o what Is so good about the Tacklehouse Feed Shallow? The Tacklehouse Feed Shallow has to be one of the top lures out there. Remarkably, it is one of those lures that seem harder to get hold of. Nowadays, there seems to be limited stock around; therefore, some of the more popular online stores are not even stocking them. Don’t fret; we wouldn’t be writing this post if we couldn’t find any resources so you can get them.
What makes them such a great lure?
The Tackle House Feed Shallow is one of those lures that will always be in my lure box. I normally take 3 different patterns every time I go, without fail. Besides, when you have had the success we have had with them, it’s hardly surprising. Incidentally, that doesn’t mean it’s always going to end up on the lure clip. There is a multitude of amazing lures out there.
What Is So Good About The Tacklehouse Feed Shallow?
What sort of depth does the Tacklehouse Feed Shallow swim at?
One of my other favourite lures is the Komomo II The Joker. Along with the Tackle House Feed Shallow, the Joker is in the class of a subsurface lure. Why I like the Tackle House Feed Shallow because it swims deeper than the Joker. Importantly, this is a major factor when you’re trying to find the fish. Remember, this is just how we catch bass, especially if it is a new area. Bass can be strange feeders, to say the least. Scientifically, some other lure fishermen would study their environments in a lot more depth. Therefore this is only how we do things; it works for us.
What is your favourite Tacklehouse Feed Shallow?
I have two that are my go-to lures. Incidentally, there are 3 different types that I know of, they are:
- 105
- 128
- 155
As for patterns, it depends on where you are going to get them from. We will give you some options at the end of this post.
What Is So Good About The Tacklehouse Feed Shallow?
- Pearl Rainbow Glow Belly
- Pearl Rainbow
- Iwashi Red Belly
- Clear Pearl Back Red Belly
- Chartreuse
- Gold Red
- Konoshiro
- Half Mirror AYU
- Ochiayu
- Sardine
- Segurokatakuchi
- Ochiaya
Blimey, I never realised there were that many. Typically, I only have 3 of those patterns. But my number one is easily the Pearl Rainbow Blow belly.
What makes the Pearl Rainbow Glow Belly so good?
There is a great reason why I prefer this version of this amazing lure. The answer: Most of my lure fishing is done at night. To me, having that glowy belly sometimes seems to give this lure the edge. Listen, we don’t use them all the time; a lot of the time, it is not always the lure that is doing the business. But it is a great option nevertheless.
How does this lure belly glow?
First off: When we fish at night time, we only use our light to change lures or anything else that needs our light for attention. We are fishing. We turn our lights off and never face the sea area where we are fishing. So to glow the belly, we face away and shine the headlight into the belly of the lure for about 20 seconds. Then boom, it’s glowing green, which means that the fish should see the lure much easier in theory. Confused, well, it doesn’t mean other lures are at a disadvantage, no, not at all; it sometimes just works.
Tip: You do not need a headlight that chucks out a million lumens of light. Just enough light to see what you’re doing, and more importantly, see where you’re going, especially if you’re wading in the water. Just use your common sense.
Different scenarios = Different lures
Now then, let’s imagine the water is crystal clear. The moon is glowing and lighting upon the sea. Realistically, the bass will see anything that could be a silver flash in the moonlight. Silhouettes of even black lures can also be a killer, although I have never had any luck with them. Like fly fishing, sometimes a fly will work one day, then nothing the next. I’ve been baffled by this, and trust me; lure fishing can be the same.
Strange Night Fishing
One night while we were fishing down Folkestone, the Bassman and I headed off on our long trek to the fishing mark that normally produces fish. Good job, It’s a very long walk. It was about 10 o’clock by the time we had reached our mark. Sometimes, I take my waders off and carry them to the location because, on a hot summer night, you’re going to sweat your nuts off.
On Arrival
We arrived at the mark, and because of the state of the tide, we started off using the Tacklehouse Feed Shallow. The only difference was that the Bassman had sprayed his pure white. Also, he had sprayed his luminous stripe on the belly, just like the Pearl Rainbow Tackle House Feed Shallow.
