D.O.A. Shrimp

D.O.A. Lure Company
1253 SE Dixie Cutoff Road
Stuart, FL 34994
(772) 287-5001
www.DOAlures.com

By John D. Silva

One of the great things about writing this column is being afforded the opportunity to experiment with different types of fishing tackle. There are just so many varieties of artificial lures available on the market today, and they range in style from old benchmark classics, to the new and improved, to the creative, the unique, and even the bizarre. And although the majority of experienced anglers already know by and large what types of lures work best in their own geographical areas, every now and then something new and untried comes along to stir up traditionalist perceptions. It is with this philosophy that I began experimenting with the D.O.A. Shrimp.

   The D.O.A. soft-plastic Shrimp is made by the D.O.A. Lure Company of Stuart, Florida. D.O.A. (“Deadly on Anything”) is owned by Captain Mark Nichols, who designed the soft-plastic Shrimp in his garage back in 1989. The basic concept of the D.O.A. Shrimp was born in the years Nichols spent growing up and working on the family’s shrimp boat. From those formative experiences, Nichols acquired an intimate knowledge of how shrimp are constructed and the way in which they swim in their natural environment. This life-long familiarity served as inspiration for the design of the D.O.A. Shrimp. “It really is an American success story,” said David Blackwell, general manager of D.O.A. Lures. “Mark started making lures with scrap metal and molds that were practically held together with paper clips and rubber bands. He’d put a dozen [soft plastic] shrimp on stickpins on a piece of wood and ask the local tackle shop owner if he wanted to buy them.” By 1993 the D.O.A. Shrimp had grown in popularity to the point where Nichols could use it as a springboard for what is now a fast-growing lure company. Today the majority of D.O.A. Lures are manufactured at their factory in Jacksonville, Florida.
   The D.O.A. Shrimp is a versatile soft-plastic lure that attracts many varieties of predatory fish species. Although originally designed with inshore, subtropical saltwater game fish in mind (such as snook and redfish), the D.O.A. Shrimp has been steadily finding its way into other types of fishing applications, in both fresh and salt water. Fish species that the Shrimp has been proven effective on over the years include snook, weakfish, redfish, tarpon, striped bass, flounder/fluke, bluefish, ladyfish, jack, drum, sheepshead, largemouth/smallmouth bass – just about any species known to eat shrimp or crayfish is susceptible to falling for the D.O.A. Shrimp. “We do extensive R and D [fishing], so we know that our lures will work,” said Blackwell. “The way the shrimp falls is one of the best selling points, as it mimics the way a shrimp swims.” On the subject of Northeast striped bass fishing, Blackwell said, “The slow [descent rate] of the shrimp lends itself well to the growing popularity of shallow-water striper fishing. Biologists have proven that 25 or 30 percent of a striper’s diet early in the season consists of crustaceans – crabs and shrimp. As the season progresses, then bigger baits come into play.”
   The D.O.A. Shrimp comes in four sizes, starting with the 2-inch (1/20-ounce) teaser. Next is the 3-inch (¼-ounce) standard-size bait, followed by the 4-inch (½-ounce) select model, and finally the 6-inch (1-ounce) jumbo version. The lures are available in 29 different colors and combinations, including pearl fire-tail, chartreuse, near-clear, smoke-silver glitter, and electric chicken (pink/green), just to name a few. When trying to choose between the many colors that D.O.A. offers, anglers may want to start with the trusty “match the hatch” approach by selecting colors that correspond with the region’s natural available forage. Then, once you understand how the D.O.A. Shrimp works in your favorite fishing environments, you can begin experimenting with some of the brighter, more exotic colors, which can be especially useful when fishing in tinted and murky water or in low-light conditions.
   Over the years, as the popularity of the soft-plastic Shrimp grew, D.O.A. began expanding into other types of soft-plastic baits. In addition to the Shrimp, D.O.A. offers an assortment of soft-plastic lures and add-on accessories designed for both fresh and saltwater applications. These include several varieties of shad baits, jerk-baits, jig-baits, jointed swimmers and shellfish imitations. Blackwell pointed out that one of the things that makes the D.O.A. Shrimp different from other soft-plastic lures is the quality of the bait. “We use only top quality plastics… it does not fall apart after catching one fish. The way it is designed to slide up the line helps in this regard – as well as the higher-quality plastic used – and helps to make it more durable than many cheaper imitations.”
   All of D.O.A.’s soft-plastic Shrimp are imbued with natural fish-attracting scent. “We use farm-raised shrimp that are freeze-dried and ground into a powder, then added to virgin liquid plastic and injected into shrimp molds,” Blackwell explained. “We do not use a lot of it because we do not want to distort the colors of the shrimp.” Upon close inspection of clear-colored models, you can actually see very tiny flecks of ground shrimp inside the bait. “We do not make a stink-bait. The main reason our baits are popular is because of the life-like action and look. The realistic look of the shrimp, the [descent] rate, and natural fall of the shrimp overcomes any lack of sophistication. We like to think this lack of pretension continues today,” said Blackwell.
   The D.O.A. Shrimp comes pre-rigged – complete with insert weights and very sharp stainless hooks – and is ready for fishing right out of the package. One alteration that can be made by anglers who fish around thick vegetation is to make the D.O.A. Shrimp weedless. This is done by bending a length of 40-pound leader wire in half, inserting the pointed end into the head of the bait at a 90-degree angle, and then pulling the curved end down and leveraging it against the barb of the hook. Other alternate riggings include using the D.O.A. Shrimp with a weighted jighead (or adding weight by using additional split shot on the line), or fishing the lure under a popping cork (float). In fact, D.O.A. offers a pre-rigged Shrimp-and-float rig called the “Deadly Combo,” which is perfect for suspended, shallow-water, or finicky fish that are keyed in on small bait. The Deadly Combo rig is also great for fishing in a mild current, as it allows you to cover more area with the bait at a preset depth.
   As with most soft-plastic lures, fishing a D.O.A. Shrimp for success requires patience, concentration and a light touch. As such, D.O.A. recommends keeping things simple. Start by using braided line (“We are firm believers of using braided line,” said Blackwell), which provides superior strength and sensitivity. Then add a fluorocarbon leader and tie the Shrimp on using a loop knot, which achieves a free and natural movement. From the water, target areas where predator fish gather to ambush prey, such as points, edges, humps and drop-offs. Also try skipping the Shrimp under blowdowns and docks. When the bait hits the water, leave a little extra slack in the line to allow the lure to descend naturally. Be ready, as the majority of strikes will come on the drop. Then tighten the line and retrieve the lure very slowly, gently working it along the bottom and giving it an occasional pop of the rod tip to entice a strike. Avoid succumbing to the urge to apply more action than is absolutely necessary. When targeting surface-feeding and suspended fish, quick-retrieve the lure along the top, then stop and allow it to sink and drift into the strike zone.
   As lure manufacturers grow, they expand into new areas, making their products available to an increasing number of consumers, by catalog, via the Internet or by simply hanging them up in your local tackle shop. And though a particular lure design may be a popular, time-proven standard within one region, it may still be a relatively unknown and untried entity in another. So for those anglers on the cutting edge who enjoy expanding their angling horizons and don’t mind taking a chance – who are willing to devote little extra effort in exchange for presenting the fish with something different – the rewards can be boundless.

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