smallmouth sPECTACULAR
Bertrand has even added it to his ledge-fishing rotation . He may fire them up with a big crankbait , then switch to the worm to catch a few more and then a drop-shot to milk a couple more . He ’ ll finish with the spybait , though , which often adds a couple more bites that most anglers never would ’ ve gotten .
TOUGH CONDITIONS ONLY MOSTLY JUST FOR TOUGH CONDITIONS
Will a spybait work when it ’ s blowing 15 mph and cloudy ? Sure . But plenty of other more efficient lures will work then , too . So why throw a spybait ? No , if either pro is breaking out a spybait , it ’ s usually on a day when the fishing is brutally tough .
“ When it ’ s slick calm , bluebird skies , high pressure and the fish aren ’ t reacting to anything — that ’ s when a spybait really shines ,” Serafin says .
Again , both pros already know the fish are in the area when they reach for a spybait . It ’ s a matter of getting them to bite when they truly don ’ t feel like it , but a lazy minnow slowly swimming around barely making any vibration is so subtle that it ’ s hard for even the most put-off bass to resist .
So , if there is one stereotype that does hold true , this one is it .
TROUBLE WITH TREBLES IT ’ S ALL ABOUT THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT
While it ’ s good to identify and evaluate the most prevalent stereotypes when it comes to the spybait game , we ’ d be remiss if we didn ’ t touch on two other things anglers may often hear about spybaits : that they ’ re bad around cover and that you lose a lot of fish on them . Unfortunately , both are true ... kind of . While Bertrand says a spybait is “ the least weedless lure ever made ,” Serafin actually uses it a lot around the sparse weeds of lakes like St . Clair . He just makes sure to rip it up after letting his lure sink to the bottom to clear it from any potential weeds it may be collecting . The same thing holds true with rocks , as it ’ s definitely a snaggy lure , but Bertrand also likes throwing it on shallow weed flats so long as he knows he can reel it above them while still reeling extra slow .
As for losing fish : It ’ s going to happen . Spybaits are typically equipped with tiny hooks , which is almost always a recipe for disaster . But both pros say the right gear helps a ton .
Serafin likes a 7-foot medium- or medium-light-power rod , which helps with long casts . As for line , he spools up 15-pound-test Seaguar Smackdown Braid to a 6- or 8-pound-test Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon leader . Bertrand uses a 7-foot , 2-inch medium-lightpower Abu Garcia Winch spinning rod and Abu Garcia Winch spinning reel for the slower gear ratio to ensure he reels extra slow . He also forgoes the braid for 8-pound-test Berkley Nanofil main line tied to an 8-pound-test Berkley 100 % Flourocarbon leader . With either combo , the emphasis is on long casts , no stretch in the line and a rod strong enough to set the hook yet light enough to not rip the hooks out .
Still , losing fish is going to happen . Serafin just keeps it all in perspective .
“ It ’ s not like you ’ re losing 50 percent of your fish ,” he quips . “ It ’ s maybe 20 percent , which is still a lot , but considering I probably get 50 percent more bites with it than some other pro who is not throwing it , I more than end up ahead .”
And any lure that can get you ahead by getting you extra bites when nothing else can is one worth trying . Sadly ( or perhaps happily if you ’ re already a spybait user ), the narrative surrounding spybaits means there are a lot of anglers missing out on a truly productive — though misunderstood — bait .
Northern smallmouth ace Chase Serafin utilizes spybaits to generate bites in scenarios where other patterns fall flat .
PHOTO BY COBI PELLERITO
JUNE-JULY 2021 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 39