Spoons

[dreamertino]

Who uses them? What are your experiences with them? How do you work them?

[scaleface]

What type of spoons are you referring to ?

[blckshirt98]

I use Kastmasters and Krocodile's for trout, just cast and retrieve.  If you're referring to the big-ass bass "flutter" spoons that have been popular with the pros the last couple of years, I believe you want them to hit bottom then just lift/drop it back to you.

[CJ]

I've used several different flutter spoons. Exclusively off shore structure. Most of the time I lift it off the bottom pretty high. After the spoon hits bottom, I start with the rod pointed at around 5 o'clock and lift to at least 12. You have to be a line watcher to detect the bite cause it will almost always be on the fall. Then I do swim them but not often. Again, I let it hit bottom then I reel it then give it a little twitch so it falls on slack line. It's important to let it fall on slack line so not to interfere with with a vertical fall. It needs to fall straight down IMO. I like to have some sunshine and some wind to help sell the lure. I fish it when the big fish are schooled up on ledges and in a positive feeding mood. At times the big bass will be chasing big gizzard shad toward the surface. You'll see a big shad come busting out of the water trying to get away from something. These big fish will be all over the water column. Not really holding there but suspended and it's like a carnage zone going on down there. That's usually when it's time.These are some of the spoons I use. I really like the 3rd one from the left. The giant Ben Parker spoon I fish a little different(the one all the way to the right). I start at 5 o"clock and rip it off the bottom back over my shoulder similar to a sweeping hookset. This lure will catch big fish but it hits the bottom so hard it looks like a bite. It helps to learn the time it takes to fall. I also use a stinger hook. None of these have them on there in the pic. It's a dropshot hook tied with about a 2-3 inch piece of braid to the lie tie. Hope this is some help.

[dreamertino]

Thanks guys 

[Crestliner2008]

I've used the Tony Spoons with clackers quite successfully for smallmouth in the spring of the last two seasons. First introduced to me in an article in the In'Fisherman several years back.

[WRB]

MLF had a recent tournament where the fishing was really tough, the anglers struggling to catch a few dinks. Todd Faircloth was fishing a marina and tried several presentations, even the Ned rig and caught 1 small bass and left.  James Watson was fishing the same marina docks having similar poor success, then he rigged a flutter spoon to pitch under the docks and in 2 hours he went from last  place to more then doubling the weight of second place finisher, all the bass caught on the spoon during mid day summer.

Spoons are the oldest lure dating back to before 1800's and over looked by bass anglers.

Surface spoons, weedless spoons, wobbling spoons, flutter spoons and heavy structure jigging spoons and all catch bass.

Tom

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Spoons get overlooked as old school. I bet those docks get hammered by jigs etc and the spoon was something different or "new". 

[dreamertino]

4 hours ago, WRB said:

MLF had a recent tournament where the fishing was really tough, the anglers struggling to catch a few dinks. Todd Faircloth was fishing a marina and tried several presentations, even the Ned rig and caught 1 small bass and left.  James Watson was fishing the same marina docks having similar poor success, then he rigged a flutter spoon to pitch under the docks and in 2 hours he went from last  place to more then doubling the weight of second place finisher, all the bass caught on the spoon during mid day summer.

Spoons are the oldest lure dating back to before 1800's and over looked by bass anglers.

Surface spoons, weedless spoons, wobbling spoons, flutter spoons and heavy structure jigging spoons and all catch bass.

Tom

That's were I got the idea from Tom. I haven't heard of anyone using them lately. They seem pretty simple to use. I always have crappy luck in  the winter so I'm going to give them a try.

[WRB]

If you fish from a boat and the lake has a good population of baitfish like Shad that school, structure jigging spoons work good when the bass are suspended. Hopkins Shorty hammer stainless steel spoon or a Chrome Kastmaster in 3/4 oz size are both good basic structure spoons. I prefer to add #2 chrome treble with white/chartreuse chicken feathers (Owners) to my jigging spoons. 

Meter the bait to determine where and how deep the schools are, look for some structure around the area about the same depth or little deeper and work the those baitfish schools.

Birds like Grebes are good baitfish finders, watch the birds.

If the bait is 30' to 50' deep, cast about 60' and let the spoon pendulum down on loose controlled slack, if it stops falling set the hook. If the spoon get straight down wind in about 10' of line and lift the rod upright about 5' then lower back down on loosely controlled slack a few times. Keep repeating this process until you figure out the depth that works.

Tom

[lo n slo]

i'd like to give a shout out to the Little Cleo!

[Bluebasser86]

Don't leave the dock without some 7/8oz War Eagle jigging spoons in chrome and white.

[Airman4754]

10 hours ago, WRB said:

If you fish from a boat and the lake has a good population of baitfish like Shad that school, structure jigging spoons work good when the bass are suspended. Hopkins Shorty hammer stainless steel spoon or a Chrome Kastmaster in 3/4 oz size are both good basic structure spoons. I prefer to add #2 chrome treble with white/chartreuse chicken feathers (Owners) to my jigging spoons. 

Meter the bait to determine where and how deep the schools are, look for some structure around the area about the same depth or little deeper and work the those baitfish schools.

Birds like Grebes are good baitfish finders, watch the birds.

If the bait is 30' to 50' deep, cast about 60' and let the spoon pendulum down on loose controlled slack, if it stops falling set the hook. If the spoon get straight down wind in about 10' of line and lift the rod upright about 5' then lower back down on loosely controlled slack a few times. Keep repeating this process until you figure out the depth that works.

Tom

The easiest and probably most fun way to fish for Spots in the winter is a 2oz jig spoon, a line counter, braided line, and a good finder. You can do this in every region. 

Just idle around out to the middle or to about 120' feet of water. When you find a ball of bait fish there will be Spots blowing them up. 

Kill the engine, get back over them with your TM, get them on your bow finder and stay on them no matter what. Drop the jig straight down to the depth they are at and just floss jig it, tip of your rod to the water, all the way up over your head. Bring your rod back down to the side a little so your braid doesn't get caught around your top eye. Just watch your braid laying on top of the water as it sinks down. When it stops before it pulls tight from the slack catching up Bill Dance that thing and the fight is on. Just make sure you stay right over them even when you're fighting a fish. If you lose the school you're toast at those depths. 

This is how we always Lake Trout fished and I just applied it to winter bass.