Bob Downey's shad spawn tacklebox

As the bass near the end of the spawning period, that means that the shad spawn is soon to follow. With that comes thrilling, reaction bait bites that happen early in the morning. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Bob Downey loves fishing during the shad spawn because it’s a great way to put a quick limit in the boat with fast-moving baits.

We tasked Downey with putting together a shad spawn tacklebox that has all the necessitates.

The Minnesota pro begins with an empty box.

“When you’re running down the lake first thing in morning, pay attention to where the birds are and to see where the shad are flickering on the surface,” Downey said in regards to how to know when the shad spawn is happening. “When it comes to bait color, try to keep it simple – whites, chartreuse and silver colors tend to imitate the baitfish best.”

Storm Arashi Cover Pop

“I typically like the Cover Pop in situations around open water, but the bait really excels around floating docks and on the edge of grass,” he said.

Terminator Popping Frog

“I like the popping frog over the normal frog because it spits more water which I feel imitates shad a little better,” said Downey. “This bait is perfect for those scenarios when the shad are spawning in the thicker vegetation where you can’t work a treble hook bait.”

Storm Arashi Top Walker

“This is the ultimate open-water bait for the shad spawn,” he said. “The Top Walker is the perfect choice for throwing over shallow hard spots, points and other open-water areas that the fish will gang up around.”

Rapala OG Rocco 5 Crankbait

“The Rocco is a great option when the shad are spawning around rock like rip rap, or around laydowns and wood,” Downey said. “It’s not my first choice around some vegetation, but around wood and hard bottom it can be an excellent choice.”

5/16-ounce All Terrain Tackle Swim Jig

“This is really my all around go-to when it comes to fishing the shad spawn,” he said. “You can really throw this bait about anywhere – floating docks, grass or wood. It’s the most versatile bait in this box and the one that I’ll reach for first when the shad are spawning.”