Scott Dobson
photo by JoDy WhItE
How to Fish It
The technique is best when the bait is slowly reeled along the bottom . one of the major benefits of spybaiting is how well it draws fish from distances as the tiny props spin and create turbulence below the surface , contrary to many techniques in bass fishing that require the angler to rip , jerk , walk , twitch and generally impart all the lure ’ s action with the rod . a long cast and slow retrieve comprise the primary technique . “ ideally , you should cast 30 feet beyond your target or ambush point , and then sneak it into where the fish should be positioned ,” says swendseid . after a cast he keeps his rod tip low to allow the spybait to sink faster .
“ you want to let the bait sink to the depth ,” says swendseid . “ Watch for the line on the surface , and wait until all of the line is submerged , or the bait will be pulled up toward the surface when you retrieve .”
“ fishing a spybait takes commitment ,” dobson adds . “ it is tedious to fish and takes time to fish it right and gain confidence in the technique . each cast can take a few minutes if you ’ re doing it correctly .” dobson will typically fish in water between 15 and 20 feet deep , and prefers his bait to be within about 2 feet of the bottom , though some anglers will fish it a few feet higher , depending on the situation . To count the lure down , he estimates that it sinks 1 foot per second on a slack line .
“ i will count it down by watching the seconds on the clock on my graph ,” he says . “ This makes sure i ’ m counting correctly and that each cast is consistent when i ’ m catching fish .” fish will even bite on the initial drop .
SpybAIt MoDELS
The duo Realis spinbait 80 and 90 , as well as the duo Realis g-fix spinbait 80 , are the best known and most widely used spybaits , but there are other brands that offer similar baits . generally , the size can be matched to the size of the forage , but some pros will use the larger sizes for fishing deeper . here ’ s a look at the most common spybaits on the market , shown in actual size .
Megabass X-Plose SS
Lucky Craft Screw Pointer 80
Jackall iProp 75S
Lucky Craft Screw Pointer 90
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FLWFISHING . COM I NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2017