Excalibur
Fat Free Shad (BD7F)
Specifications |
Material |
Plastic |
Diving Depth |
14'-18' with a #2 hook |
Size |
3" |
Weight |
1oz |
Colors/Patterns |
7+
in just this style |
Color tested |
Dance's Fire Tiger |
Additional Features |
3D
eyes, realistic scale finish, Excalibur Rotating Treble Hooks |
MSRP |
$5.74 |
Impressions: The original Excalibur Fat Free Shad
helped start the crankbait revolution almost a century ago when Mark Davis took
the BassMasters classic with this lure, which hadn't even been released to
market yet. Davis credited the lure with winning him the top prize, and within
just a few weeks the lure was available on the market. Today the Fat Free Shad
is promoted by none other than Bill Dance, and has undergone tweaks in
technology in a effort to further enrich performance. Smaller variations like
the Fat Free Fry and thin lipped Fat Free Shallow have allowed anglers who enjoy
fishing the original to exploit the lure to target various depths.

The Excalibur Fat Free Shad now
comes with new colors and rotating hooks
I have fished with the Fat Free Shad for years,
and I'm not reticent to say that this lure was a staple in my tackle, but fresh
introductions from other notable manufacturers have been advantageous for me,
and with each passing year I found myself using more and more of the new-fangled
lures rather than tying on the FFS (Fat Free Shad). I decided it was high time
to revisit my old friend when Excalibur introduced a series of new colors and
implemented their inventive "Rotating Hooks," as well as developed a suspending
model.
Complete Rig
for BSD7F Trap Tests |
Rod |
Quantum
Tour Edition PT (PTS664F) |
Reel |
Shimano Chronarch 100A |
Line |
12 lb Trilene XL |
Real
World Tests: I tested the FFS on two local lakes, one which offered
extremely clear water and rocky structure, and another which was chock full of
early summer vegetation. I fished the entire time from the deck of our Nitro
Bass Boat.

|
The Fat Free
Shad features a unique profile and can be cast with ease |
Casting: With one flick of the wrist I remembered why I liked
tossing the FFS so much. This lure casts like a dream. The lure is well
weighted, and this suspending bait can sail a good distance with minimal effort
on the part of the angler. Best cast with baitcasting rigs, this lure is
predictable and can be placed with great accuracy in and around structure.
Though I was fishing with 12lb line the lure was still able to obtain excellent
casting distances. This is important because the FFS is an superb fish searching
tool, and the ability to cover a lot of water quickly will help you identify
where fish are holding up.

The slender mid section and large
bill help drive the Fat Free Shad down to 18 foot depths in seconds!
Retrieve: The FFS can dive to greater depths than most competitor's
lures, and the secret lies in the profile of this lure. The lure itself is big
and well weighted, while the cross section of the lure is surprisingly
thin, which helps the oversized bill drive this lure to desired depths quickly
and efficiently. While most crankbait anglers target shallower waters, deep
cranking is what I consider to be a lost art among anglers just learning how to
fish cranks. There are plenty of fish in the deeper waters, and the enigma lies
in how to effectively target them.
By using a FFS you arm yourself with a lure that can successfully reach deep
structure. By clamping down on your reel you can drive the FFS down to depths
close to 20ft! I have fished the FFS with soft rods only to become frustrated
when setting on deep underwater structure, and finding myself horribly snagged.
Make sure to choose a sensitive and responsive graphite rod so that it is easier
to distinguish deepwater strikes and avoid potential problems with structure.

The Fat Free Shad can be used to
target deep holding fish but digs into the ground in shallow water
To fish shallow water you need to use one of the
newer and smaller Fat Free Shads, as the original will drive right down to the
bottom. When in the water you can feel the very tight wobble all the way up the
line, and when retrieved close to the surface you can actually hear the rattles
clearly. The tight wobble does a first-rate job of shaking the rattles back and
forth, generating plenty of noise underwater. The new suspending FFS can be
fished just like the old one with one advantage, it can also be used for stop
and go techniques. I was able to get bass to commit between retrieves, by just
allowing the bait to sit and hover in the strike zone for longer periods.
When you feel the strike you can set instantly with the FFS. Excalibur's
Rotating Hooks make it easy to drive the hook home. The Rotating Treble hooks
feature a 6 degree counter rotated shaft and the new TX3 hook point. This
counter rotated hook and 3 sided cutting point make it possible to penetrate
with minimal force. During the test I hooked into two medium sized bass that
jumped clear out of the water, both fish stayed right on the line thanks to the
Tx3 hooks which embedded deep into the fish and kept them right on through the
fight. These hooks are deadly sharp! But lucky for the fish they can be removed
with the same twist and reverse motion used to remove standard hooks.

