DECOY - SPLIT RING MEDIUM CLASS R-3 MADE IN JAPAN

Decoy Split Ring Medium Class R-3 (Made In Japan)

The R-3 is the middle rung of Katsuichi's four-step Decoy split ring ladder — Light Class (R-1 / R-4), Medium Class (R-3), Heavy Class (R-5) and Split Ring EX (R-11). It is the everyday ring for general lure fishing: seabass minnows and vibes, light shore jigging, and freshwater hardbaits for larger predators — any job where a Light Class ring is under-gunned but a Heavy Class ring would be clumsy. The wire is flat-forged, giving a low, flat cross-section that beds into the lure eye and keeps the hook hanging straight. The ends are an inner-cut type, angled inward so hook eyes and snaps run over the step without hanging up. All sizes carry an anti-corrosion passivation treatment for saltwater service.

Key Features

• Medium Class split ring — the general-purpose step in the Decoy R-series ladder
• Flat-forged wire that seats low in the lure eye and holds its shape under load
• Inner-cut ends for easy attachment to lure eyes, hooks and snaps
• Anti-corrosion (passivation) treatment for saltwater and estuary use
• Silver finish; sizes #6 and #7, supplied 15 pieces per pack
• Intended for seabass, light jigging and general lure work; made in Japan by Katsuichi

How To Rig It

• Upgrading factory hardware — Many imported plugs ship with soft rings. Swap both rings before the lure sees salt water, and match the ring to the hook you intend to hang, not the other way round.
• Ring to treble or single — Open the step with split ring pliers, wind the hook eye fully around until it drops off the far end, and confirm the coil closes flat with no gap you can catch a fingernail on.
• Assist and single hook conversion — Use it to hang single hooks on vibes and small metal jigs where trebles foul the leader or the net.
• Inspect after snags — A ring prised open by a snag rarely closes flat again; replace it rather than re-closing it with pliers.

Specifications

Ring end type: inner cut. Wire: flat-forged. Surface: anti-corrosion passivation. Katsuichi does not publish a tensile rating for the Medium Class rings, so none is stated here.

Recommended Pairing

• Light to medium spinning or baitcasting tackle, PE 0.8–2.0 with a 16–30 lb fluorocarbon leader
• Trebles and single hooks in the class supplied on 90–130 mm minnows, vibes and 20–40 g metal jigs
• Drop to R-1 / R-4 Light Class for finesse and trout lures; step up to R-5 Heavy Class for shore casting and jigging, or R-11 EX for the heaviest work