To new anglers, spoons may not look like much. Little more than asymmetrical metal blades with a hook, it’s hard to see much promise in them.
But experienced anglers know that spoons can be deadly for everything from redfish to pike, and only a fool turns his nose up at a gold or silver spoon.
If you want to learn how to rig, fish, and pick spoons, keep reading!
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What is a Spoon?
Simple gold spoons like this are legendary redfish lures.
Spoons are metal blades shaped to create vibration and wobble. Many are elongated ovals with a distinct concavity, but others take a variety of forms.
Tiny silver spoons like this catch everything from pike to walleye and can be excellent choices for trolling.
What all spoons share in common is a waggling, thumping action, a sharp hook on the back end, and a simple hole in the front. Beyond that, colors, textures, shapes, sizes, and even skirts can vary tremendously.
Spoons like this are typically very heavy for their size, allowing long casts.
How to Rig a Spoon
Spoons are simple to rig.
I prefer one of two knots: the Palomar or the Uni.
We’ve discussed both of these in detail, and you should read up on them if you’re interested:
How to Tie the Palomar Knot: A Complete Guide
One Knot to Rule Them All – How to Tie the Uni Knot
Of the two, the Palomar is the stronger, but slipping that loop over a big treble can become a pain. If it gives you trouble or slows you down, switch to the Uni.
Both knots are very secure, and when tied properly, they’ll grip like a gorilla in mono or fluorocarbon. The Improved Palomar is excellent for braid, and the standard Uni will hold well in that line, too.
How to Fish a Spoon
There are three techniques you need to try with a spoon.
Cast and retrieve
The first and most common spoon technique is simple. Cast the spoon into a likely spot and retrieve it just fast enough to keep it running at the depth you prefer.
I’ll run spoons down the side of a weed bed or just over their top, looking for a hungry fish to explode out of cover. I’ll also pitch spoons into salt flats from a distance, and then reel them back in as quickly as I can to keep them off the bottom.
Another method is to pulse your spoon with a quick twitch of your rod tip every now and then, sending a loud vibration through the water to nearby fish.
Into the weeds
With weedless spoons, I’ll throw my lure directly into the thick stuff and retrieve it right through weeds and grass. That flash and wriggle ring the dinner bell, and even in murky or stained water, fish will key in on a spoon and hit it hard.
Jigging with a spoon
A final technique is to use a spoon as a jig.
Drop your lure to the bottom with an open spool, and when you feel it hit, tighten up your line and lift it a foot or two off the bottom. Then, twitch your rod tip to set the spoon dancing.
It’s as easy as that!
You can also just let the spoon flutter to the bottom and repeat as necessary.
Choosing Your Spoons
Among spoon aficionados, the Acme Kastmaster has quite a following. Effective on everything from trout to stripers, bass to pike, its heavy weight and aerodynamic shape allow superb casting. And that asymmetrical shape really wriggles and flashes like crazy.
I recommend silver, gold, and copper since they flash like the scales of common prey species.
Acme’s Little Cleo is no joke, either. Available in a wide range of colors and weights, this spoon won’t cast as well as the aptly-named Kastmaster, but man, does it catch fish!
If you’re looking for spoons for pike and muskie, SouthBend has you covered with an awesome 5-pack of great sizes and color combos.
That yellow and red diamond may look crazy, but it’s a legend among anglers for its striking ability to catch big fish.
Dardevle’s Original is very hard to beat, and I’ve owned dozens of these over the years.
These are my two favorites, and no spoon I’ve ever fished can match the side-to-side wriggle of the Dardevles.
For reds, my choice is clear: H&H’s The Secret Redfish Weedless Spoon. I don’t get hung up in grass, and the hooksets are tight and hard.
I also like to throw this lure for pike, walleye, and muskie, especially since they like to stick close to aquatic grass and weeds.
Final Thoughts
Spoons are among the best lures to have in your tackle box, as nearly every species likes to hit them. Easy to rig and just as easy to fish, they’re a tackle choice every new angler should learn to master.
We hope that this article has helped you learn more about spoons, and as always, we’re here to field any questions you might have.
Please leave a comment below, and we’ll be in touch.
Source: usangler.com