Spybaits?

[Shaun Solomon]

I am not always what you would call an early adopter of new techniques. For the most part I feel like my pile of junk is about as big as it needs to get, and I try not to add to it too much. I fished a few tournaments here and there a few years back, and I realized the more money I spent on "hot" new stuff, the worse I did. When I kept it simple and made sure my line stayed in the water, I did better. So I backed w-a-y off on buying stuff and figured out what I was good at.

Still, sometimes something interesting comes along. I got with dropshotting pretty quick after it came to national attention. It only took one time seeing a giant bass eat a trout before I started tossing the original Castaic, and this was like in '94. I was probably one of the first people in Colorado fishing swimbaits. It took a while to get the bugs worked out, but I stuck with it.

I recently got interested in the whole spybait thing, mostly because of how finesse it is. I would say a lot of my bass fishing falls at either extreme of the tackle spectrum, really light or really heavy. Something about those little baits appeals to my sensibilities. They have been around a few years now, and folks are still using them, so I figured what the heck. I got four of the Duo Realis versions to try.

Anyone else using those things? Observations? Anecdotes? Are you spoon feeding them to slobs, or just busting them off like crazy on four pound line?

SS

 

[BaldTexan]

Very interesting. I haven't bass fished since moving to Oregon from the south. Never heard of these and had to Google it. With so many active bass to catch in the south, we just ignored the suspended fish and went to the spots we knew we would get active biters. I love the action of this lure and the potential to nab suspended bass. Will be interested to hear what success you have with them.


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[Shaun Solomon]

Yeah, I could see that.

I think they will have applications beyond suspended fish, though. For starters, I see them as a way to infiltrate good spots during "peak business" hours on the lake, mid-day. I don't see amazing amounts of pressure out here, but on lakes that get more of it, they look like a way to deal with that. Most fish will bite a new lure once.

Also, I think they will have a strong appeal to fish in the fall when young of the year gamefish are beginning to mature. The big issue I think I will have with them as far as being able to get up and running with them is just learning the good spots on the local waters. I am fishing blind (without electronics.) It is good to do so now and then, to keep sharp on the skills of reading the landscape and fishing the lake by "feel." Still, given my druthers, I would absolutely prefer to have a graph. I might need to rig something for the tube, it is getting old. Electronics really help in deep water.

SS

 

[BaldTexan]

Clamp on fish finders by Hummingbird! $100 or so new at Bimart or less if you can find one on CL or EBay. Will clamp to the side of canoes, drifts boats, etc. and only weighs a few pounds. I hate fishing blind even on waters I'm familiar with. I like to know there are actually fish down there.

You're correct about offering something to the fish that is completely different than the crowd is tossing.


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[Shaun Solomon]

I've got a little Lawrance elite 4X I was using to ice fish with. I just need to get off my butt and rig up something for it.

 

[tbrinks]

I have found that braid with a fluoro leader does just fine. I just add a much longer leader than I would for dropshotting, instead of using a 5ft leader it will be more like 20ft to keep the braid from affecting the action (since it floats). 6-8lb fluoro does well, even though they recommend using 4-5lb. Line diameter is another big factor, all brands are different in what their diameters are. The kind I use (Seaguar) in 6lb is as thin as most 4lb tests. It's a fun way to fish and especially good when the bite it tough.