how should you fish a spook?

[BucketmouthAngler13]

(title)

should you use a fast or slow retrieve?

thanks

Matt

[SPEEDBEAD.]

This is another topic where there is no really clear answer...you may need to allow more pauses in your retrieve when bass are not as aggressive or work it in a constant motion in order to get their interest.

I would say, more often than not, you will get better results if you are patient on your pause. Most of my strikes will come after the bait has settled; that first twitch will usually bring them in.

Good luck

[Valascus]

I usually fish my Spooks in a "walk the dog" style retrieve. The cadence of your retrieve will be where adjustments may need to be made. Sometimes the fish prefer an almost constant retrieve with few pauses. Other times a slower retrieve with pauses in between movements will get the bait bit. All depends on what speed the fish are tellin' ya. Good luck.

[BASS fisherman]

When I fish a spook, I get the best/most results with 2-3 twitches, and then a short pause.  But you have to do what the fish tell you to do.  If your using a fast retrieve, and the bass swirl at, or slash at the spook, or any topwater, vary your cadence, going slower, or using a different twitch pause pattern.  Most of the time, strikes will occur on the pause, although I have caught large and smallmouth using a steady retrieve.

[GAMEOVER]

On topic: I just fish them like a Heddon Tiny Torpedo if that helps.

On a side note: I dont know if its just me or what but I have found my limited use of Spooks to be absolutely lousy for LMBass compared to SMBass.

[CrazedL.IFisherman]

I totally agree with bass fisherman, the average im assuming here would be 2-3 twitches, let it settle and the same pattern again, every other or so switch to a different amount of jerks and pause a decent amount near structure

[jomatty]

just to give another opinion on this i rarely will vary my cadence during a retrieve with spooks or sammy style baits.  They are one of my favorite topwaters and i fish them both fast and slow with a steady walking motion.  i actually found that i repetitively count in my head .  in my experience varying the retrieve and long pauses will make it hard to retain a good walking motion.  most often the best retrieve for me seems to be a slow walking motion that tries to go back and forth alot but forward not that much.  the most fun days are when they want a fairly fast walk.

watch KVD or any of the guys that fish a sammy on the tour and you wont see many actual pauses or changing twitches during the retrieve just different cadences.  this is what has also produced for me.

matt

[bubbler]

twich 3 times then wait until the ripples disapate, then do the same again.

[Gorgebassman]

I let the fish tell me what they want I usually start out with 3 to 4 twitches and a pause and go from there if the fish look at it and swim away sometimes ill just twitch it once and let the rings on the water disapate other times ill jerk it like a mad man when the fish seem aggressive and only pause after 5 or 6 jerks and then only pause for a second and start again.

[senko_77]

I pretty much fish the sammy 100 exclusively when I fish topwaters.  It was an awesome big fish producer this summer and fall.  I rarely put pauses in my retrieves, but when I did it was only for a second.  I dont believe in long pauses.  The faster you work it, the better the fish will react and I think that most topwater strikes are mostly reaction.

[ga_hawghauler]

I let the fish tell me what they want I usually start out with 3 to 4 twitches and a pause and go from there if the fish look at it and swim away sometimes ill just twitch it once and let the rings on the water disapate other times ill jerk it like a mad man when the fish seem aggressive and only pause after 5 or 6 jerks and then only pause for a second and start again.

Its really a trial and error method till you figure out what the fish want.

[senile1]

I pretty much fish the sammy 100 exclusively when I fish topwaters.  It was an awesome big fish producer this summer and fall.  I rarely put pauses in my retrieves, but when I did it was only for a second.  I dont believe in long pauses.  The faster you work it, the better the fish will react and I think that most topwater strikes are mostly reaction.

I see your point Senko77, but I like the pause.  I catch numerous fish on Spooks after a long pause.  You park it in a bass's area and let it sit.  The bass is getting more and more irritated because it's in her territory.   Then suddenly you give it a twitch and she smashes it.  That's a reaction strike too and it works.  As for longer or shorter side-to-side dog-walking, they both work too.  It depends on how active the bass are and what they are looking for.  Mix it up.  Like any lure the Spook can be fished more than one way.  It depends on what the bass want and what works for you.  Whatever you choose to do, the retrieve should always involve a rhythmic walking the dog technique.  

[WhiteMike1018]

BucketMouthAngler for BassResource Newbie!  

J/K Matt  8-)