Every bass in Brian Snowden’s 22-pound, 6-ounce bag yesterday was caught on a Duo Realis Spinbait 80 spybait, including the 5-pound, 13-ounce big bass of Day 2. Snowden is catching fish on a 4-inch Zoom Swimmer and a drop shot rig with a Zoom Z Drop worm, but the spybait was his ticket to success Friday.
Snowden has been fishing a spybait on the St. Lawrence River for a few years now. But the Reeds Spring, Mo., angler has perfected the technique on his home lake.
“I’ve really started using it a lot on Table Rock,” Snowden said. “I’ll even use it in the summertime out off deep points, over brushpiles, stuff like that. I’ve really practiced with it a lot this last year. It’s the easiest fishing there is. Throw it out and when it hits the water start reeling (slowly).
“I’ve even caught largemouth up to seven pounds on Table Rock. It’s been real fun on spots and smallmouth in the early spring. You just get on points and go down them. They eat it up.”
Snowden’s setup is a big key. He throws the 80 millimeter, twin-prop lure on a baitcaster. His spybait toolbox includes a Johnny Morris Signature 6.4:1 baitcaster, a 7-foot-2 St. Croix Legend Glass rod and 10-pound test XPS fluorocarbon line.
“The baitcaster allows you to cast it a long way,” Snowden said. “For me, it works much better than spinning equipment. It’s almost like you’re crankbait fishing.”