Who’s afraid of the big bad SPOON ?
Many who fish with me for my winter striper program this year as quickly diving water temperatures have balled the shad up tight. These tight chunks of bait become easy targets for Striped bass. Not always will there be stripers under them but when the Stries find the bait All Heck breaks loose.
I talk a lot about spooning (vertical Jigging) because it is such an effective method of taking stripers. There aren’t many that understand or gtake advantage of this fun and sometimes Fast Paced action. Unfortunately it is a technique that you really have to use a few times before gaining enough confidence to use as the primary search means instead of the use-it-if-I-have-too technique.
Let me try to expand a bit. Again shad are the key. If stripers are chasing shad spoons work. If no shad are present then forget it.
Once shad presence is established by seeing boils, catching stripers and checking stomachs then spoons should be your lure of choice in November through January, and April and early June. Silver spoons (kastmaster, hopkins, CC, Strata, etc) work but recently I have found that Silver and Silver/Gold are more readily taken particularly when a red white bucktail is attached. These spoons seem to be more readily accepted on more occasions than the fancier finished. Shad finish spoons (shad minnow and hologram spoons) only does it about 1/3 of the time. That used to be good enough for me. Now I am more effective. Try rubbing a little Pro Cure or Kicking Bass attractant on the spoon for even better results.
Spooning is an active search method similar to fishing boils. Find fish before you start instead of just fishing good looking habitat as is done when fishing bass. Graph an area thoroughly before starting. Don't drop on the first fish trace. Spend a few minutes graphing a Slough or bay and you will find a range of circumstances. Usually a pattern will become apparent to you. It may be that scattered fish traces are consistently seen at 10 feet; or all traces are at 20-30 Maybe there are no traces except in very isolated spots and sometimes there is a random scattering.
When you have a good feel for fish location then start fishing by marking school locations. In December fish are more prone to stay in a certain spot. In November there is much more fish movement and it may be necessary to drift keying on a certain depth. Do what the fish want. This will come to you if you keep a close eye on the graph.
The technique is simple. Drop the spoon to the bottom, wait for the line to go slack, pick the spoon up and let it fall to the bottom once more. From this basic method comes a zillion variations depending on circumstances.
The first problem encountered will be line twist. This happens when the rod tip is lowered too fast and the line piles up on the surface and coils around the rod tip. Try to lower the rod slightly faster than the lure falls so the line stays taut but does not impede lure progress. The spoon must slip side to side to give it the action needed to catch fish. The Basics
- Most hits come on the fall.
- Tighten the line and the fish lets go.
- Let it fall again and they come right back.
- When they hook themselves the fight is on.
- To increase your catch rate set the hook when the line pops or jumps.
- Set when the line quits falling when you know it is not to the bottom yet.
- An overlooked trick, sometimes fish hit on the retrieve in a reaction to escaping bait. SPEED REELING will work on suspended fish. Start with the lure on the bottom. Reel as fast as humanly possible for a count of five. Pause for a two count, then repeat all the way to the surface. Stripers don't like things to get away - even when they aren't hungry.
Spooning is typical striper fishing, quick bursts of catching with pauses between bursts. Doubles are the fun part when both anglers are hooked up dancing around each other to get er done!
The Gear, Of Course a Quantum Cabo Reel, The Quantum Cabo PT may be the strongest low-profile baitcasting reel to ever come out of the Quantum factories. ith 20 pound Vicious Line on a Quantum PT SS Cast Rod 7'4" Med Heavy rod. Spoons well I like compact baits. Preferences are Hopkins Shortys ¾ to 1 ½ Chrome and Gold. The Gold I sand one side to get a 50/50 Color. Always add white red bucktails. Other choices include Kastmasters and Stratos. Hopkins are the best.
Dan
Mathisen
FishDelta.com
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