Fishing spoons

[iwillkechu]

I just got the BPS strata spoon kit because I had heard spoons are great in deep, clear, cold water. That is pretty much every lake around here right now.

I've never fished spoons before and I was wondering what the best techniques are. Do I just bounce them like a drop shot? Do I cast and reel them deep like a crankbait? How do I pick the size and whether or not I use one with a rooster tail on it?

Any help here would be great. I'm planning on going within the next couple weeks if we get a break in the weather.

[etecviper]

I use spoons alot here on Norfork lake. I use 1/2 and 1 oz. depending on depth and sometimes on wind mph. I usually locate shad on locator and verticaly spoon overtop of them. 30 to 45 ft usually 1/2 oz. spoon any deeper 1 oz.. to use a rooster tail is a preferance. I don't my partner does, I don't see a differance in catch rate. My choice of spoon is made by Manns and is called Mann-O-Lure. It's shape is more slender then the ones you bought. I'm fishing 40-100 ft deep(most fish will be suspended) and I want my spoon to get deep fast. Most spoons are made to flutter this one drops with less flutter. Using a locater that allows you to see your spoon dropping is a plus . Spooning takes time to learn and can be very boring when your not on fish. When you find fish in the right pattern it's fun and as effective as using tnt. Trying to learn how to spoon is tough on your own, if you know someone with experiance have them coach you. I feel it is so effective and can be used anytime of the year that I have one rod as a spooning rod that goes with me at all times.
For more info and pictures I highly recommend reading spooning article by Heartland tackle service one of B.B.C. sponsors. Go to http://www.heartlandtackleservice.com/spooning.stm. Lots of good stuff and good locator screen shots of fish to spoon for and when not to waste your time.



Modified by etecviper at 7:55 AM 1/3/2008

[jseasor]

i haven't caught a lot of fish on them, b ut you can work them vertically, however, ive caught my fish casting as far out as i can, ripping the rod tip up and letting it flutter back down a slack line. ...

[iwillkechu]

Do you use the thin ones or the thick ones? The ones I got are pretty thick. When I ordered spoons, I thought they would look more like....well...a spoon! I thought they would be round on one side and concave on the other.

Stupid me.

[Fish-N-Fool]

I have had pretty good success vertical jigging...... during the coldest months of winter mostly. The key was to locate fish stacked up...usually in a creek channel...and then dropping the spoon on'em. I have found there were times when the size of the spoon actually made a difference...anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 ounce spoons (may have more to do with the rate of fall for each). Our approach was simple...drop the spoon to the bottom (with the rod tip low)... engage the reel gears...and rip the spoon off the bottom really quickly (raising your rod tip high)..and then allow the spoon to flutter down to the bottom again. Maintain contact with your spoon on the way back down as this is usually where you get bit.

Had some awesome days on the lake when everyone else was huddled by the fire trying to keep warm.....

[BILLY]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Fish-N-Fool &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Our approach was simple...drop the spoon to the bottom (with the rod tip low)... engage the reel gears...and rip the spoon off the bottom really quickly (raising your rod tip high)..and then allow the spoon to flutter down to the bottom again. Maintain contact with your spoon on the way back down as this is usually where you get bit.

</TD></TR></TABLE>
I fish a lot of trees. I do the same, but I don't rip it up. you will catch a lot of trees.

[bassboy1]

On my local lake, they are starting to get used with ever increasing volume. Now, I haven't used them that much (haven't been able to fish that much dadgummit), but from what I have heard, Flexit makes a real good spoon.

The ones that get used around here, are more of a shad shaped, cylindrical chunk of lead, with a treble hanging off, as opposed to the conventional steel red spoon, with the white stripe, that are commonly used up north. A lot of the guys 'round here make their own. Most all the guys that don't fish major Tx's use these almost religiously. Reason they aren't used in tourneys commonly, is they also pull in a lot of stripers, and the occasional cat, and aren't great for size.

The way to fish them, is to jig them on a brushpile. Somedays, they want a lot of movement - 2 or 3 feet on a jerk. Somedays, it is 6 or so inches. Sometimes, just letting it sit their, and twitching it works. And, from what I have heard, the bite is more of a steady pressure, or a twitch in the line that you didn't do, but hardly noticeable.

Also, they have a built in lure retriever. If you get snagged, you have 3/4 or so ounces of lead above your lure, that if you shake it just right, can pull your lure free of the brush. Basically is a plug knocker, that is built in.

But, I am told that most spoons come with saltwater hooks, because they want you to buy more. But, the most unanimously agreed tip I have heard on the lake, is to change the hooks out, with a more normal hook.
Good luck!

[iwillkechu]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bassboy1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">.......But, I am told that most spoons come with saltwater hooks, because they want you to buy more. But, the most unanimously agreed tip I have heard on the lake, is to change the hooks out, with a more normal hook. Good luck!</TD></TR></TABLE>

What is the difference between saltwater hooks and freshwater hooks?

[DinkyDonker]

i watched Kelly Jordan on UMF outdoor channel absolutley murder the fish on a spoon, It was amazing on KY Lake. it appeared he was casting, and then jigging while letting his boat drift back- he caught over 20lbs in 9 minutes.

[iwillkechu]

That was the exact show that made me start looking into them. I didn't know if he was using the flat spoons or the full body spoons. Some of the ones I got from BPS are so heavy that if I fished them like Kelly Jordan did I'm sure they'd hang up before I could get them back to the boat.

[jdb21867]

I didn't get to see that ---Any idea on the color or size he was using????

[20_lb_sack]

Strata spoons are made for vertical jigging. As a point of reference, I think the Strata has about the widest wobble of the jigging spoons, the Mann-o-Lure is about the tightest, hence the faster fall mentioned. A Hopkins shorty is in the middle as far as wobble. Drop them around bait schools or deep trees, watch your electronics a lot of times you'll see fish coming to the lure. Presentation can vary from four or five foot rips, then a fall on semislack line, to just letting the spoon spin mothionless. Let the fish tell you how active to be. I hope you got some of the white Strata spoons, put a black dot on both sides, it looks just like a shad in the water.