Spoons-Where to Start?

[5/0]

I don’t have any experience with these baits and would like to try them this fall/ winter.
Since I don’t own any, what types and weights would be a good place to start? Would a spinning or casting setup be best for a newbie to spoons?

 

Joe

 

[TnRiver46]

Cotton cordell, baitcast or spinning will work. Buy ones you don’t mind losing 

[5/0]

Thank you! I’ve watched a couple videos since my original post. Would adding a swivel be advantageous?

[JustJames]

What type of spoon? From shore or boat? I’m not sure is you considered Kastmaster as a spoon. The 1/8 oz would be good for all kind of fish.

[5/0]

6 minutes ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

What type of spoon? From shore or boat? I’m not sure is you considered Kastmaster as a spoon. The 1/8 oz would be good for all kind of fish.

It would be a boat. Fish back seat in club tourneys for bass. Would a 1/2 oz. be a good place to start?

[JustJames]

No idea, since I never fish vertical spoon for bass @WRBmight be the one you could get help with, he mentioned a lot about structure spoon.

[WRB]

Spoon fishing for bass during fall to cold water period is done by targeting Threadfin Shad schools where you fish. Your first task is locating the Shad school and that is easy to do if you know what to look for.

Threadfin Shad eat phytoplankton a vegetable organism seeking sunlight that rises toward the surface during day light hours. You best Shad finders are Grebes, both Piedbill and Western. The birds know exactly where the Shad schools are and you simply meter the area to determine what depth the Shad are at.

Size of spoon should be between 2 1/2" to 3 1/2" long, Shad shape and colors.

 Spoon weight depends on the depth the Shad are in and any wind conditions.

Gnerally speaking I use 3/4 oz chrome/white or chrome/blue structure spoons for vertical spooning bass feeding on Shad. I always add a size 2  treble hook with white/charteuse chicken feathers. I would start with a white Crippled Herring spoon, a chrome/blue Kastmaster spoon and a PiLine Laser spoon in black Shad.

You can add a split ring with a swivel, I prefer to a snap or tie direct.

Tackle; a crankbait rod with moderate action and 12 lb FC line works goods. Set your drag at 3 lbs to help prevent tearing hooks out of the bass  near the boat.

I like to make a lob cast a little longer then the depth of the bait and let the spoon fall Swinging back toward the boat until the line stops indicating a strike or is straight down.

Lift the spoon upwards quickly and lower it back down watch or feeling for a strike.

You can cast to the birds and count down the spoon, about 2' per second, then lift and drop, take up slack and repeat until the spoon is under the boat.

Hook setting is a upward lift and keep reeling to load up the rod and continue reeling to control the bass.

Good luck, 

Tom

[jimmyjoe]

   There are 3 kinds of spoons.

   1) Flutter spoons.  Usually used in somewhat clearer water, these spoons are lifted up and then let drop on slack or semi-slack line. You can let them go all the way to the bottom, or you can let them flutter to a predetermined depth, then lifted again and start the whole process over. I lift mine at moderate speed, but some fishermen "snap" them, raising them up really fast, then letting them drop slowly. This style spoon comes in many sizes and weights, from 1/8th ounce Flutterchucks by Eppinger to the Ben Parker Magnum at 3.5 ounces. There are probably bigger ones, too. I've just not heard about them. Some people use trolling spoons as flutter spoons. Some are successful, and some aren't.

 

   2) Jigging spoons.  Since I'm a shorecaster, this is one type of spoon I don't use. However, one of my friends has a boat, and he uses them quite a bit. He plays it a lot like @WRB, lifting it up and letting it fall much like a flutter spoon. A jigging spoon, however, is much more massive, or massy, for the length. When I was lucky enough to be in a boat, my favorite was the Kastmaster, a spoon that's very versatile. But Hopkins and Bomber make jigging spoons too. They're just more specialized.

 

   3) Casting spoons. These are the spoons that I use the most. They're the good ol' chuck-n'-wind style, and some people use them just like a crankbait. That's not necessary however.

   Casting spoons come in 2 types: wobble or dance.

 

   Wobble spoons are the vast majority of steady-retrieve spoons on the market. They're simple to manufacture, and simple to use. Cast them out, let them sink to the desired depth, and then reel them in at a steady rate. That "steady rate" part can be difficult to determine unless you have clear water. I fish the Mississippi River and several of its tributaries, and the water is anything but clear. I use the local school swimming pool to see what my lures are doing, at what depth and what retrieve speed. (Approach your local school officials judiciously, or they may not be cooperative.)

 

   Spoons that "dance" are rarer, but they're out there. I'm a totally unapologetic fanboy of Eppinger products, which are forged rather than stamped. This allows them to react differently to a "twitch", which is how I retrieve my spoons. With some difficulty, I've gotten Thomas Buoyant and Cyclone spoons to dance, and the Li'l Cleo spoons from Acme. I've had NO LUCK with the Acme spoons if they're over 1/4 ounce, though. To make a spoon dance, cadence is everything. The force of the twitch, the length of pull, the speed of pull .... all these things are important to each spoon. And each spoon is a little different, which is why many people hate trying to make a spoon dance; they have to experiment too much and remember too much about the different models.

   I don't blame them.

   Generally speaking, if you want a spoon to dance, you LET OFF on the retrieve first, and then twitch. If you twitch by simply accelerating your retrieve and then slacking off, you get a totally different effect. It hasn't caught me nearly as many fish. This "dance" is done so slowly overall, that the spoon DOES NOT spin! If the spoon is retrieved so that it spins in the water, it's not a spoon. It's a spinner.

