How to Hook Your Own Herring Shad Bait for Striped Bass
- 1). Insert the point of the hook through the shad's lower lip and upward through the top lip between the nostrils. The baitfish has a tough piece of cartilidge in the nostrils area that holds the hook well. This is a good rigging for trolling the shad behind a boat when searching for cruising stripers.
- 2). Hook the shad through the dorsal fin to make the fish dive. This rigging requires a delicate hand when casting the bait to prevent the hook from ripping through the dorsal fin and sending the shad cartwheeling into space.
- 3). Pierce the shad through the anal fin by turning the hook sideways. This rigging forces the bait to swim deep, although casting without losing the shad may prove difficult. Use this rigging when fishing from the shoreline by dropping the line gently into the water near structure, such as submerged bushes or lily pads, and allowing the shad to swim off, taking your line with it.
- 4). Hook the shad behind the head and turn the hook underneath the spinal cord so the barb emerges from the opposite side for maximum holding strength. This is a good rigging to use when casting would reach a prime spot, whereas moving the boat closer would likely spook the bass. This rigging gives the shad mobility, but take care not to paralyze the bait when hooking it behind the head.
