Spybait/Spinbait

[DustyD26]

I was wonder the best scenario/conditions are to fish a spybait like the one from Storm. My home lake has both Largemouth and Smallmouth but it seems in recent years its become a more predominantly a Smallmouth fishery. And i know KVD did really well on a spybait in the that Elite series event up north last year. Until then i'd not heard of such a bait. But i bought a couple of the Storm's and was wondering what the best situation is to use them. And what equipment do you use? Spinning or casting? I was thing casting on like my crankin set up. Soft tip lighter line. But i favor casting anyway. If i can cast it on a baitcaster thats what im gonna use.

[TableRock55]

My experience here is they work best in the summer on suspended fish and you need to use light line. I started our with #5 but it was just too light. I use #6 now. Some of the bigger spy baits are heavy enough to throw on a bait caster, but I have had zero success with them. I just have the Duo Realis baits. I only use spinning tackle.

[basscat tyler]

You'll be better off using spinning gear for the Arashi spinbait

[Big Guy]

My experience here is they work best in the summer on suspended fish and you need to use light line. I started our with #5 but it was just too light. I use #6 now. Some of the bigger spy baits are heavy enough to throw on a bait caster, but I have had zero success with them. I just have the Duo Realis baits. I only use spinning tackle.

That sums it up for me too!

[Jetboy]

I’ve been fishing the Realis spy baits and doing well. The 80 and G 80 are meant to be thrown on spin cast with 6# floral. And the 90 on spin or cast. I throw all on mine with cast and MH Fast rods. Just make sure to have a soft tip and light drag setting or you’ll break the light line. We have been using them on schooling fish in back of creeks. We also have been doing well counting them down to 15ft and slow (very slow) roll over fish in tree tops and ditches that are sitting in 35ft of water. (they are best on the fall with great action). If they don’t come up for them we drop shot. My only complaint is availability and cost. We are losing quite a few and they are 15$ a piece. And the colors I like are most hard to find.

[DustyD26]

The storm version isnt as expensive as the Duo. I dnt have any duo just the storm. And with the light floro are you using braid as main line with floro leader?

[DustyD26]

And its very intresting to me that you guys are going as low as 6# on any type bait. As 8# is as low as i go for anything bass fishing. Am i costing myself some bites on finiky fish?

[Big Guy]

And its very intresting to me that you guys are going as low as 6# on any type bait. As 8# is as low as i go for anything bass fishing. Am i costing myself some bites on finiky fish?

6 pound test is THE best for finesse! My opinion

[Jetboy]

No braid all floral as it sinks. And Duo gives the spec for each bait. It is a must for the proper fall and action the bait presents.
and 6# is the spec on the 80’s not sure on the 90. Doesn’t say here in my catalog. I don’t think 8 is a deal breaker but, that’s not what they ask for . I think I have a mix of 6 and 8.

[basscat tyler]

If you look on TackleWarehouse there's plenty of #6 flourocarbon lines that have the same diameter as some of the #8 lines. So I highly doubt it matters a whole lot. What you probably should be looking at is line diameter rather than just the test rating.

[Dh0ckey11]

And its very intresting to me that you guys are going as low as 6# on any type bait. As 8# is as low as i go for anything bass fishing. Am i costing myself some bites on finiky fish?

Yes, in general. The 6# test on spybaits is more about the action and fall speed than visibility though.

[Dh0ckey11]

I use 10 or 15# braid with a 10-15ft 6# flouro leader

[g352nv]

I started throwing them in two of the lakes I fish. Both are mostly smallies. I smoked them this year! My biggest smallie 5lb came in October. They worked in the summer for me as well. I didnt start seeing the size until fall.

[bsly67]

Do you all use the spy baits in spring for smallies or just summer and fall? Just a slow retrieve with pauses? I’m going to try and get some confidence with these in spring if it’s manageable.

