SPY BAITS..?

[Pokie Pa]

Anyone use these? How do you use them and what situation?
What is your choice of lure in this technique?

[Real L]

I use them. I use spinning tackle - ML Zodias rod and Vanford 2500 reel. I use 10 pound braid with a long fluoro (6 pound ) leader. I fish very clear water for smallmouth. I use them mostly on big sand flats or near reed beds in shallow water. I use Jackall I Prop mostly. It's one of the smaller spy baits. I just make a long, long cast and bring it back with a steady retrieve close to the bottom in about 4 foot of water.

[BoatBuggy]

I use all of the Duo sizes of spybaits. I have at least one tied on all year long and fish them in 3 to 30 ft of water.

I throw all mine on higher end casting gear with a 5.5:1 reel. Slow is better when it comes to spybaits.

[Phippy]

I'm just starting to take spybaiting seriously. Many of my bigger post spawn smallies have come on them. My setup is spinning as I feel it still gives me the distance advantage I'm looking for my MB P5 baby plugging can handle the 90 as well. With its deep load and slow rebound its the perfect rod for this application IMO.

[bgibson]

I use casting gear as well with no problems. I use 8lbs floro and like the Duo Realis 90. Slow and steady over flats!

[willwork4fish]

I use them a good bit for smallies. Duo Spinbait both the regular and Alpha, hooks are small but super sticky, I've lost very few once they're hooked. I use them as more of a search bait in gin clear water. Colors for me are Perch, Goby and Chartreuse Shad. I use a ML Spinning rod and straight 6lb Tatsu. You just cast it out, count it down and steadily reel it in. Toothy critters will take them. Rock bass seem to love them too.

[DrewFlu33]

I've thrown them some for smallmouth with modest success, always on lightish spinning gear. I've done it on braid to leader, just can't get myself to commit to spooling up a whole reel with fluoro when I'd never use it for anything else. It's also super hard for me not to twitch them or try to impart some other action on the retrieve. Even though I know you're not supposed to do that, it makes them tough for me to throw as I just get antsy. I'm sure a good day catching big fish on them would solve that...

Anybody got onto a largemouth bite with them, or are you all using them primarily as smallmouth baits (or I suppose spots, where applicable)?

[RFSims]

Use them in the fall on schooling wipers (whitebass/stripper hybrid) and schooling blacks. Spinning tackle.

[Quillback]

Anybody got onto a largemouth bite with them, or are you all using them primarily as smallmouth baits (or I suppose spots, where applicable)?

I really haven't had much success with them, however one morning I threw one when I was fishing Beaver and I caught a LM that went about 3 lbs. Fished that damn spybait for another hour without a sniff. My experience with them is that I can catch the occasional fish with one, but there always seems to be something else that I can find to work better.

And I have caught some spots on them too. but that has been when they were schooled and chasing shad and in that situation there are a lot of baits that will work. Never have been happy with the tiny trebles that come on the Duo's either, I lose quite a few fish. Maybe I should upsize the trebles, but I don't want to effect the action of the lure.

[DrewFlu33]

I really haven't had much success with them, however one morning I threw one when I was fishing Beaver and I caught a LM that went about 3 lbs. Fished that damn spybait for another hour without a sniff. My experience with them is that I can catch the occasional fish with one, but there always seems to be something else that I can find to work better.

And I have caught some spots on them too. but that has been when they were schooled and chasing shad and in that situation there are a lot of baits that will work. Never have been happy with the tiny trebles that come on the Duo's either, I lose quite a few fish. Maybe I should upsize the trebles, but I don't want to effect the action of the lure.

Well you're not talking me into trying to throw them more, that's for sure!

I swear I saw a video (or maybe read an article?) some time back talking about changing to the Aaron Martens G-Finesse Nano trebles on them and having better luck with fish staying hooked up, but can't find it now. Those things are spendy, but might be worth a try? Wish I could find it, it may have even been that you could go up a size because they're lighter than the stock ones in the same size. If nothing else, my experience with the Nano trebles has for sure been that they flex less than other trebles, at least comparing to other light wire trebles/same wire diameter. They also seem to have less prominent barbs though. Tactical Bassin' seems like a likely source to have discussed it...

[Quillback]

Good idea on the A-Mart trebs. I use them on top waters and jerkbaits, they are scary sharp. I'm just not sure I want to spend more time messing with spy baits, but I keep hearing how good could they can be.

[Ranger Rod]

Balance is paramount with these. Not sure if switching trebles is a good idea.

[Real L]

Balance is paramount with these. Not sure if switching trebles is a good idea.

The problem is that you don't have the choice sometimes. I use I Props that have # 8 trebles, the smallest of the spybait group and I sometimes get overzealous and try ( to much) to stop a big smallmouth or use the pliers too much to get a small treble out, I break one. I've tried and with the bait I'm using, and cannot go bigger without affecting the action to a certain degree. With the # 8 hooks, the bait has that side to side wiggle when it sinks slowly and that gets the big ones attention all the time. I cannot find the original hooks that are kind of grey. The best I've found (suggested here) and are really good, are Ichikawa Kamarini Light hooks # 8. Not a lot of brands offer # 8.

[DrewFlu33]

Balance is paramount with these. Not sure if switching trebles is a good idea.

This is exactly why I'd love to see a listing of treble hook weights per size for different models. I thought about starting one but don't trust my postage scale enough to feel confident all the effort would truly produce accurate information. I suppose as long as all the hooks were weighed on the same scale it would at least give a frame of reference. It's consistent at least.

