When it comes to mimicking real baitfish and triggering strikes across the entire water column, few soft baits can compete with the Bad Bubba Shad. Available in six sizes and a wide range of proven colors, this tail thumping swimbait is a go-to for both inshore and deep water fishing. Whether you’re targeting trophy rockfish with a 9” model or going for numbers with a double dropper rig, seasoned anglers like Ryan Grisso and Kyle Goldberg swear by its action, versatility, and fish-catching power. In this post, we’ll break down how the pros fish it—and which colors they trust the most.
Bad Bubba Shad
Big fish eat little fish and the Bad Bubba Shad is the perfect baitfish imitator with its strong thumping tail and enticing body roll. It is perhaps the most versatile offering in the AA Baits Lineup and can be fished anywhere in the water column.
Available in 6 sizes (Jr, 3”,4”, 5”, 7”, 9”) and 56 colors
Ryan Grisso
- The Bad Bubba Shad, man those things are so fishy. Make a nice long cast away from the boat, make sure you hit the bottom and take like 2 full cranks of the handle, kinda slow like a medium pace. Put your thumb right above the level wind and just feel for your bait to fall right back to the bottom. Sometimes they'll hit it right on the fall. Sometimes they'll smack it and sometimes it will be really subtle. Just do that all the way back and once it gets under the boat, wind up.
- There are so many good colors. Again you can't go wrong with Juvenile Ling and Casey's Classic. I like the Sunfish and the Rags to Riches which is similar to Casey's Classic but less flake, sometimes the fish just fall in love with something with more subtle colors that are not so shiny and flashy.
- Inshore I like the 5” and the 7” but in deep water it is always the 9”
Kyle Goldberg
- I fish the Bad Bubba Shad on a jighead and I'll work it like I do the Magnum Octopus. Make a long cast and swim it back along the bottom. I really like the shape of the body and the thickness of the bait. Regardless of where I am fishing, I'll always fish the biggest size with the smallest jighead weight that I can get away with.
- If I want to get numbers of rockfish then I will use a double dropper with a 3” or 4” Bad Bubba Shad. I actually use a modified straight shank bass flippin' hook. You put a little super glue on the hook keepers, and just thread the baits on and they stay on really good,
- The Bad Bubba Shad comes in so many great colors. I use a lot of White and Juvenile Ling. I am also a firm believer in purple and rootbeer, I have complete confidence in either. Along those lines I like Dean's Dine, Xmas Brown Bait, and Bleeding Bait which has like a brown back, a purple mid line.
This is part of our Rockfish & Lingcod Pro Tips series. Be sure to check out our latest article, "Rockfish & Lingcod Pro Tips: How Ryan Grisso Rigs the Magnum Octopus".
 Ryan Grisso
Grisso is a deckhand on the Berkeley based California Dawn.
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 Kyle Goldberg
Goldberg is a well-known Nor Cal multi species angler with a passion for rock and lingcod.
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