[PolarKraft195]

I use a quality 6lb copolymer (Izorline XXX)

[smithlakebass]

I use 5lb gamma touch. Unless you tighten the drag you will not break fish off. It is a smaller diameter line and gives the bait great action. Did use sniper in 5lb but was having to many random breaks. I spy bait alot for spotted bass. Ideally you want to get a 7ft or longer medium or medium light spinning rod and a reel with a smooth drag. Most fish over 4lbs im just reeling and the reel starts letting drag out. Throw the bait out count it down to the fish or just off bottom and reel it as slow as you possibly can. And to the person who said they only use 8lb test. Yea if you are finesse fishing going from 8 to 6lb can make a huge huge difference

[BoatBuggy]

I throw the Arashi's (and Duo GFix 80's and Duo 90s) with casting gear for both smallmouth and largemouth. The rods I use are a GLX 852c JWR and/or a Megabass XX Flatside Special. My reels are a Zillion SV TW P (5.3:1) or an SV 105 P (5.8:1). The line is 10# Sunline FC sniper. The SV105 is a reel that is designed for lighter baits and it will launch any spybait every bit as far as spinning gear and has an excellent drag. The Zillion won't cast an Arashi or GFix 80 as far as the SV105 but it gets it out there far enough. Both reels will launch a Duo 90 into space. Use whatever reel you want, just make sure it has a really good drag. Use whatever rods you want but the rod needs to be able to respond instantly to the surges the fish will make. If it doesn't, those little hooks will come unpinned and you'll be pissed. I'm probably a lone wolf by using an extra fast GLX jig and worm rod but the rod reacts instantly to any movements the fish makes and I rarely lose a spybait fish on it. The Megabass rod is a treble hook rod and it's got a nice parabolic bend and is very responsive as well.

I think that as long as there's about 3'ish ft of visibility a spybait comes into play and I'll have one on the deck. I tend to throw the Arashi's mostly in water 4' - 12' or where the primary forage is small yellow perch or small shad. The profile of the Arashi is a dead ringer for a small yellow perch and is very close to a small shad. I fish the Duo's in deeper water because they sink faster and have a better "shimmy" on the way down.

I change the back hook on my spybaits to a #4 KVD triple grip. Most of my spybait fishing is for smallies and they tend to nip the back hook instead of t-boning it like they will a jerkbait. Largemouth will generally inhale a spybait so hooks aren't so much an issue but if you hook into a big one, you need to try to keep them away from the cover they came out of because you aren't using very heavy gear. In general, when you have hooked a fish on a spybait, let the fish do what it needs to do and don't try to horse the fish to the boat. It doesn't take much for those teeny hooks to come loose.

When choosing a line, go by line diameter, not by lb test - or just spool up with Sunline FC Sniper or Seaguar Tatsu and don't worry about the line anymore.

The pic below show a couple of small yellow perch that came from the bellies of a 5 lb smallie doubleheader. The Arashi is almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

[Casslaw]

I really want to try some of these type lure in Florida but I cannot find a scenario when I’m in 35’ of water or using line that light. They look like they would catch a lot of fish, but what you guys are describing simply doesn’t happen for me.

[DrewFlu33]

This is a technique I'm just going to have to try this year. I've been under the impression that a lot of the places I fish, especially where I tournament fish, just aren't really conducive to throwing them. The more I read about them and the more stuff I hear from guys putting them to work in other than "stereotypical" scenarios the more I'm convinced it's something that needs to be in my arsenal. It doesn't hurt that the Arashis seem to be getting really good reviews, and come in at a price point that I can stomach.

[Walkabout7781]

Take a look on UTube for videos by the California guys. Don't try to re-invent the wheel!!!

I have a 7'ML GLoomis cranking rod with a 5:1 Curado SF I wanted to use, and loaded it with 6 lb Tatsu fluorocarbon. I invested in one Duo Realis Spin 90. It drops at about an 80 deg. nose-down attitude, very fast. I was pretty PO'd about this (use search to find earlier threads). If I counted to 10, it'd be on the bottom in 35'. I have been thinking that maybe I should try it on 10 lb copolymer on the same rod/reel. I think I'll give that a try, and also use it for small cranks and jerkbaits. I recently noticed that Lucky Craft has a spybait, and I'd be tempted to try that and an Arashi. A Duo Spin 80 might work differently than the Spin 90, or so I would hope.

I'm just not sure about the Arashi...would I then have to replace the hooks? Suddenly, not quite such a bargain. With the Duo and LC, you know you're getting good hooks, at least, IMO. Who can give info on the Arashi hooks?