I’ve been reading a lot about the Matrix Shad lately. One of the things that stood out to me in report after report is its durability on the hook.
Some anglers claim they can catch an entire limit of speckled trout on one bait without having to replace it.
Having fished a few Matrix Shads but never being in much of a situation where I could test its mettle, I asked Capt. Travis Miller if he had experienced catching a limit of fish on only one bait.
“Sure have,” he replied. “It’s a tough bait. And when you can keep a bait in the water rather than constantly having to waste time repeatedly threading on another piece of plastic all day long, I think it helps you put together a limit of fish more quickly.”
Although the Matrix Shad has the reputation of being tough on the hook, Miller explained that the hook you fish it on will determine just how durable it can be.
“The key is you have to use good jigheads,” he said. “I use the Golden Eye head, but any of the premium heads that have hook holders with a good two or three ribs will help you get the most out of one Matrix Shad.”
Those extra ribs help hold the plastic up snuggly to the jig head and give a jighead enough bite to hold onto a bait even when fish try to destroy it.
“You can buy jigeads that don’t even have those ribs,” Miller concluded. “That’s usually why they cost less. But when you’ve got a plastic bait threaded on one of those, once it falls off the hook, that’s it.
“You’re done — time to get out another bait.”
