Spoon guys

[Nearki]

Hey guys, being from the flat lands spoon fishing just isnt something we do much. After catching a few on it this weekend, I need more. My questions are what areas do y'all prefer? Points, bluffs, bluff ends, channel swings, big flats, and depth ranges. My fish this weekend come from docks and bridge pillions. But other than the obvious, what are some areas to spoon? Also any spoons that seem to work better on the Ozark lakes? Iv spent most of my time on norfork and it has been tough the last few weeks for everyone it seems. Any guys in the area that want to show a out of towner how its done I have a passenger seat with your name on it. The only other way I was managing any bites was dragging Carolina rigs....... lets face it that can get monotonous and boring.  

[J-Doc]

Man I haven't figured spoons out yet.  Seems when I drop a spoon, the fish swim away.  I must be over working it.  I see the spoon drop on the sonar, I see the fish swim up, when I work the spoon the fish swim away.  Been doing this for a couple years now.  I havery caught some on a spoon but only with minor twithes.  That seems to be better than violent jerks and ripping the spoon upward.  Seems the fall is when they bite it.  So I may start swimming it up vs jerking it and then let it fall gently. To see if that's what they want. 

[rps]

Hey guys, being from the flat lands spoon fishing just isnt something we do much. After catching a few on it this weekend, I need more. My questions are what areas do y'all prefer? Points, bluffs, bluff ends, channel swings, big flats, and depth ranges. My fish this weekend come from docks and bridge pillions. But other than the obvious, what are some areas to spoon? Also any spoons that seem to work better on the Ozark lakes? Iv spent most of my time on norfork and it has been tough the last few weeks for everyone it seems. Any guys in the area that want to show a out of towner how its done I have a passenger seat with your name on it. The only other way I was managing any bites was dragging Carolina rigs....... lets face it that can get monotonous and boring.  

In the last couple of days there was a different thread about spooning. It held a good bit of information. I recall a lively thread last year as well. I bet a search would net you a ton of information. In the mean time, War Eagle spoons fished at bluff ends and in cove mouths have worked for me.

[Old plug]

I like Bomber Slab Spoons here on LOZ though I do use others. I like them because they go down fast and are good bottom thumpers. Thatis the thing I do most. But that is LOZ. Each lakes structure is different and requires a different approach to accomplish your goal I am sure. Like any lure your going to have to do a lot of messing with them to truly understand what they can do. 

[Nearki]

Rps, is the thread your refering to the "question about working a spoon" thread? Iv read through it and it does have a lot of good info. Was looking to build on it and maybe find someone with some norfork experience. The war eagle spoons are the ones I caught all of my fish on this trip, but have some bombers and I will try them too. As for bluff ends are y'all sitting out off the end and casting toward the bank working back, or marking fish and dropping straight down? Thanks for the help guys. 

[mjk86]

Spoons dont get used nearly enough IMO, i love spoon fishing.  I think that a white/chrome 3/4-1 oz slab jigging spoon is as versatile a lure as there is.  They are super effective on the deep clear lakes in the ozarks...i use em with success at table rock and stockton, also a few illinois lakes,as well as even smaller lakes and rivers around me. 

          Most often I use a spoon as a vertical lure.  Heres how....I drop the spoon straight down the the bottom.  (another trick....if its a hard bottom, slam the spoon really hard off the bottom a few times..attention getter)  Ill then begin working the spoon by using long slow sweeps then allowing it to fall on nearly slack line.  Nearly slack is the key...almost all of your bites will happen on the fall, and its important to recognize a strike quickly as its very easy for a fish to sling a spoon cuz they are so heavy.  YOull have to experiment with short hops (less aggressive), long sweeps (aggressive fish), ect to see if there is any preference.  Also...sometimes fish will hit the spoon as its sitting "motionless" I say that cuz when your not moving your rod, the spoon is still twirling and spinning (more of a finesse presentation).   Another great thing about a heavy spoon is that you can work it very effectively in a "trolling" situation moving about .2-.5mph, allowing you to cover water. 