Amazingly, he pulled out 4 bass one after the other and lost one right from the off. Muggins (me) never even had a take? Confused, well, I certainly was. Then the fish just cleared off. That can be quite normal. In my opinion, the difference was that his lure was perfectly white and glowed much better than my factory version. Please, don’t go spraying all your lure white. The Bassman only sprays lures when they have seen better days.
Another Day! Another Dollar!
Oh, I forgot, he had 14 that night down Folkestone; I had one. I mentioned this in another post, but the other 10 were caught on a Maria Squash, the first 4 on Tackle House Feed Shallow, then realised I thought they were on two separate occasions. I do apologise for my brain going.
Right then, another day, another dollar. Yes, a couple of nights later, we fished back up our neck of the woods because the conditions had changed. That South Westerly wind meant the water had cleared at our local mark. Typically, we fished for hours, moved all over the place and caught nothing. That’s fishing. Then, when the tide started to turn after high water, we moved to another spot. Normally, I would not fish up to low water because it’s just rubbish, but I have learnt that that is not always the case.
Wading Through The Water: Safety First
Anyway, we waded through the water to another area. To be quite honest, I had the hump; the seaweed-covered rocks in this area was a nightmare. I looked like a clumsy ice skater, on my first day on the ice.
TOP TIP: PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU WEAR THE CORRECT BOOTS FOR WADING OVER SLIPPERY ROCKS/SEAWEED. REMEMBER, YOU ARE HOLDING YOUR FISHING ROD AND CAN NOT STEADY YOURSELF IF YOU WERE TO FALL OVER. TIP TWO: WEAR A LIFE JACKET. SAFETY FIRST, GUYS.
That’s me; sorry I’ve gone off track with my safety message, but I wouldn’t wish to fall over on anyone. Back the fishing. So I clumsily made my way over to where the Bassman was fishing. We both had the same Tackle House Feed Shallows we used down Folkestone. Astounding, I had 3 fish straight off on the trot the Bassman had 0. You don’t know exactly how those bass is going to react. Unbelievable.
Conclusion
In brief, my standard Tacklehouse Feed Shallow worked; his sprayed white version (that worked down Folkestone) didn’t. This is why we take a wide range of lures; you just never know what’s always going to work on the day.
Are copies of the Tackle House Feed Shallow any good?
I would say no, but there again, I have not used any imitations. Incidentally, I do have a copy, as shown in the image above. That lure is a Yokozuma. Now I was in a local tackle shop after some Savage Gear Sandeels and just noticed it sitting there. Unfortunately, they didn’t have what I wanted, so I bought the Yokozuma just for the hell of it. That’s how addictive lure fishing and buying lures can be; I had 3 Feed Shallows already, which was a copy.
The difference
In comparison, the first thing that I noticed was the size of the hooks; they are smaller on the copy. Now, to me, that already is going to affect the casting, and here is why. First off, the 105 is not the greatest casting lure. I found the best option is to get the 128 version. The difference is that the 128 is heavier than the 105 and has a spot near the lure’s tail (see pic). The 105 is 16 grams, whereas the 128 is 18.5 grams. However, when I changed the hooks on my Glow Belly 105, they were heavier than the original (rusty) hooks. Ultimately, the 105 casts further due to that little extra weight.
What are the best options for getting the Tackle House Feed Shallow?
Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. Or have we? My two main sources for buying lures do not, or have not got, the Tackle House Feed Shallow in stock. None of them. “So you went to all that trouble writing this article, and we can NOT get them?? Sorry guys, however not entirely true I do have two other options for you.
Please Pick Wisely
Please choose carefully. In my opinion, I would get the 128 (with the black dot on its tail). The prices look pretty good in comparison to my normal lure source. Their price is £27.50, which is a bit high IMO. So stick to Amazon, or failing that, they have them on eBay, but they may come from Japan and take weeks to turn up. Whatever you choose, good luck with this is an amazing lure.