DECOY - SPIRAL SNAP SN-5 MADE IN JAPAN

Decoy Spiral Snap SN-5 Made In Japan

The SN-5 is the fastest lure change in the Decoy SN range, because it is the only one with no gate to open at all. Instead of prising a wire back and springing it shut, you pass the lure eye onto the spiral and rotate it in — the reason the snap exists. Two things follow. Nothing is levered apart, so the wire is not fatigued by hundreds of open-and-shut cycles the way a conventional snap is; and it works with numb fingers, which is why Katsuichi point at cold-weather fishing such as area trout and rockfish (mebaru), where a stiff gate costs real fishing time. The bend is a round bent shape so lure action is preserved, and the eye and seam are soldered (welded) rather than relying on wire tension alone.

Where It Sits In The SN Range

• SN-5 (this model) — chosen for change speed and freedom from metal fatigue. It gives up the positive click of a locking gate to get there.
• SN-1 Round — the general-purpose gated snap, still the default for most hard baits.
• SN-2 V — smaller and lighter, for minnows and shads fished with sharp darting action.
• SN-3 Egg and SN-6 W — the cross-lock and double-opening power snaps; SN-7 Open Swivel is a rig-building swivel, not a lure snap.

Key Features

• Pass the eye through and rotate — no opening or closing, the quickest change in the range
• No repeated open-and-shut cycle, so the wire is not worked and weakened at one hinge
• Round bend shape that keeps the lure's natural action intact
• Soldered (welded) eye and seam for strength at the closed loop
• New high-elasticity material with reduced metal fatigue
• Matt black finish, made in Japan by Katsuichi; three sizes, 6 pieces per pack

How To Rig It

• Where it goes — Tie the leader to the closed upper eye with a wetted uni or improved clinch. Thread the lure's split ring onto the spiral and turn it fully round until it seats at the base; a half-turn short is how a lure gets lost.
• Matching size to tackle — #0 with ultralight area trout, ajing and rockfish gear on 2–6 lb class line; #1 for small minnows, spoons and micro metals; #2 for larger minnows and light seabass lures. Match the class of tackle, not the size of the lure.
• Cold hands and fast sessions — Winter area trout, night mebaru, and any session where you cycle through colours quickly.
• When the snap is the weakest link — Decoy publish no rated breaking strength for this range. A spiral has no locking gate, so on heavy drag settings, big baits or fish that must be turned out of structure, step across to the SN-3 or SN-6 instead of running this one hard.
• Rinse after saltwater use — Salt dries in the coil and grits the rotation. Flush the terminal set after every trip and retire any snap showing rust or a spread coil.

Specifications

Available sizes: #0, #1, #2. Origin: Japan.

Recommended Pairing

• Ultralight to light spinning rods with 1000–2500 size reels
• 2–8 lb nylon or fluorocarbon, or light braid to a fluorocarbon leader
• Run a rolling swivel above the snap when fishing spoons and spinners that rotate