Help with spoons

[flybuster]

I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or just no luck. But I never hit a fish on my spoons. Now I only fish in the spring on Ontario but out of 15 trips last year and only one this year not one fish on a spoon. Ive played around with leads from 20-40 ft off the ball witch I run about 6 ft down in 9ft of water or i try to stay 3-4ft of the bottom with a variety of spoons. Dose this sound rite cause I read about people hitting fish off the riggers all the time and would like to get some use out of those 2 lines?

[bandrus1]

I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or just no luck. But I never hit a fish on my spoons. Now I only fish in the spring on Ontario but out of 15 trips last year and only one this year not one fish on a spoon. Ive played around with leads from 20-40 ft off the ball witch I run about 6 ft down in 9ft of water or i try to stay 3-4ft of the bottom with a variety of spoons. Dose this sound rite cause I read about people hitting fish off the riggers all the time and would like to get some use out of those 2 lines?

 

you are to deep and to close to the ball IMO

 

60-90 feet back and the ball down maybe 2-3 feet tops

[cdq]

Ya got to run longer lead off the ball 60/90or100ft. But only 2/5ft. Down max over 10/15 ft.

[fieromx3]

9 feet of water??? thats pretty shallow... lol if you want trout and salmon go a little deeper!

 

all i ran last year was spoons and 3 lines out at once. spring time and may we slaughtered them! watermelon took most rainbows and orange took the kings and coho. later in the year though spoons didnt work well at all. spring time we were getting 9-13 hits a day

[bandrus1]

This is not true

9 feet of water??? thats pretty shallow... lol if you want trout and salmon go a little deeper!

[fieromx3]

cool

[tlr426]

Do you guys run your spoons that far off the ball all year or just in the spring when your fishing shallow?

[bandrus1]

Do you guys run your spoons that far off the ball all year or just in the spring when your fishing shallow?

 

 

for the most part just in the spring

[flybuster]

Ya not true at all landed 6 in 2 hours just yesterday boat was in 9 boards were probably in 7 and 11. And sorry but 9 hits a day is far from slaughtered them. I have no problem finding or catching fish. The question was why I don't get any action on my riggers w spoons. If I put sticks on riggers they catch fish just not spoons.

[flybuster]

And thanks guys I'll try longer leads by the end if the week, how deep below the ball do you suppose a spoon runs just out of curiosity @ 100ft?

[Legacy]

I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or just no luck. But I never hit a fish on my spoons. Now I only fish in the spring on Ontario but out of 15 trips last year and only one this year not one fish on a spoon. Ive played around with leads from 20-40 ft off the ball witch I run about 6 ft down in 9ft of water or i try to stay 3-4ft of the bottom with a variety of spoons. Dose this sound rite cause I read about people hitting fish off the riggers all the time and would like to get some use out of those 2 lines?

 

 Im curious to know what spoons you are running? Stickbaits are very speed tolerant and the trick is to find a spoon that runs well at your "succesful" or your desired trolling speed. Dreamweaver Super Slims are a big producer for me in the shallows. I have no issue with running 2-4 riggers and all with spoons while shallow water fishing in Spring and have them all take fish. My leads are rarely anything more then 50'. Typically varying lengths of 20-50', only to get separation between baits. I also tend to fish them in the lower half of the water column to keep tangles to a minimum while fighting fish behind the boat. This is my starting point, and of course there are days were my leads need to be lengthened.

[flybuster]

Mostly DW standard and a handfull of stinger standard. Sounds like Im running the gear ok just not the right spoon hopefully

[overthelimit]

Last year I took a couple old cannon manuals and fixed the up with clamps for the back of my 16 goot tinner. They produced some fish but not as many as sticks. 70 to 90 foot leads with stingers standards run at 2.1-2.3 . Drop the ball down 2-4 feet. They did take some of my better fish though.

[Sk8man]

You may already do this but you should run each spoon briefly at the side of the boat to get and idea of how your speed is affecting the action of them... some spoons need to be "tuned" and others the lead needs to be lengthened. At least it gives you an idea of how they are running at speed ( I know that it is not exact because of the depth difference and length of lead) I have found some spoons that I have had to either add a split ring or take one off too. I know some purists would never BEND a spoon but I've been doing it for many years on SOME spoons (e.g. Suttons, homemade spoons, and other  light flutter spoons) to get the action I want but yes the spoon may work differently later on at a different speed. Another thing  that could be a factor is hum from your downrigger cable spooking fish in the shallows at certain speeds. One of the things I've done for years is I attach a wine cork that has a slit up one side right on the downrigger cable near the boom and it seems to help "deaden" the noise and you can just take it on and off as needed or if you can't get to it in time it drops off at the head of the boom when it is reached without a problem. In the old days you could drink the wine too beforehand but  I wouldn't do it nowadays

[rod hog]

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Edited April 5, 2014 by rod hog

[flybuster]

15lb floro leader 20ft long behind 30lb braid

[LongLine]

.  "When is doubt - Let it out."   Get away from the boat when in shallow...Out to the side or way back...& lighter line

 

Tom B.

(LongLine)

 

+ on the DWSS.

[DJ 17]

How big are your swivels? Are they so large that they could be hurting the action of your spoons? especially the lightweight ones?  Small  quality swivels!  Maybe a little lighter leader??  As far as colors we had good luck on standard stingers in alewife, and chicken wing, and just about anything firetiger in the mud!

 

Sk8man,

that deal with the wine cork is very interesting.  I bet there a bunch of guys with black boxes thinking about that right now

[Big Dave]

Small snaps and  SPEED are important.    Sticks work ok at slower speeds some spoons have differant speeds that they work  at.

[flybuster]

Thanks all, I use small snaps already spro's. I didn't realize speed was such an issue tho, next time out I'll play around and see what looks better and pick up some super slims as well. Appreciate all the comments!

[Gill-T]

Not only a thin blank matters at stickbait speed, but don't forget about the hook.  In the spring when running at stickbait speed, I will remove trebles and replace the hook with a small siwash single.  Vibrax spinner replacement hooks work good.

http://www.greentackle.com/catalog/product/view/id/123/s/gamakatsu-siwash-hooks/category/4/

[cdq]

Fly buster hi cdqs dad been trolling LO 30 + yrs. small spoons small snaps lite line I use 12lb. Can blood knot in floro 8or10. Lots different small spoons work need to experamint . Can Evan run Cleo's just run little shorter lead spoon has more wt. can also run small flutter spoons add split shot 18/20 in. Ahead of spoon. Might loose some fish on lite line but you'll get more hook ups. Caught lots fish that way from early 80s till now. Stic baits killer also u can long line any this stuff also. Good luck!

[Captain Carl Bish]

It is not that complicated and you are right ...... You just need the right spoon. Get a Moonshine ratchet jaw in the standard size and run it just like your running what you run now. Just be sure to keep it off of the bottom, you don't want to donate $8 lures to the rock fish!!

[Gill-T]

Good spoons to run off riggers for shoreline trolling......R&R super-lites in 3.25", Northport Nailers in 3.25", Dreamweaver SS spoons (all these I run with singles).  Savant Jake, Eppinger flutter chucks, devils and evil-eyes, and sutton spoons  (can be run with trebles).  Spoons like litle cleos can take their share just flatlined as well.

[flybuster]

Thanks again to everyone, I picked up some new spoons they'll be here Monday then it's just a matter of the lake laying down long enough to get out.

I hope they start producing I'm always running 6-8 lines off the boards with sticks and it would be nice to mix it up when they get picky! Who knows if I start getting bit on spoons I may just have to give it a try in the summer and get off the EYES for a couple days