Vortex Shad now available in three new colors

Shrimp cocktail, purple haze and blazin’ hornet join the popular soft-plastic line

Just like fish sometimes prefer a different color bait, Chas Champagne knows fishermen are always on the lookout for their next new favorite lure.

So the owner of Dockside Bait and Tackle’s ultra-popular Matrix Shad soft plastic paddle tail lures just added three new members to the Vortex Shad family.

The Vortex line, which always features a segmented V-tail in a different color than the body of the lure, was introduced last year in kamikaze (opening night body/chartreuse tail), Spartacus (black body/chartreuse tail) and nightreuse (chartreuse body/opening night tail.)

“A lot of people want that different-colored tail,” Champagne said, noting all Matrix Shad are single-body colors. “That’s pretty popular in Louisiana and across the Gulf Coast.”

The new Vortex shrimp cocktail features the same red and black flakes as the most popular Matrix Shad of all, shrimp creole, but also sports a bright chartreuse tail.

“People just like chartreuse tails,” Champagne said. “If you’re fishing areas full of shrimp, it’s our closest color to a shrimp-style color. It’s more of a clean water bait.”

The new Vortex purple haze also features a chartreuse tail, but with a dark purple back.

“That bait looks so good in the water,” he said. “It’s got a really good contrast of colors, from that purple back to the glow belly, down to the chartreuse tail.”

Champagne said it’s a good pogey imitation, and has recently become popular on the redfish tournament circuit.

“This one could be fished in either clean or dirty water because it’s got such good contrast in colors,” he said. “I would have confidence with this one in dirty water. With the purple and chartreuse, it’s something that’s going to get the fish’s attention.

“I’m going to use this thing all fall once we get a run on the (Lake Pontchartrain) bridges. It’s just a real versatile bait.”

Finally, the new Vortex blazin’ hornet is an avocado-colored lure with a glow belly and a fiery red V-tail.

Champagne said avocado-colored lures became really popular when two 10-pound specks were caught in Lake Pontchartrain on avocado lures back in 2001, but he believes flounder are particularly fond of the color.

“It’s great if you’re targeting flounder or where flounder is a good by-catch,” he said. “I do feel like flounder favor that avocado color, plain and simple. You could ask a lot of flounder enthusiasts, and they’ll tell you the same thing.

“This lure is also versatile for both clean and dirty waters.”

For more information on Matrix Shad lures, or to purchase any of the brand new Vortex Shad colors, click here.

About Patrick Bonin 1315 Articles
Patrick Bonin is the former editor of Louisiana Sportsman magazine and LouisianaSportsman.com.