 

   There's one more thing to remember. There are three retrieve speed to spoons; moderately slow, very slow, and slower yet.

   And as far as which colors, I'd recommend choices based on contrast and pattern. There are ultra-realistic spoons out there, ones that have realistic printed images on them. I've never caught a fish with one of them. Never.

   I have no idea whether all this info is gonna be any good for you, but I hope it is. Good luck!    jj

  

[Bladesmith,]

Lot of knowledgable responses. However, I'm surprised no one mentioned the old Johnson Silver Minnow. With a pork trailer (I like Uncle Josh split tailed eel 3 ") it has worked well at all depths for me. It is pretty much weedless so you can plunk it down in about any kind of cover and it comes through easily. Don't know how this spoon would be classified but the bass and others don't seem to care. Getting kind of hard to find locally but here in the backwoods that is to be expected. I like the 1/4 oz size.

[WRB]

Weedless spoons are good when weeds beds are present or the bait is holding tight to cover. I no longer use Johnson Silver Minnow spoons because of the dull hook is difficult to sharpen. I use Nemire Red Ripper weedless spoon in both gold and silver 1/2 oz. The Red Ripper has a silicone skirt you don't need a trailer and a sharp strong hook.

The op IMO was asking about spoons to target bait fish schools currently where he lives, NorCal, so I addressed that specifically.

Flutter spoons are just that a spoon that flutters as IR slowly falls through the water column. Most good flutter spoon sink very erratically making serval feet of sideways movements mimicking a dieing baitfish like big gizzard Shad. Very few NorCal lakes have gizzard Shad populations and I haven't had good results using them where I fish.

Little Cleo is a good cross over casting and structure spoon.

Tom

[5/0]

Thanks! Lots of info! Should be able to figure out something from it!

Appreciate the help!

[Bluebasser86]

I use jigging spoons the most, especially during the winter and summer months. My personal favorite is the War Eagle jigging spoon, either silver or white. I also use a Bink's spoon.

[GreenPig]

Along with the great info above I'd also suggest getting a few gold colored spoons. Chrome, shad, and coleslaw colors usually work in my lakes but I've had days when they'd only hit gold. If fishing structure make sure you waypoint productive spots. I fish the same spots year after year during the winter and catch a pile.

[Swamp Yankee]

Spoons, where to start?

 

Start at 12 o’clock, directly above the dinner plate. Dessert spoon goes first, placed horizontally, handle to the right, next goes the dessert fork, handle to the left. At 3 o’clock to the plate, butter knife goes first, vertically, then the soup spoon, then the tea spoon. 

 

Hope this helps

[pauldconyers]

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage-LTESF.html

 

This new Live Target that won an award at ICAST looks interesting

[5/0]

On 11/13/2019 at 2:36 PM, WRB said:

Gnerally speaking I use 3/4 oz chrome/white or chrome/blue structure spoons for vertical spooning bass feeding on Shad

I've been researching a variety of spoons and have a list started. Almost all are the 3/4 oz. P-Line, Cotton Cordell, and Kastmaster. The Kastmasters are pretty pricy, but come in a larger selection of weights. As my original post indicated this would be my first experience with spoons. Would 3/4 oz. be okay for a wide variety of depths, or should I be looking  at getting a few heavier baits? They would be fished on a bait caster.

 

On 11/13/2019 at 1:46 PM, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

I’m not sure is you considered Kastmaster as a spoon. The 1/8 oz would be good for all kind of fish.

Would the lighter weights on spinning gear work in deeper water?

On 11/13/2019 at 2:36 PM, WRB said:

You can add a split ring with a swivel, I prefer to a snap or tie direct.

I have a bunch of #2 Sampo ball bearing swivels w/split rings. Would these be okay for adding to the spoons?

[WRB]

I prefer 3/4 oz vertically spooning to 40',very little water resistance to slow the fall rate of a structure spoon, the line slows it down depending on the diameter. 1 oz Crippled Herring or Bomber Slab spoons are heaviest I use if it's windy.

 

You need very sharp hooks with spoons to stick into bass mouth tissue so they don't shake it out easily, don't give the bass any slack line or you will lose them.

Try with and woithout a swivel and use what works for you.

Tom

[5/0]

Thanks Tom!

[primetime]

I like the Johnson Sprite Spoons and Little Cleo style spoons for a casting/flutter spoon, but I feel the most versatile is the Kastmaster style spoon which can be jigged or used as a flutter spoon depending on the weight.

 

I ordered a bunch from Bass Pro shops which were the Cabela's brand, they were only $1.99 in good mix of colors, dressed treble, but the hook seems kind of cheap. I just swap out the treble hook, but they have a good mix of sizes from 1/16 up to an ounce. 

 

For a jigging spoon, I use a lindy rattle spoon for a small profile and light, the Luhr jensen crippled herring which is a small bait for 1/2 ounce, and of course the Hopkins style/Cordell style jigging spoons. I used to fish spoons more up North, but am planning on using them in deeper water this year.

 

I can't see spending $10 for a spoon, especially the bigger ones like the Ben Parker spoon etc...BPS and Strike King have a good one for the money. I feel once you go over 3/4 I would think a spoon in this style works best as you get the flutter and you can jig it since its so heavy and without current, you wouldn't need something like a slab spoon to fish it vertical......

 

I never use big spoons over 3/8 even in deeper water. I tend to get most strikes when it falls, or when sitting on bottom. I use them more in saltwater, but guys who put the time in down here, catch good quality fish using big spoons offshore all year long. I think BPS has over 300 spoons in there lineup, and some of the saltwater models are less expensive and plenty good like a crocodile spoon.