# Smack Tackle



## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

A friend of mine ordered some Gizz 4 shallow baits & a Flitter. I walked up to meet him at our neighborhood lake for their maiden voyage. The lake is an extremely shallow one, approximately 15-20 acres. I've pulled 5+ lb largemouth from it in the Spring consistently. I never knew why the bass were so big & healthy.... until one day about a year ago, when another friend was throwing a castnet, & on the first retrieve pulled in a bunch of sunfish, bluegill, a 4 lb largemouth &.... about a dozen of the mighty _gizzard shad_. 










I had no idea the lake was full of this very important bait fish. I have since changed my fly presentation to mimic the shad, & I have been largely successful.

Fast forward to today, I was excited to see how the Smack baits would perform in a lake with large bass & plentiful shad. I was not disappointed. 

I'll skip the fishing stories & just show off the really nice baits my buddy bought, and the results he achieved today around 3 in the afternoon. *Also included is close up shot of one of the micro guides on his new carrot stick, a really sweet casting rod. Paired with a high ratio reel & some good line, the fish don't stand a chance.




































Best shad representation available...











Love this color!



















And some of the results:

























I'm impressed.


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## yakfish (Mar 13, 2005)

Your links don't work


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

yakfish said:


> Your links don't work


Fixed.....


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## bsmith (Mar 26, 2010)

I have a gizz-4 shallow version in blue pearl that I found on a tree in the LMR last year (maybe 2 years ago, i can't remember).

When I looked up and saw it hanging from the branch and thought to myself, "that's the most perfect looking gizzard shad crank I've ever seen!" The person who lost it obviously didn't have a canoe or kayak because it was really easy to reach. The hooks and rings weren't even rusty so it couldn't have been there long. I looked around and no one was in sight so I just moved on. I felt sorry for the guy who lost it but I was definitely happy that I had stumbled upon it.

I've been using it occasionally ever since. I've been sort of protective over it because I didn't want to lose it until I figured out where I could get more. I showed it to several people, no one could tell me who made it. It has no markings whatsoever. For a while I thought it must've been a custom lure.

A while back I saw someone posting about the flitterbait and traced it back to the smack tackle site. I almost bought some more but they're kinda pricey and I really wanted some deep and some shallow, would've ended up spending more than $50 on them so I didn't pull the trigger.

Now you've got me thinking about putting these on my christmas list for next year 

What was the color of the one you liked best? I was always sorta torn between gizzard gray and black pearl, leaning toward the latter.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

> Now you've got me thinking about putting these on my christmas list for next year!


Don't wait.  They are so damn sweet... We're going to take them to Cumberland soon (where they've already been tested & approved of by big striped bass) Can't wait!


The prices are higher than some other baits, but you're getting a product hand made locally...that works extremely well.

I caught this 8 lb hybrid with a Gizz 4.  










Hybrids...like shad.












I wish I could find some hangin' in trees.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

> What was the color of the one you liked best? I was always sorta torn between gizzard gray and black pearl, leaning toward the latter.



I like the chartreuse pearl. Gizzard Gray & Black Pearl are the two most realistic colors, but for the morones I just can't turn my back on chartreuse.  

I don't really have a favorite. The Purple Pearl looks awesome, as does the translucent. 


Take your pick.


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## Buzzin (Jun 22, 2010)

I have yet to see a better shad imitation. Gizz4's are amazing!


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## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

Nice looking baits. I like the Gizzard Grey for day time and Chartreuese Pearl after dark. Here's a buddy of mine with a nice Lake Cumberland largemouth after dark.


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## RIDGE_RUNNER91 (Aug 13, 2010)

Smack makes some great baits for sure. The gizz series is top shelf and the flitter bait is in a league of its own. I've caught 6 different species with that bait now. It is by far my sons favorite bait. 

I love the fact that they are made right here in southwest Ohio. 

I am a natural color guy for the most part as well gizzard grey is my favorite color.


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

bsmith said:


> I have a gizz-4 shallow version in blue pearl that I found on a tree in the LMR last year (maybe 2 years ago, i can't remember).
> 
> When I looked up and saw it hanging from the branch and thought to myself, "that's the most perfect looking gizzard shad crank I've ever seen!" The person who lost it obviously didn't have a canoe or kayak because it was really easy to reach. The hooks and rings weren't even rusty so it couldn't have been there long. I looked around and no one was in sight so I just moved on. I felt sorry for the guy who lost it but I was definitely happy that I had stumbled upon it.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I hang those around on purpose, only way to get them in some people's hands!  LOL! NOT!


