Is The Damiki Anchovy Shad A Secret Weapon?

How many of you have heard of the Damiki Anchovy Shad? Does it catch smallies?

I mean, there are only a couple of reviews on Tackle Warehouse, and the baits aren’t available on Basspro or Cabela’s websites.

Well, after this past weekend,  the secret may be out.

This was All Star Week on the Bassmaster Elite Series in Muskegon Michigan and Kevin VanDam was the hometown favorite.

The final day came down to a 4 angler shootout and Elite Series Rookie, Hank Cherry, pulled off the win using the Damiki Anchovy Shad, rigged on a 1/4 oz jig head.

His key spot was special because of an underwater sandbar that created a “huge current break,” he said, which set up as a perfect spot for smallmouth bass chasing baitfish. “The shad were there in bunches around that breakline. That’s all it was,” he said.

One flurry of catches on his magic spot that lasted about 45 minutes sealed the deal for him.

“I caught a 4 (pounder), a 4, a 3, a 2/12, a 2/12. I don’t know what happened to turn them on,” he said.

An early-day decision to give up on his quest for largemouth, for which White Lake has a reputation, paid off.

“I just stopped and said, ’I’m going smallmouth fishing,’” he said.  Source

So what’s up with this swimbait? Let’s hear what Brian Thrift has to say about the Anchovy Shad:

This swimbait is described as a thin profile paddle tail swimbait ideal for use on umbrella rigs or fished alone. Damiki designed it to match up perfectly with the Damiki Pandla Jig Head. Its large paddled tail and high quality plastic construction allow the tail to come alive even at slow speeds, and the Pandla Jig Head helps give it increased body rock and tail action. Available in a range of proven colors, the Damiki Anchovy Shad is great for targeting pressured fish or bass schooling on tiny baitfish.  Source

If you have experience with this swimbait, please leave your comments below or let us know if you’d try this over Keitech or Reaction Innovations’ swimbaits!