The action you get from a spybait is like no other bait. At first, John Crews thought this Japanese import lures were no good, and told his friend they wouldn't catch fish. To be sure, John purchased a couple, just to test them out. It didn't take long for John Crews to start catching bass on a spybait (aka spinbait). This lure is unique because it wobbles as it falls and swims horizontally. The Duo Realis Spinbait Spybait Series certainly helped popularize the technique here in the states. Since that time, other quality (and often less expensive) baits have emerged in the Spybait section on Tackle Warehouse, including the lure that John Crews designed, the Spro Spin John 80.
Spybaiting is a simple technique, you don't overwork the bait, but the subtleties are what help catch more and bigger bass. Knowing where to have the bait in the water column is part of the key, but having the right tackle and the right retrieve speed to maximize the action is also important.
While the spybait is great for catching numbers of fish, it's also a great big fish bait. Many people think a finesse (primarily clearer water) technique, with a small bait, light line and spinning tackle, means that you're primarily going to catch 13" bass. That's not always the case with a spybait. The lure has a natural look, but the action is also appealing and elicits some confident strikes from otherwise inactive fish. These baits can trigger strikes from bass under conditions when a lure like a jerkbait may not get touched.
In this bass fishing instructional class seminar on fishing a spybait, John Crews will share some history about how spybaiting became popular and how it blew up here in the United States. John shares some reasons why you may want to add some spinbaits to your tackle box along with the tackle that's best for the technique. Crews, having designed a bait for Spro, talks about what features he looked for and designed into the Spro Spin John 80. Lastly, John recommends some prime places for fishing a spybait, and how to use the bait to land some bass.
- 0:06 John Crews has designed a spybait from start to finish. He gives you some history of where they came from and a breakdown of what they are
- 4:21 Why do you want to use a spybait or spinbait? Do you like to catch and bigger fish in traditionally tough conditions?
- 7:00 Why John Crews designed the Spro Spin John 80
- 12:29 When and where to fish a spinbait/spybait (water clarity, time of year, places to fish it)
- 16:54 Correct spybait & spinbait equipment (rod, line, leader length, hooks)
- 23:43 How do you fish a spybait?
- 32:58 Spybait colors for bass fishing