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Ok I know I might catch some flack for this but I feel it needs to be brought up. First off I love the design of the gizz4's and I have caught my share of fish with them. However they seem to "spin-out" extremely easy, so much so that I rarely use them when fishing current. I've tried to tune them with little effect: as soon as I crank them fast, or hit a patch of fast water, they spin out and go sideways...Really frustrating! All in all a very sexy shad imitation but imo they need some refinement.


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

I've found just letting the current work the lure goes a long way. I've experienced the "spin out" you mentioned. I just slow down the retrieve. I like bouncing them off the bottom, using a deep diver in relatively shallow water. Caught my limit on walleye two days in a row w/deep Gizz3 bouncing from about 2 feet deep off drop to deeper hole in the Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam a couple weeks ago, great fun, and food! 
LMJ


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## TeamPlaker (Jul 5, 2006)

Great thread Fallen! Love the Gizz lures! I've caught most of my muskie on the Gizz4, purple pearl and green pearl are my favorite colors. Even with all the cool new stuff they're coming out with at Smack, I still go to the Gizz when in doubt! Here's a pic of a fat one that hammered the Gizz4 in green pearl last fall.


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## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

Acklac7, maybe you just got a defective one. If it is defective in some way I'm sure the fellows who makes them would be glad to make it right with you. You should send them the lure with a "nice" note explaining what the problem is. They might be very interested to find out what happened to the one you have so they can fix the problem if there is one. 

Having said all that, remember that this lure is concidered a flat sided bait. They will do better with a slower retrieve.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

acklac7 said:


> Ok I know I might catch some flack for this but I feel it needs to be brought up. First off I love the design of the gizz4's and I have caught my share of fish with them. However they seem to "spin-out" extremely easy, so much so that I rarely use them when fishing current. I've tried to tune them with little effect: as soon as I crank them fast, or hit a patch of fast water, they spin out and go sideways...Really frustrating! All in all a very sexy shad imitation but imo they need some refinement.



I have also experienced this...however, it is only in current, not when being trolled 3 mph or cast/retrieved. Definitely a slower presentation bait. 

I determined it was the bill design, whereas it has a thicker profile & less of a leading edge to cut through the water. This is what gives it its effective wobble, which will overtake it when confronted with a super fast retrieve or retrieving upstream through turbulent water.

If I'm fishing current, I'll toss it upstream & simply keep my line taut as it passes me. This has it working subsurface with a nice action. Once downstream, it needs to hit the slack water in order to retrieve it correctly.

It's definitely not a bomber or a rattle trap. You have to fish each of those baits differently, and you have to fish the Gizz differently. 


The 8 lb wiper I caught that I posted below was caught in hard current, on the retrieve _against the current_, just to the side of the seam. The bait was running against the bottom in about 3' of water & it got inhaled. 

It does require your attention when fishing those conditions.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Mean Morone said:


> Acklac7, maybe you just got a defective one. If it is defective in some way I'm sure the fellows who makes them would be glad to make it right with you. You should send them the lure with a "nice" note explaining what the problem is. They might be very interested to find out what happened to the one you have so they can fix the problem if there is one.
> 
> Having said all that, remember that this lure is concidered a flat sided bait. They will do better with a slower retrieve.



MM brings up a good point. If the bait is not running correctly (beyond what I just explained) I would send it back. I can guarantee you if something is wrong with the bait, the guys @ Smack will take care of it. 

Another great aspect of dealing with a local manufacturer.


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## pauldmt (Jan 25, 2009)

Whatever happened to these guys? I'm scared to lose my last Gizz!


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## G-Patt (Sep 3, 2013)

Haha. 12 years ago.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Todd Mccollister still makes baits, and better than ever. 

Look up @lureupyt on Instagram and get in touch! Tell him I sent ya.


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## pauldmt (Jan 25, 2009)

fallen513 said:


> Todd Mccollister still makes baits, and better than ever.
> 
> Look up @lureupyt on Instagram and get in touch! Tell him I sent ya.


thank you


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