X Zone Lures' Shiver Shad

A shad-shaped worm has been a part of our Midwest finesse repertoire since April Fool’s Day of 2006. And when we were working with Jim Van Ryn of Smithville, Ontario, about X Zone Lures’ Pro Series 3" Ned Zone, we noticed X Zone Lures had one in their repertoire.

Subsequently, we talked with Van Ryn, who is the proprietor of VRX Fishing Products, which is the parent company of X Zone Lures, about their version of the shad-shaped worm. It is called the Shiver Shad, and he mailed us a package of them to examine and write about.

He says it has been in their catalog since 2011, which corresponds with the beginning days of X Zone Lures.

It is described as being 3.75 inches long, but according to our measurements, it is four inches long.

Its body possesses a triangular shape.

Its predorsal and dorsal sides are the base of the triangle, and it is concaved rather than flat. The widest part of the dorsal area is five-sixteenths of an inch wide.

The apex of the triangle is along the bottom of the ventral side of its body, and it creates a keel or a ridge.

The ventral side of its predorsal area or its anterior end is shaped somewhat like the bow of a boat.

The first one and five-eighths inches of its body is the largest part of the Shiver Shad.

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At the largest section of the body, the distance from the bottom of the ventral side to the edge of the dorsal side is three-eighths of an inch. In other words, the dimension of the largest section of the triangle is five-sixteenths of an inch by three-eighths of an inch by three-eighths of an inch.

Its body becomes progressively smaller as it approaches the Shiver Shad’s posterior end. The tail at the tip of the posterior end is an eighth of an inch wide, and it still possesses the shape of a triangle. The circumference of this triangle is about a half of an inch.

Van Ryn says that each Shiver Shad is hand poured. Thus, it is part of their Classic Hand Pour Series.

They are impregnated with salt. But they are not injected with scent. Van Ryn said: “We find with finesse baits that everyone has their preference on scent so we produce them unscented.” What's more, they are exceptionally soft and tender.

Its epidermis is smooth.

It is available in the following colors: Ayu; Baby Bass; Chartreuse Shiner; Cisco; Dirty Gum; Golden Shiner; Green Pumpkin; Copper, Purple, Blue Iridescent Belly; Lime Shad; Rainbow Trout; Silver Shiner; Smoke, Silver, Holographic, Blue Iridescent Belly; Watermelon Red, White Belly; and Yellow Perch.

A package of 10 costs $4.99.

Van Ryn described it as being a perfect finesse bait, and anglers can affix it to a drop-shot rig or a shaky-head jig. Of course, Midwest finesse anglers will employ it on a small mushroom-style jig with an exposed hook, and they will present it to their black-bass quarries by employing all six of the standard Midwest finesse retrieves or slight variations of those retrieves.

Endnotes