Lure's-ones that work

[reillym]

I have a large selection of spoons and used a lot of them to get hits this past week, three hits on three outings, and I was marking fish. The chatter on the radio suggests no one is having much luck but when you get back to the dock people have fish and you find out they were fishing in the same area and there telling me they caught more on spoons than flies or meat rigs.

 

Is there a secret weapon???? lol or is there mag spoons that just out do most others? Would like to get one of those screamers before putting

the boat in storage. All replies much appreciated.

[justtracytrolling]

Ive always felt people wash too many lures....pick a few staples and run them....that way at the end of the day you know whether or not to use those lures next time...if you constantly change when they do turn on you think...oh its the lure....then you run that lure till it has no paint and never works again because it really was a timing thing....you have to eliminate some variables in order to draw any reasonable conclusions. Come up with a plan and then execute it but dont keep changing the plan. As far as the radio goes shut it off and fish unless you have a network of people whose info is really good and they won't mislead you. The secret weapon is lots of time on the water LEARNING.

[justtracytrolling]

Or take a big time shortcut and hire a charter a few times and learn from a pro.

[reillym]

I have taken several charters in my life but times have changed on Lake Ontario and the fish just aren't there like in the past. I could wash lures all day

and I have but the season is coming to a close and there are certain types and colors that work good right now ,that is what I was looking for. The radio has

to stay on. I have a DSC model with built in GPS and I fish alone most of the time. I get what your saying but its one of the moment things right now.

Thanks for the input.

[Gill-T]

Flies that have worked for majors this year.....A-tom-mik hypnotist, pro-am, and mirage/glow.  I stop running spoons (except as cheaters) in July.  Last two outings the biggest fish came on homemade sushi flies (adding meat to the fly).  Been playing around with extra large spoons this year to keep shakers from getting injured + there probably is not much YOY alewives in the system after last winter + the stocking of the bloater chub whitefish which get huge.  Tomic 6" spoons, custom Northport Nailer Super Mags, Michigan Stinger mags and R&R super lite mags have been the only real spoons I have run for Kings.  With the 6" Tomics and Nortport Nailers, the smallest fish I have caught this year was a 3 lb Coho that got foul-hooked under the chin.  

[The Scottsman]

There are plenty of other factors to consider when fishing other than "The right spoon"  Things like set back from the ball, depth, line type, are you running Fluorocarbon  leader, swivel size, speed. These can make a big difference sometimes. Someday's its all spoons off of copper and lead that do it or a spoon from a diver and the riggers never get touched. Try changing some of this up and see if it helps.

[NickR]

Think less about the spoon and more about the presentation. Speed, depth, direction, and distance from the ball is more important imo than any "color"- especially if you're running deep.

Remember certain colors can't be seen after certain depths- so if you're slaying them on a red spoon 100' down you might as well be running a black one.

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[NickR]

Keep that in mind- roygbiv!

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[mr 580]

Has been a mag spoon bite for me-green has been key color-NBK,SSW,42nd all have worked. To get diver bites using slide divers with 20 foot leads to mag spoon. Been running mags high also and getting hits.

[KilliansRed]

Ive been buying 20 to 30 new spoons, flashers, spin doctors and flies every year but, I keep going back to the same thing every time. Dreamweaver Green Gator and Lemon Ice spoons. Blue Dolphin and Mountain Dew spin doctors, and silver or green flashers. Sometimes I buy silver spoons and put some green tape on them just to replicate the Northern King spoons I had four years ago. I always run atleast one green colored lure every time Im out. But as NickR said speed and presentation plays a huge role in catching fish. Keep playing with speed, color and depth until you get a pattern going.

[Bearcat]

I couldn't agree more with NickR and KilliansRed.  I've obsessed over color in the past, then fished with a guy who writes for a fishing magazine who claims that color means next to nothing compared to Presentation!  As much as I learned from him, he outfished me 10 to 1 three days in a row (probably because I was scrambling in and out of the tackle box all day trying to find the hot color).  The loss of virtually all color by 70' or 80' might explain why I seem to do well with spoons with a lot of black and/or white, though like most people - I almost always have some green or silver out.

[Sanitarium]

Heres a few..ssw, gator, lemon ice, frostbite, c14, bad toad, green dolphin, carmel dolphin, 42nd, candy corn, water melon, crabface, mulatto, spooks, diehard, alewife spoons..these r some of what i run. some days are good and others not. like the others have said there are many other variables to consider. top of the list is a no brainer..., are you fishing where there are fish?? seems to be vast stretches of dead water out there and its a big lake! otherwise.. sometimes long leads sometimes it does not matter. placement in water column, allowing for blow back . i fish the marks cuz i have no probe. speed is huge and when i question speed cuz of wind and down current my bite always suffers. leaders... 20# floro works for me on spoon rods and coppers when pullin spoons. i run anything from nk 28 size to mags. stingray sized stingers seem to produce consistently i think it is a good all around size. It has been a tough year for most of us ...sure some guys do well but they were either lucky, fish often and have things figured out, or got a tip!

Hope this helps I know how you feel.

Dan