Is there any reason to use stick baits for Salmonoids?

[Gotta Bite]

I have slowly been converting over to using moslty all spoons and flies while trolling for trout and salmon. Before getting a closed bow, there was a time when I had an open bow and trolled exclusively with rapalas, smithwicks etc. for bass and pike and had great success on lakes in Pa. and Canada as well. Caught some nice smallies and some big drum on Lake O with them, but never tried using them with my riggers or flatlining. I have a ton of them that hardly get used anymore Was wondering if anyone had any regular success using them instead of the status quo: Flies, spoons and meat.

[larry]

It's not that they don't work but they are more work. They usually come with double trebles that wound the fish pretty bad if you plan on releasing them, they tangle in the net and it takes awhile to get them out, the hooks are usually to small to hold the bigger fish and if you change them you kill the action, they have to be tuned in the water to run correctly or they will ride up on their side and not catch anything and probably kill the rest of the set as well. So, that said, I would have to say that you should not abandon the sticks especially in the spring shallows. As far as putting them down on riggers, they will dive below the ball if fish seem ball shy sticks may be the answer then again you could just lengthen the lead or keel sinker a spoon and get the same result. They are much more lifelike but are not cheaper than spoons, they take up more room in a tackle box and look prettier, have a wider variety of actions, rattles, dive bills but in the long run will not out produce spoons for trout or sd's for salmon. Still love smithwicks and rapalas in the spring but won't see them in the mix after the bar disappears, just too lazy I guess.