Jigging spoons

[Langer]

I was reading on a couple different sites about jigging spoons and how effective they can be.  Does anybody here have a jigging spoon always tied on?  One thing the articles dont have is a picture of what they look like... Is it the same thing as a Daredevle spoon?  What types do you use?

[LGMOUTH]

 I like to use the silver buddy, most of the time I only use it from the day the Ice is out( say in Indiana because I wouldnt be out bass fishing in Michigan that time of year  ) til the water warms up to 50 or so and in the fall when the water gets below 50. It is unbelievable how many and how big of fish you can catch during these times of year with it. It looks more like a thin rattle trap but it is made out of one steel and lead.
Havent used any of the other jigging spoons so I dont know how good they are.

[MaizeNBlue]

I have used the sliver buddy, kasmaster and daredevils, ofcourse only for pike and walleye, had success with all of them at times, never tried going for bass with them though.

[Cheetam]

I would consider the Silver Buddy to be a Blade Bait more so than a  jigging spoon (although it can be jigged).  I haven't done a lot of this style of fishing for bass on purpose, but I have caught some nice smallies in Walpole while jigging spoons for walleye.  They were similar to the Hopkins spoon, but hand-poured by some guy in Algonac:

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=15452&hvarDept=100&hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=8&hvarSubCode=3&hvarTarget=browse

Drop it down, pop it off bottom, watch your line as it falls...

[LGMOUTH]

I would consider the Silver Buddy to be a Blade Bait more so than a  jigging spoon (although it can be jigged).

 [Drop it down, pop it off bottom, watch your line as it falls...

Yes it is considered a blade bait but dropping it down to the bottom and popping it off and letting it fall back down is exactly how I use it. Works awesome

[djkimmel]

The Cotton Cordell jigging spoon is a good one - similar to the Hopkins, but I like the action more. I've caught a good amount of bass on Crippled Herrings too (bought a few years back by Luhr Jensen). The jigging spoon by Rattle Snakie caught the 9.5 pound giant smallie on Lake Erie for Randy VanDam.

I used to use them heavily, but have gotten rusty from only using them 2 or 3 times a season lately (I use a custom homemade blade bait a LOT). I've caught a lot of bass on them deep, vertical, casting out and throwing to distant schooling fish.

I even have an aluminum spoon that is pretty interesting for using on schooling fish on top. I once landed 4 nice St. Clair smallies and lost what would have been my limit fish casting way out to a school of busting smallies that my partner never even got a bait to - I used to always keep one rigged for that purpose. I did the same thing down in Table Rock for spotted bass one year at a Redman Regional. I need to do that more often again - it can be a great trick.

So many baits... so little time...

[rufus]

Anyone that knows me, knows that I always have a jigging spoon tied on. They work best in cold water in this area of the country, but down south they work well on spots throughout the summer. Last spring here in Indiana in an early March tournament my partner and I sat in one spot in 25 feet of water and caught over 60 bass on a spoon. I like to use a War Eagle spoon in 3/4 or 1 ounce. In that particular tourney I was using a standard silver spoon and getting a few bites while watching them eat it on the graph, but the fish were very hard to get to bite. I switched the black hook to a red hook and I literally could not keep them off of it. If I didn't hook up instantly they would crush it until I did. I almost always fish them vertically. When you are on Erie and fishing ddpe structure and are marking fish, but are having trouble catching them, just drop a spoon down and you will soon find out what kind of sheephead population Erie has in it. A rough practice day on Erie will quickly be changed into a fun time just by dropping a spoon down. The smallies will kill them out their in early spring and fall, but summertime they are very hesitant about hitting them. I use a 6 1/2 foot medium heavy Loomis with a Curado. They are definitely a seasonal and spot specific bait, but will sometimes catch fish when nothing else will. Having a good familiarity with your electronics is a must with a spoon. I see at least 90% of the fish I catch on them. Other species of fish will eat a spoon year round, walleye's absolutley love them as does most everything else that dwells in water over 15 feet deep. I know that SethV is a jigging spoon nut maybe he will add a reply (hint, hint).
God Bless and Good Fishin'

[SethV]

Rufus is right, I am a jiggin spoon nut.  They do work best in the early/late season.  You can catch fish on them in the summer, but the drum and walleye will wear you out.

I prefer the 3/4 oz gold Hopikins Shorty.  Be sure to take off the stock hook, and replace it with a #2 Mustad Ultra Grip.  Also, don't tie the line directly, use a large ball bearing swivel.

