Fishing a spoon – a flashy slab of metal with a hook attached to one end and a split ring to the other, spoons are one of the oldest fishing lures. Few other cold-water lure presentation come close to accomplishing what an angler can do with a jigging spoon. When properly manipulated by the angler, these lures imitate an injured or struggling baitfish. Predators will find an injured baitfish an easier meal and always grab those first.
Location:Jigging spoons really shine when predators are deeper than 15 feet. I think, the most comfortable spoonin’ depth is 20 to 35 feet. Heck, its possible to spoon jig in 40 to 50 feet, if that is where the baitfish and gamefish are located, but at those depths, chance are any fish you bring up will not survive release. The depth finder is used to locate baitfish and suspected gamefish on deep structure. It assists in finding search points extending into the lake, creek channels lips with stumps or standing timer, deep rock piles and ledges.
Presentation:In cold water, the most efficient way to jig a spoon is right over the top of the suspected group of fish. It’s called vertical jigging. Vertical jigging is simply a matter of free-spooling the spoon straight down to the bottom or to a mid-depth, where the action is happening. Bass may hit the spoon during its initial descent, but if it makes it to the bottom or mid-depth location as observed on the sonar, you will have to try a few different lift and drop techniques. Normally, I start by lightly pumping the rod, raising the spoon about 12 to 18 inches, then letting it fall back on semi slack line. My next would be a harder rod snap to make the spoon jump 2 to 3 feet to see if that will draw a strike. Cold-Water Spoonin’ Winter 2012 Bass Angler Magazine by Darl Black 