SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180 Glide Bait Product Review #SPROchadshad #SPROKGB #chadshad

Swimbait Review

Elusive No More : SPRO's KGB Chad Shad 180

Date:	10/23/23
Tackle Type:	Lure
Manufacturer:	SPRO & KGB Collab
Reviewer:	Cal

Total Score: 8.08 - GREAT

Introduction: In an industry that is made up of companies constantly trying to one up each other to gain the upper hand, few things spark more interest in a product within the bass fishing world than a collaboration. When that collaboration brings together a member of an underground movement and a mainstream product manufacturer, the results can be quite entertaining. Not from the product itself, but from public or marketplace reaction. Let's take a look at one such recent product, the SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180.

SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180 Glide Bait Specifications
Type	Glide Bait
Length	180mm (~7")
No. Pieces	2
Joint Style	Mixed V-cut & flat sided joint
Weight	2.4oz
Rate of Fall	1ft per second to second and a half
Material	Hard Plastic
Hooks	2x 1/0 (Gamakatsu)
MSRP	$59.49

Introducing SPRO's KGB Chad Shad 180

Impressions: Spend any time in that kind of underground, social media world of big baits and you'll eventually come across discussion of the popular KGB Chad Shad. This bait came on the scene a number of years ago and built a reputation as the best shad glide bang for the buck. In the big bait world, reputation like that inevitably leads to scarce availability which eventually raises that buck-bang higher than retail. The more scarce the bait becomes, the bigger the legend becomes, the higher the demand. It is the way of the big bait.

These have been difficult to come by

When news came out of KGB Swimbaits's collaboration with SPRO to create a mass production copy of the Chad Shad, reaction was mixed. Purists sometimes look down upon the mass produced baits while those wanting a chance at fishing a legend grew excited. What happened? Due to production challenges that continue to plague worldwide industry as a result of the pandemic, initial availability of the SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180 was scarce and those who were able to grab a bait attempted to take advantage by immediately reselling the bait at double or more retail. Whether or not anglers actually bit on these inflated values is unclear to me, the point is, it is the way of the big bait.

Finally supply has caught up

Sometime around the end of the Summer, the inevitable occurred - production caught up with demand and now, for the most part, the SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180 is widely available. So what's the bait about? Let's find out.

The bait features big, prey like eyes

Real World Tests: At one point in time, I had in my possession, the original KGB Chad Shad. In fact, I think I had two. Caught up in a period of wheeling and dealing, those baits eventually found other homes in trades for other baits, so unfortunately, they are no longer in my possession. It is the way of the big bait.

There's some articulation of fins and gills in the body

Ideally, I'd have liked to been able and provide a comparison, but since I no longer have an original resin bait, I fished the SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180 entirely on its own merit. With that said, this is a roughly seven inch bait weighing just shy of two and a half ounces. By big bait standards, this is like fishing a quarter or three eighths ounce jig. It is small.

The front part of the joint is flat, while the back portion is a "V" shape

Rod Choice: Although the Chad Shad 180 may be small by big bait standards, it's still a big enough bait to require special consideration in your choice of rod. Fortunately, in this case, SPRO and KGB have come together on another project to help take the guess work out of your choice in rod - the SPRO KGB Signature Series B79H. This is a seven foot, nine inch casting rod with just the right specification to fish the Chad Shad 180. I procured one for this bait's tests, but for general specifications, I'd recommend a stick rated up to three ounces (3oz) and really, preferably four, and built with a moderate-fast taper. Length could be anywhere from seven feet (7'-0") or longer depending on your preference.

This plastic tail mimics the brush tail of the original Chad Shad by KGB

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