The Berkley Flicker Shad is one of the most popular and versatile baits on the market. This bait is a staple of the walleye fishing industry, particularly when it comes to trolling crankbaits.
Fish It Like Nick
“The Berkley Flicker Shad is one of those baits that whether it’s on your favorite spot, or a brand new waterbody, you can have confidence this bait is going to get bit,” says Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “If I could only troll one bait for the rest of my life wherever I fish, it’d be the Berkley Flicker Shad.”
The Berkley Flicker Shad can be trolled or casted, but is a favorite bait when it comes to trolling for walleye particularly on lead core. This bait comes in a variety of sizes and can work well throughout the entire open water period.
“I’ve found the #5 is the best option any time of year on Lake Sharpe and Lake Francis Case,” states Harrington. “I’ll use #7s and #9s on Lake Oahe in the summer months, plus any new waterbody I head to I’ll put down a #5 or #7 any time of the year depending on what size forage is in that fishery. It’s just such a versatile option.”
While coming in similar shapes and sizes, the Berkley Flicker Shad contrasts the Rapala Shad Rap with the type of material the bait is composed of.
“The Flicker Shad is a plastic body and features a rattle chamber within the bait, by contrast, the Shad Rap is a balsa body with no rattle element,” says Harrington. “In my opinion, this makes the Flicker Shad just a bit more versatile in that it can be fished in dirty, stained, or clear water whereas the Shad Rap I focus entirely on clear water applications.”
The rattle chamber in particular is what Harrington feels makes this bait such an excellent option in dirty or stained water.
“When you think about the environment fish live in, when that water is dirty they’re going to rely more on sound and vibration,” elaborates Harrington. “This rattle chamber, coupled with the vibration off the bait, is an added element to draw fish in while not being over the top in size or action that can deter lethargic fish, particularly in those colder water periods.”
The Flicker Shad is also one of the most versatile baits on the market when it comes to both sizes and colors available to anglers.
“There are so many options when it comes to the Flicker Shad, especially when you start dabbling with custom colors too, you’re going to find an application for it wherever you’re fishing,” concludes Harrington. “Whether it’s your first time on a fishery or your 100th, I can guarantee the Flicker Shad is going to catch you fish.”
Bait Details
Profile: Shad
Forage Emulated: Gizzard Shad, Bluegill
Body Composition: Plastic with Rattles
Favorite Waterbodies: Lake Sharpe, Lake Francis Case, Lake Poinsett
Favorite Sizes: #5 and #7
Favorite Colors: Blue Tiger, Purple Tiger, Custom Colors
Get Geared Up to Catch More Walleye
Want to learn more about the gear we use when targeting walleye? Whether it’s on the Missouri River, Glacial Lakes region of South Dakota, western Nebraska reservoirs, or anywhere else across the Midwest we share our favorite baits and how we fish them on our Getting Geared Up page!
