Spybaits

[mark poulson]

I found out that moving the ballast up above the centerline, a line from the front screw eye to the rear screw eye, so 1/3 of the ballast is above it, makes the baits wobble.

I made two similar baits, both weighted that way, and put the 1" pointy props on one, and the 5/8" rounder, smaller props on the other.

When I swam them, the one with the smaller props wobbled, but no the other one, so I swapped out the props, putting the smaller props on the non-wobble bait.  Lo and behold, it wobbled, too.  So it looks like the larger props kind of overpower the wobble action, at least on the baits I make.

Drilling out the center hole on the smaller props, so they go over the .072 screw eyes, leaves very little metal around the eye shaft.  So I am going to shorten two of the 1" props to 5/8", and see if that works.  I hope it does, so I'll have more metal around the pivot hole.

It's been in the 30's here that last two mornings, warming to the 50's, so I'm not up to more than two hours in my unheated garage before it's time to come in and defrost.  So I'll play around with the props again tomorrow, and report what I find.

[mark poulson]

The shortened 1" props still spin, but they don't allow the baits to wobble.  I'm guessing it because they are heavy enough to dampen the wobble, since they are still twice as heavy as the smaller props.  

I noticed that the Duo Realis bait has really small props, too.  

For a moment I thought about making my own, and then I remembered I'm not Dieter, the Metal Meister.  Hahaha

So I'll just stick with the small props from LPO.

[Tony Maxwell]

Was just cleaning up some of my old tackle and found 2 "KenFlash" lures. I vaguely remember trying them many years ago and found that they sink rapidly. There are no spinners and only a tail hook. I am now in the process of doing a changeover and hope to have them function as a "Spybait". Anybody else remember them? Will keep you all posted on the re purposing of the baits.

[mark poulson]

Was just cleaning up some of my old tackle and found 2 "KenFlash" lures. I vaguely remember trying them many years ago and found that they sink rapidly. There are no spinners and only a tail hook. I am now in the process of doing a changeover and hope to have them function as a "Spybait". Anybody else remember them? Will keep you all posted on the re purposing of the baits.

 

I just check out the KenFlash lures online, and their body looks almost exactly like the spybaits by Duo Realis.

I would go slow before I ruined such a pretty lure.

I tried converting a plastic jerkbait by adding props front and back.  It was almost impossible, because the plastic cracked when I tried to remove the line tie and the rear hook hanger so I could add screw eyes and props.

I was able to do it with the aid of D2T, to repair the cracks and anchor the screw eyes, but it was a real pain, time consuming, and I didn't trust that it would hold a fish when I finally got it done.

I wound up hanging that bait from my wall of shame.

[Tony Maxwell]

Mark, Got the conversion done. Heated the front and rear eyes with a solder gun and pulled them out, twisting as I did. Screw eyes beads and pointed props etc added. Only problem was, when I got done my test tank (1/2 acre pond in front yard) was frozen solid and still is. Will keep you posted though. Tony

[mark poulson]

Mark, Got the conversion done. Heated the front and rear eyes with a solder gun and pulled them out, twisting as I did. Screw eyes beads and pointed props etc added. Only problem was, when I got done my test tank (1/2 acre pond in front yard) was frozen solid and still is. Will keep you posted though. Tony

 

Tony,

Hard water make's for a tough test tank!  That sucks!!!

Find a place to test it.  I'm dying to hear how it worked out.

How did you anchor your screw eyes?

[Tony Maxwell]

Used commercial SS Screw eyes and added epoxy as I screwed them in. Will let you know about the action.

[aulrich]

What is the difference between a spybait and an old school  prop bait , at least the one lure making book seemed to indicated there was such a thing, though all I have ever seen was floating buzz baits for sale.

[mark poulson]

The prop baits I used to fish, like the Devil's Horse, were top waters.

The spybait is a sinking lure.

The ones I fished, the Duo Realis G-fix 80, are basically a sinking jerk bait, with front and rear props.  They weigh enough to be thrown with a baitcaster, sink level with a definate side to side wobble, and come back slightly nose up on a medium retrieve.  They also wobble on the retrieve, so there is a lot of flash on a slow moving bait.  The small props spin so fast they're hard to see, but they are described as adding additional water displacement and flash, too.

I've had success throwing them over suspended fish, counting them down, and then bringing them back on a slow retrieve, on 10lb test.  My friend throws his on 6lb, but my cojones aren't that big.  I broke one off on 8lb, and, at $14 apiece, that can get expensive real quick!  Hahaha

[aulrich]

Yes the light line concept sort of pulls the bait out of normal usage too many pike , I understand the normal usage is clear water do you think you could get away with braid and a flouro leader with out dampening the action away.

 

 

How deep can you work them on the countdown, could almost see a walleye going for this in the right conditions

[mark poulson]

Yes the light line concept sort of pulls the bait out of normal usage too many pike , I understand the normal usage is clear water do you think you could get away with braid and a flouro leader with out dampening the action away.

 

 

How deep can you work them on the countdown, could almost see a walleye going for this in the right conditions

For fish with teeth, I'm guessing you want a wire leader.  Since the baits sink at about 9" a second, and meant to sink, I don't think the wire would hurt the action.  I tie directly to the line tie, but I'd probably use a split ring if I were putting on a wire leader.

I'm speaking from my experience with the Duo Realis G-fix.  They offer a version in sexy shad that works in low light, and off colored water.

I don't know about other commercial baits.

I caught several 2lb stripers, back to back, and they bent up the line tie/prop shaft, so I don't think these baits will hold up to heavier line and a stronger fight.  That's the reason I made my own, so I could use heavier line and put on stouter hardware.  When I lost a $14 store bought lure on 8lb test, that convinced me to find a way to use heavier line.

I do count them down, both the G-fix and my own.  They both sink at the same rate+-.  I have let them go to the bottom in 35', and then retrieved them slowly along the bottom.  It was a sandy mud bottom, with no snaggy stuff, so I could get away with it.

I'm pretty sure any minnow eating predator will eat them.  I've had channel cats eat jerk baits and cranks.  I don't see why they wouldn't, and walleyes, too.

[aulrich]

Cool so I guess I will have to try to make one , but with all the lure building I have planned, this winter is starting to look too short

Edited January 27, 2015 by aulrich