        The slab spoon is also a great casting/horizontal bait.  If you see suspended fish....you can cast a very long ways...count it down to depth then start a pump and reel retrieve.  You have to reel very quickly in order to get the heavy spoon to stay horizontal, but the act of doing that, couple with the erratic movement as the spoon drops when you reel your slack will generate explosive bites.  That spoon will get hammered while your crankin in your slack.  Also they work well in surprisingly shallow water, and because you can cast them so far you can keep your distance from surfacing/shallow fish. 

         Shallow water slab spoons.....take the treble hook off and put a weedless hook on it.  Find some rocks/gravel and hop it along the bottom.  Fish will pick it up right off the bottom  (works in cold water when shad are dying and falling to the bottom).  An example of this was this past summer at table rock.   Normally I fish deeper water for suspended fish with spoons...this year, we were catching very nice fish by pitching/skipping the spoon as far back into the dock slip as possible, then opening the spool up so it fell vertically to the bottom under the dock, as soon as it stopped sinking youd set the hook.  The odd thing as that we were targeting boat slips that were only in about 15fow, so dont overlook shallow fish with it. 

        I think the beauty of the spoon is in its simplicity and versatility, on heavily pressured waters where fish have seen every lipless crank and deep diver ever made, most people will overlook the spoon.  If fish are eating minnows....which they usually are...fish will eat a spoon. 

    

 

[mjk86]

Rps, is the thread your refering to the "question about working a spoon" thread? Iv read through it and it does have a lot of good info. Was looking to build on it and maybe find someone with some norfork experience. The war eagle spoons are the ones I caught all of my fish on this trip, but have some bombers and I will try them too. As for bluff ends are y'all sitting out off the end and casting toward the bank working back, or marking fish and dropping straight down? Thanks for the help guys. 

I would imagine that generally going vertical but if your dropping it straight down over infinity feet of water, youll need to either use metered braid or be able to see your spoon on the graph.  Casting would work too...but i would get in where i want and cast parallel to the bank and work the spoon back.

[Old plug]

I do not worry about color. I gat a slab spoon that was white by put most of the paint is chipped off it. I have a chrome one as well. At over20 ft in LOZ it does not matter it is the bumping off the bottom. 

 

J DOC catch a few of those small shad and put one on the spoon. Really nothing like a fresh shad on a spoon. around here it will get me pretty steady action 

[Nearki]

Mjk, thanks for great info. I was doing exactly as you stated flipping it in as shaded of a area as I could find. Seemed most come on the initial drop I only caught one while working it back. What size line do you use? I had been using lighter line and threw it on heavier 17lb floro and started getting hits. Seemed the heavier line may have slowed the fall a little and made it a lot easier to follow the spoon down. I have a few slab spoons but will pick up a couple more, academy actually has them clearance right now. I have really struggled day time fishing the last month until this weekend playing with the spoon more. It opened my eyes, you can cover so much more water and fish more effectively than with any thing I have been trying..... that's how it was for me anyways. Now just to expand on it and find more places I can fish it. 

[mjk86]

Mjk, thanks for great info. I was doing exactly as you stated flipping it in as shaded of a area as I could find. Seemed most come on the initial drop I only caught one while working it back. What size line do you use? I had been using lighter line and threw it on heavier 17lb floro and started getting hits. Seemed the heavier line may have slowed the fall a little and made it a lot easier to follow the spoon down. I have a few slab spoons but will pick up a couple more, academy actually has them clearance right now. I have really struggled day time fishing the last month until this weekend playing with the spoon more. It opened my eyes, you can cover so much more water and fish more effectively than with any thing I have been trying..... that's how it was for me anyways. Now just to expand on it and find more places I can fish it. 

My deep spooning setup is a 7ft MH fast action casting rod with a 7.1 gear reel.  I spool it up with 15/4 # power pro depth hunter, it changes color every 25 ft and is metered every 5 (i use the same line on my trolling rods).  I will measure out 5 ft of 12# fluoro leader at the end and attach a small snap swivel (some guys actually prefer no swivel and twisted line...because of the spin it imparts on the spoon...Its not for me though).