|
One of the
unique features of the Fat Free Shad are the rotating hooks which feature
the new triple edge Excalibur hook points for easy sets |
Durability: The updated FFS features very
high quality paint and to add more flash the lures also have a reflective
characteristic to them, with an added holographic finish. To top it off the
lures feature 3D eyes for increased realism. All this might add up to durability
problems, but Excalibur does a good job coating the entire lure with a thick
clear coat, effectively protecting the lure from aggressive strikes and contact
with structure. The rotating hooks, while great for setting on fish, have one
undesirable side effect. They do seem to snag up on weeds and woody structure a
bit easier than standard trebles. They are very durable and wont break or bend
even after tugging aggressively on them, so make sure you have a handy lure
retriever with you, or be prepared to snap the line on those really dire snags.

The Fat Free Shad can be used to
pull bass out of deep water, but watch out for those woody areas
Applications: The FFS suspending Shad is an excellent fish searching tool
and can be used to target areas that many crankbait fisherman are simply
ignoring. The new suspending models allow anglers to hold the bait in the strike
zone longer, enticing weary bass to commit to what they assume to be easy prey.
While this lure is best reserved for deeper waters, there are other FFS models
available that can target the shallows. The only thing you need to watch out for
is to avoid running the FFS too close to heavy vegetation or extremely woody
structure. While the big bill of the FS will deflect the lure off of big rocks
and stumps, the aggressive rotating hooks can snag up on small branches and
brush.
Ratings:
Excalibur
Fat Free Shad (BSD7F)
Ratings (?/10) |
Construction/Quality |
The
Excalibur Fat Free Shad is built out of top notch materials and the whole
fit and finish of this lure is impressive. The rotating hooks are a nice
upgrade |
9 |
Performance |
The
FFS worked well in deep to medium depths where it was able to reach
suspended bass. This is a good lure for stop and go techniques, but if you
want to fish the shallows you need to get one of the smaller lipped FFS
baits. Only weakness of this lure is that it hangs up more than typical
cranks |
8 |
Price |
At
under 6 dollars direct from lurenet.com the FFS is quite a good deal for
such a proven bait |
8.5 |
Features |
Featuring rattles that produce an audible call and a long bill for getting
down deep real quick, and the tx3 hooks this lure is considered richly
featured |
9 |
Design
(Ergonomics) |
The
body design of the FFS hasn't changed much, and why should it? It continues
to perform well and the new tweaks put it back into the technologically rich
lures |
8 |
Application |
This proven lure can be fished with success where other cranks cant even
reach. By spending time to learn how to crank for deep bass you can
effectively generate strikes that you wouldn't normally expect |
8 |
Total Score |
8.41 |
Pluses and Minuses:
Plus
Minus |
J
Great for deep water cranking |
L
Hangs up easily on branches and weed |
J
Retrieve can be varied |
|
J
New hooks make it easy to set
|
|
J
Reasonable Price |
|
Conclusion: Recent years have seen the introduction of
thousands of new lures, and though many have become fashionable, few have as
great a staying power as the Excalibur Fat Free Shad. While some lures owe
success to design innovation or unique action, the Fat Free Shad is popular
because it works. Tournament pros have utilized the deepwater prowess of the FFS
to boat big fish, and take home big bucks. By taking the time to learn to
anticipate snags and enticing fish to commit from deeper structure the Excalibur
Fat Free Shad can be a top performing lure in your arsenal. It certainly has
garnered a second look from myself, and judging from the recent performance in
our tests it has secured a spot in the top drawer of my tackle box all over
again.
