Post spawn can be feast or famine. Some days, the fish will hit anything you throw in the water but more often than not, they can be down right finicky, with a severe case of lockjaw.
When this happens, anglers will go through lures at an accelerated rate trying to find what they will hit. We’ve got a suggestion for you that you may not have heard of. No, it isn’t a brand new lure but one that goes largely overlooked.
The Duo Realis Shad 59MR Crankbait. This little plug is what you would get if you were to cross a small squarebill with a tiny jerkbait. The shape is an elongated minnow with fairly flat sides, molded in gill plate detail, 3D eyes, a narrow tear drop shaped lip, very small split ring, a slender profile and two sticky sharp unspecified treble hooks.
There are only four patterns available but all have quality finishes that are made in Japan and use an exclusive Duo Realis magnet-securing moving weight system that stabilizes its flight in the air and provides longer than expected casts for a bait that is this light.
Light Gear Wins The Day
The Shad 59MR is 2.3”, .17oz. Yes, this bait is absolutely intended to be used on spinning gear with light line to get the most out of it as far as the action and depth are concerned. It is designed to run 4-6ft while suspending on the pause.
David from Duo gave us the inside look at this bait while we were at the 2017 Classic. He also gave us his take on how to most effectively use the 59MR along with gear recommendations.
Our first outing with the Shad was both enlightening and productive. Not only did we catch our target species of bass, we also managed to catch crappie, bluegill and even some rainbow trout. We really didn’t expect that but it was a very pleasant surprise.
We found that the most efficient way to use this bait was on medium light spinning gear with #6 copolymer. We also experimented with different line sizes from #4 to #10 with some interesting results.
No matter the particular line size within our range, the 59MR maintained its action with no severe alteration to its action. The changes in line size were however, a great way to control the running depth so that we could fish it as shallow as a couple of feet or as deep as about six. This allowed us to use it much like a rip bait in keeping it just above the emerging grass. Just ticking the top of the vegetation drew fish out of the weeds that smashed the bait.
Our Best Retrieve
Our most productive retrieve, no matter the depth we were targeting, was to reel it down a couple turns of the handle, pause, give it a couple moderately slow turns of the handle, pause, twitch it a couple of times then repeat.
While you’re swimming the bait, it has a tantalizing tight wiggle with a slight body roll. On the pause, the 59MR suspends perfectly then starts up again without hesitation. The key is to treat this bait as a finesse bait. Don’t burn it. Allow the built in action to do the work. This is one of those baits that doesn’t seem to spook fish no matter how skittish they appear to be.
If they don’t hit it, they will at least inspect it. This gives you the opportunity to catch them. To this point, the first day we had the Duo we were fishing a lake that was extremely crowded with folks tossing all manner of lures at ‘em. The fish did indeed have their guard up. We fished right behind a bunch of folks who caught nothing but we managed to have a very solid day using the 59MR.
Since that day we’ve used the Shad MR on several more trips. Each time we’ve experimented with different retrieves but keep going back to the one that resulted in so many fish caught the first day. It continues to be as effective as it was with the only difference being slight changes in cadence.
Just Chill
Don’t get in a hurry when we’re throwing this plug but do change the speed just a bit. We have also found that varying the time on the pause can get us more bites depending on how the fish are reacting that day.
We’ve used the 59MR for several months. It has its share of teeth marks on it which hasn’t diminished how effective it is. We have had to bend the hooks back into shape a few times after some larger 3-4 pound class fish decided it was an easy meal but have not had to tune the bait. It continues to run as true as it did out of the package.
It also continues to catch more than bass in clear or stained water as well as a wide variety of water temps. Sometimes, you just don’t know what you’re going to hook into when you throw the Duo in the water.
At $13.99 retail, this bait isn’t inexpensive, neither is it outrageous for the quality that you’re getting.
Some folks might scoff at using a bait this small and light it can get you bites when the fishing is really tough, the water is super clear, the fish are highly pressured or the fish are completely in a funk.
Furthermore, it is a lure that is easy to fish, relaxing to use, flat out effective and doesn’t fatigue the angler. The only down side is the weight. Even with light equipment, if you get more than slight to moderate wind, it’s time to put this back in the box because you lose control over the bait.
| Duo Realis Shad 59MR | |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating |   |
| A small plug that'll catch 'em when they're finicky | |
See ya’ on the water …
