Among the many “purista’s” there are those who are undauntedly using “baits” other than Sakasa Kebari, whether it be other fly patterns, or, (gasp,) live bait or lures. Since Chris Stewart sells spoons hoohs, and floats, I assume that he would not if there were no market, so there must be a sufficient number of overt and closet users.
For trout, I myself, prefer flies, not only for the challenge, but the convenience of flies over live bait. But, for warm water fish, especially bass that generally respond better to a feast over an appetizer, lures seem appropriate. Long ago, I had a fishing partner who fished for bass with his concept of the, “one-fly,”) a F-4 frog pattern Jitterbug plug. He had a jointed 10 foot Calcutta cane pole and “walked” the lure just past the weeds which in the lake where we fished extended to about ten feet from shore. He was very successful.
The problem with using any lure with a Tenkara style rod is wind resistance and weight. I watched a YouTube video in which, the “fly” being made, (notice that I didn’t say tied,) met both criteria. Here is a link:
He recycled the aluminized wrapper ubiquitous to many food products, such as Ramen, but and left the inside of the folded foil open. I think that this would work, but present more wind resistance than my simple modification, using aluminum tape. Step 1. Fold tape lengthwise. Step 2. Peel backing paper. Step 3. Paste onto hook.