The rod & line are also important.  I started using a 7' heavy, and while nice for the action of the spoon, I lost a lot of fish.  Smallies are wild, and when hooked straight below your feet, they want to come straight up!  I went to a bit softer MBR783C (6' 6" mh) and I lost far fewer fish.  Another important thing is the line.  You need some stretch, but not too much.  20 lb Vanish Flourocarbon is perfect.  As for reels, just make sure it is FAST.  You must keep the light tight and you have to beat the smallie to the surface.  I keep the drag locked, so I can get a good hookset.  Once the fish comes up, as soon as it sees the boat, it will either jump or head back down.  If it goes back down, I disengage the reel and control the fish with my thumb in freespool.  Takes some practice, but once you get the hang of it, lost fish won't be much of a problem.

When you work the spoon, drop it straight down.  Let it hit the bottom.  On calm days, start with smaller jerks (2' or less).  On the really rough days, you can really rip the spoon, snaping it 4 of 5 feet up.  Let the fish tell you how they want it.  Some days are just "spoon days" while others are not.  I have never really figgured it out.  2 years ago, I fished 6 consecutive weekend tournaments starting in Early May out of Buffalo on lake Erie.  It was the hottest I have ever seen the spoon bite.  I jerked that thing for a month straight, talk about building forearm muscles!!!

Another great benifit to the spoon is the size of the fish.  I feel you might catch more on the tube, but the great big ones seem to love the spoon.  Also notice that I reccomened gold color.  I think that really imitates the goby well.  At rest, gobys lay flat on the bottom.  When freaked out, they jump straight up about a foot off the bottom.  I find that spotted bass and largemouth hit the spoon in freefall.  Not smallies.  Most of the time they hit the spoon mid-jerk on the way up, so HANG ON!  It will about rip your arm off when you hang a 6 lb smallie.  At first it feels like you hung a stump.  Make sure your spoon stays in contact with the bottom between jerks.

Electronics are also important.  Many time as I am dragging a tube, I will see a fish right below me.  Use the zoon feature to look at the lower 5' of the water column.  On the big water you don't care about suspended fish (most of the time).  Have the spoon ready, drop it down.  More often than not, you will get bit.  (especially if it was a drum!!    )


Happy spooning!!
Seth V

[McCarter]

Seth,

Where do i sign up?  If you have any free pre fishing time this season man, maybe we can get together and you can show me a few things.  I really need to learn the spoon.  Hook a brother up?

McCarter himself

[SethV]

McCarter-

No problem!  I prefish for all of the larger tx all summer long, but a better time to really learn the spoon would be the month of May.  By far the hottest Erie spoon bite.  I will be going over to Buffalo for the first 2 weekends in May for tx's, but after that I will be hitting local stuff.

I need to learn Sag bay, I have a FOM there June 2..  From looking at the topo, it looks like there would be some ideal spooning water just north of big charity.  25' of water with 30+ within easy access.  Deepest I have ever caught a spoon fish is 55' and the shallowest if about 15' of water.  I will be checking that out in prefish for sure, spoons have got to work there also.  spoons are weird, you may go an hour jerking that thing without a bite, but when you find them, you can go 15+ fish where the spoon hardly hits the bottom.  Unreal.

Another thing I want to try is the spoon in the river.  Never really fished it much in current.  I wonder how it would do on those deep St Clair river smallies?  Possibly go up in weight to help in the current?  Rufus, you ever spoon the river?


Seth

[karol]

 hey while wer'e talking about drums can you verify that they are the freshwater version of those redfish they catch in florida? we caught a bunch on a erie charter 2 years ago and the guide said those were trash fish. should we have kept these for food? some of them were real hogs..thanks karol

[SethV]

Info on drum (sheephead) from Wikipedia:

"The freshwater drum, Aplodinotus grunniens, is a fish endemic to North and Central America. It is the only freshwater species in the genus Aplodinotus. The fish is known for its succulent flesh, but many fishermen are put off by its mucus lining and dank smell. Freshwater drum possess an adapted swim bladder which is able to produce sound. Many fisherman are often surprised by the croaking sounds produced by this species. Sound production is thought to be related to spawning activity where many drum will gather in pelagic waters of an ecosystem and begin drumming. It is also called: sheepshead, silver bass, Gasper goo, grunt, grinder and croaker. Freshwater drum have the largest latitudinal range of any freshwater fish in North America. Commercial fisheries are present for this species although market price tends to be quite low. Thus, many indivduals are harvested as bycatch from other target fisheries."


Drum are in the Sciaenidae family (croakers and drum) and while this is the same familiy as the saltwater redfish, I don't think they taste the same.  I have never eaten one.  They love gobies and are really prolific.  If you catch more smallies than sheep in a day you had a great day!!

Seth

[McCarter]

Ever see a sheep head from the ocean?  they look like a giant mutant bluegill with human teeth.  but they taste great!!!

McCarter himself