Wasting time searching new baits and came across this thing called Steel Shad. Anyone used 'em? Heard of 'em? They LOOK good, but then again I'd been dead long ago if I was a fish because most of 'em look good to me!

Looks like a gay blade

And thats not a knock on your sexual preference...

Cordell makes a blade bait they named Gay Blade and it was very popular with the smallmouth guys up north. It works well in cold water especially when the threadfin shad start to die off in the winter. The Steel Shad is another copy.

They are a saltwater bait. I guide on KY Lake uses them for bass. I had 3 until I lost one on Rayburn last week.

Looks like the old Silver Buddy fishing lure that Billy Westmoreland used to praise on his fishing show back in the 80's

Gay Blade, Silver Buddy Lure, Rapala Rap V Blade bait.......looks like another version of the various “blade baits”. Kinda a more stealthy approach to a rattle trap and most can be jigged in deeper water real well.

Pretty Good Video about Blade Baits

Blade Baits - Wintertime

thanks y'all. my thought was to use them vertical jigging for smallies.

Thats what they're intended for. Notice they have two line tie positions on top. The position it is set in the pic is for vertical jigging. It keeps the bait more level as you Yo-Yo it up & down. The front line tie is for casting and will make the bait run slightly shallower as you retrieve it.

I used something identical to this growing up in Indiana ice fishing....obviously fishing vertical and similar to a slab. Worked very well for largemouth and pike.