It could be across a big weed flat. Anywhere walleyes are spread across an area and actively feeding, the Suicide Shad gives you a great search presentation.
I’ll make a long cast and then work the bait back with a slow-rolling retrieve.
Sometimes I’ll mix in intermittent twitches or little pops that lift the bait off the bottom. Other times I’ll simply use a straight swimming retrieve.
Don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be.
The paddle tail is already creating the attraction. Your job is simply to keep that bait moving through the productive portion of the water column.
A lot of times, that steady swimming action is exactly what those walleyes want.
Jig Trolling in Deeper Water
When the fish move into moderate or deeper water, I’ll often switch to a presentation I call jig trolling.
It’s incredibly simple.
I’ll use that heavier jig head—often 1/2 ounce, 3/4 ounce or even 1 ounce—and drop the bait all the way to the bottom.
Once I know I’m on bottom, I’ll lift the bait approximately two or three feet and start moving.
You can backtroll or forward troll. The key is moving slowly and keeping the presentation simple.
You’re essentially swimming that Suicide Shad just off the bottom where those walleyes are feeding.
There doesn’t have to be a lot of jigging or aggressive rod movement. You’re allowing the combination of boat movement and the action of the Suicide Shad to do the work.
It’s an extremely efficient way to fish because you can cover water while maintaining your bait in that critical strike zone.
Let the Fish Tell You What They Want
One thing I’ve learned over many years of walleye fishing is that you never want to become locked into one retrieve.
Start with something simple.
If you’re casting, try a straight swimming retrieve. Then add an occasional twitch or pop.
If you’re trolling, experiment with your speed and how far you’re holding the bait off the bottom.
The fish will tell you pretty quickly what they want.
Once you start getting bites, duplicate that presentation.
That’s one of the beauties of fishing a swimbait like the Suicide Shad. You can make very small adjustments without completely changing your presentation.
A Presentation That Works Everywhere
One of the biggest compliments I can give a fishing presentation is that it isn’t limited to one lake, one region or one specific fishing situation.
The Big Bite Baits 3.5-inch Suicide Shad on a jig head is one of those presentations.
I’ve fished walleyes across a tremendous variety of waters throughout North America, and this basic combination continues to produce.
Cast it across rocks.
Swim it over weed flats.
Slow-roll it near the bottom.
Or put it on a heavier jig and jig-troll it through deeper water.
It’s simple, efficient and incredibly versatile.
And when you’re talking about catching walleyes, I can guarantee you one thing: the Big Bite Baits Suicide Shad on a jig is a highly effective presentation just about anywhere walleyes swim.