The problem is that you don't have the choice sometimes. I use I Props that have # 8 trebles, the smallest of the spybait group and I sometimes get overzealous and try ( to much) to stop a big smallmouth or use the pliers too much to get a small treble out, I break one. I've tried and with the bait I'm using, and cannot go bigger without affecting the action to a certain degree. With the # 8 hooks, the bait has that side to side wiggle when it sinks slowly and that gets the big ones attention all the time. I cannot find the original hooks that are kind of grey. The best I've found (suggested here) and are really good, are Ichikawa Kamarini Light hooks # 8. Not a lot of brands offer # 8.

That's good to know! The only one I would've known that's produced in a #8 is the ST36. That one is made all the way down to 18 or something. But it's also a regular wire hook, so putting it on a bait that's super sensitive to hook weight is likely a crap shoot.

FWIW, I did find a Tactical Bassin' video talking about spybaits. Their replacement hook suggestion is the ST36 in #6 and #8, so it wasn't there where I heard the G-Finesse recommendation...if I didn't just dream it up.

[City17Banner]

I only use DUO Realis and Tetraworks spybaits and they make a DUO Realis Nano Treble Hook that is a direct replacement for all of the DUO Realis spybaits which I've linked below.

For the DUO Tetraworks Perakko spybait that sports a set of #12 saltwater (electro-plated) treble hooks, I've had to take the most expensive route possible, which is to cannibalize the treble hooks from other DUO Tetraworks lures with the same size #12 hooks such as the Toto Shad 40S minnow and PocoPoco 40F popper.

It's a true pain to use this approach but on clear water reservoirs in the summertime during post cold front conditions, it's the only thing that gets bit by smallmouth bass suspended over deep-water areas adjacent to rock reefs, humps, and other offshore structure. Since getting the new boat, this task has become easier with the judicious use of Ghost 360 and Active Target but it's still a challenge trying to land a decent smallmouth bass on #5 Power Pro Hi-Vis Yellow braid with a 30ft top shot leader of #4 Tatsu FC line!

Please have a great day!

Link: Duo Realis Nano Treble Hook 6pk - Tackle Warehouse

[fish365]

Although not technically a spybait, consider throwing an Okishira screwhead. It has a blade that is designed to vibrate. I've used the spark shad but use a small keitech also.

[ProCraft00]

I like the lucky craft spy bait with 3 hooks on it. I throw it when I find fish in the jumps, caught both largemouth and smallmouth on it.

[MainelySmallmouth]

So this is truly an application specific bait IMHO that works great for a specific purpose, ie targeting suspended fish. For me, this is a clear water, like 15 + feet of visibility chasing suspended smallmouth. Any time the fish are suspended, this is a great bait as you can fish it as deep as you want/need to. I use the Duo baits, G Fix 80 is my favorite, and the regular 90 will do when the fish are chasing larger size bait in the fall as they feed up for winter. I ALWAYS use spinning gear, as long bomb casts are necessary to get the bait in the right zone and keep it there during the retrieve. My two favorite rods are the Steez AGS 7' ML and the Steez AGS 7'6" MML spinning rods. Both rods have a great parabolic bend, which is critical to keeping cartwheeling smallies pinned on those tiny trebles and both rods have a great tip that allow you to cast the bait a country mile. I use 10lb Aqua Camo NanoBraid tied to a 20 + foot 6 to 8 lb leader depending in time of year and depth. Here is the really really hard part. The retrieve needs to be really slow and steady for the bait to fish "right". If fished too fast, you lose all the properties that make a spybait effective. It can be a painfully slow retrieve, but when you get it right, I swear the fish try to rip the rod out of your hands. I will NEVER forget my first spybait fish. It was only a 3 lber, but honestly the strike was electric and I was instantly hooked. Not as visually violent as a top water frog bite, but equally as underwater violent on light light gear. When you get it dialed in, it can be an incredibly effective tool targeting suspended smalllies in gin clear water. Good luck and tight lines!!

[City17Banner]

Here is more information about the different JDM replacement treble hook options including nominal size & weight information. In addition, I added stock treble hook information from a couple of JDM spybaits, jerkbaits, and topwater lures. Please comment or PM me if anyone has any questions regarding the information in this post. Lastly, all JDM replacement treble hooks were purchased from Tacklewarehouse.

Please have a great day!

JDM Repalcement Treble Hook Size & Weight Table: *All Weight Measurements are in Grams (g)

Hook Manufacturer	Hook Model	Hook Size	Hook Weight #1	Hook Weight #2	Hook Weight #3	Average Hook Weight
DUO	Realis Nano	#6	48	48	48	48
DUO	Realis Nano	#7	38	38	38	38
DUO	Realis Nano	#8	32	32	32	32
Gamakatsu	G-Finesse Nano TGW	#6	31	31	31	31
Owner	STX-38 Zo Wire	#6	49	49	49	49
Owner	STX-38 Zo Wire	#8	31	31	31	31
Ichikawa	Kamakiri 84S	#8	28	28	28	28

JDM Stock Lure Treble Hook Size & Weight Table: *All Weight Measurements are in Grams (g)

Lure Manufacturer	Lure Model	Hook Size	Hook Weight #1	Hook Weight #2	Hook Weight #3	Average Hook Weight
DUO	Realis Spinbait 80	#8	36	36	36	36
DUO	Realis Rozante 77SP	#8	30	30	31	30.33
Megabass	X-Nanahan+2	#8	26	27	27	26.67
Megabass	I-Wing Fry	#6	35	35	35	35

[Real L]

Thank you