By Staff
Legend has it that the spoon was invented when a fisherman who was eating his lunch dropped his spoon overboard only to see a big bass take a swipe at it as it fluttered slowly to the bottom. He went home and drilled holes in some spoons, put hooks on them, then took them back to the lake and caught fish on them.
Fishermen still catch fish on spoons, but most buy them instead of raiding the silverware drawer. Alton Jones, a pro angler with Skeeter/Yamaha offers these tips on fishing spoons to increase your catch:
The key to a spoon's success is the action it has on the fall. The Nemire, KastMaster, and Hopkins and other slab-type spoons all work well. These spoons flutter down when dropped, and they are fished the same way-drop the spoon down to the bottom, reel up a couple of times, then lift the spoon up by raising the rod. Let it flutter back down by lowering the rod at the same rate that the spoon falls.
Fishing a spoon over brush can result in frequent snags, but giving the line some slack will sometimes allow the spoon to fall free. Some anglers just yank on the line until the spoon comes loose. Jones, who is a MegaBucks Champion, recommends this as a last resort.
Largemouth, white bass, and crappie will all take a spoon. If you have to keep your boat away from the school, cast the spoon toward the fish then let it sink for a while before working it back to the boat. A little experimentation with the fall will tell you how long to wait before engaging the reel. You can also just watch what other anglers are doing and imitate them.
When you locate a good concentration of fish, throw out a marker buoy to help you stay on them. If they're schooled up, you can catch a bunch out of just one "honey hole."
A spoon with a curved back and single hook is ideal for working cover. The metal weed guard really helps you get it through the thick stuff. You can cast it into thick cover, then reel it in until it reaches an open spot before stopping and letting it fall. It falls with a gentle rocking motion that looks like a dying shad drifting to the bottom, and any hungry bass hiding in the cover will grab it.
If you're using this technique, make sure you use some stout line and be prepared to take control of the fish right away. The first thing he'll do is take a dive right into the thickest part of the weed
Spoons are relatively inexpensive and come in a large selection of colors and weights. I have been fishing with the old red and white spoon for 40 years and know it works. Try adding a strip of frog or white pork rind for a trailer.