If I were trying to imitate shiners with a swimjig or soft plastic swimbait, would shad colors be the same thing? What color swimjigs and trailers do you guys use to imitate shiners? There are no shad around where I live but there are shiners.

What color are your shiners?  I have called a pretty wide spectrum of different colored minnows 'shiners'.

https://www.google.com/search?q=shiner+fish+pictures&prmd=ismvn&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&fir=_ZFWgbPm8InpfM%253A%252CxNKm4UpQ5kLPIM%252C_%253BwZLQnrPnGYG6aM%253A%252Cnxfz3VDXuqiHtM%252C_%253Bb__ncBRpo18-uM%253A%252CSk0PCxOEj6XYZM%252C_%253BOtYRt_FVBQXeMM%253A%252CkqsvKDcxkZEaIM%252C_%253Bev90KHPEmVflRM%253A%252C_hGrMnBRQ-dnlM%252C_%253BaR5poxmUVXxNVM%253A%252CuhrFUnrhcc91ZM%252C_&sa=X&ved=0CCsQ7AlqFQoTCO7O293EjcgCFQN-kgod69QCNQ&biw=360&bih=511&dpr=3&usg=__JKwMkDxpG_OqxNKwQHiEgmqUvWw%3D#imgrc=DNHYOdMYxWzDnM%3A&usg=__JKwMkDxpG_OqxNKwQHiEgmqUvWw%3D

Idk how to post pics. This is a link to a pic. I think this is how the majority of our shiners look. I'm terrible at matching bait/baitfish colors to lure colors.

siebert outdoors has a golden shiner color and his swim jigs are top notch

If you're looking to get a swimjig, checkout Siebert Outdoors.  Mike's got a couple skirts that might work for you; Silver Minnow and Golden Shiner.

 

I'd also check out Keitech Swing Impact or Fat in Silver Flash or Gold Flash

I seldom stray away from Oldham's jigs but Chris McCall's Rayburn Swim Jig by Santone Lures are simply awesome with amazing colors.

http://www.santonelures.com/store/store_product_detail.cfm?Product_ID=11&Category_ID=3

Generally a baitfish color swimjig would suffice. I have a few Sieberts, Northstars, Dirty jigs, and Revenge. Frankily I would pick one that has the closest size to what you want in terms of a bullet head or California style head.

Those are golden shiners. There's a pond I go to that has them, but I only see them during the spawn trying to raid the LM beds. Definetly going to look into some swim jigs in those colors.

I make my own swim jigs and here is what I go with. I use a color silicone called silver neon which is bright and replicates the flash of a shiner, then I add another color called silver ghost which has an iridescent pearl with gray stripes along the length. Then the trailer is a Keitech Easy Shiner in a color called Silver Flash Minnow, that combination will give you a nice representation but pearl and gray will work just as well..

I bought a white zman chatterbait. It has a few little black streaks down a handful of the strands and I'm going to pair it with a baitfish colored swimming super fluke Jr. Hopefully that will be enough of a shiner imitator for this weekend until I can order some actual shiner colored swim jigs from siebert. It's supposed to be overcast and I'm fishing in a very old blackwater pond with lots of submerged millfoil and stumps so maybe it'll work.