Spooning question? please read.....

[Ray L.]

Since the topic of spoons has come up a lot lately let me ask this to all.
What kind of line (braid, mono, fluoro,etc.etc.) and pound test do you prefer for these techniques?
1: hopkins spoon, tungsten spoon etc.
2: ice jigs
3: tail spins
4: under spins (horsey heads, swarming hornets etc etc.)
5: silver buddy

I am very interested in the respose for each of these baits and I am sure many people are also very interested because so many lakes this year have had a spoon bite or some other type of bite similar to a spoon.

[Pete Marino]

Ray thats a relatively easy question for me because I use the same line and size for all my spooning type rigs. Wheather I'm thowing the spoon, tail spin, ice jig etc..I use 10lb Maxima Flouro. Of coarse Im a Maxima guy but 10lb Pline or the others would be the same. Never mono because the stretch and never braid because of the visibility in my opinion.
Every now and then I'll use 8 lb flouro for the tail spin or under spin on a spinning reel because Ive had alot of success like that. But basically its mostly the 10lb flouro.

Pete

[JKitz]

Pete,

I have been using 8lb Maxima Flouro with my vertical jigs and that Shhhtuff is always tangling up on me. Is there a way to stop this from happening. I have heard that you can cruise with your boat and let some line out to untangle it, but I am too lazy to do that!

Any ideas?

[Pete Marino]

yeah ...just use another rod. Just kiddin. Yeah line twist happens alot when the bait gets hooked on the line then when you reel it up it twists the hell out of the line. It does happen when the bait isnt snagged on the line but not as much.
Removing your bait and letting about 50 yards of line out behind the boat on the way to the next stop works but its a hassle. But sometimes its a must do to help cure the problem when its really bad. Typically though I'll just deal with it,or, One way I've found to really help fix the problem when the line is twisted to hell is I'll make a really really long cast and as soon as the bait hits the water I'll reel it in really fast while holding the line between my fingers. That usually does the trick until the next time my dumb *** twists the line by foul hooking the bait.

That should help ya.

Pete

[JKitz]

Thanks dude.. I was going to just chuck my rod in the water and move on to the next one!!

[Schneider Fishing]

a swivel to the bait? Any body try that?

[foolishone]

the only time i use a swivel is when am spooning. two reasons. line twist and lure action. if you look at the gap between the eye and the end of a hopkins spoon (my favorite spoon) you almost have to have a swivel to improve lure action.

[Pete Marino]

I personally dont like using swivels when spooning even though it should completely eliminate the twist problem. Give it a try and see if it works to your liking. I just dont like added knots and addition pieces.

Pete

[Kelly Ripa]

Foolishone.........NEVER ....NEVER USE A SNAP SWIVEL EVER WITH A Spoon... Gosh! I can almost hear the echo . Line twist... Line twist can be your friend and can be used to your advantage. If it's a jungle under my feet I can catch fish by just holding the bait and letting the line twist do my work...I've caught bunches of fish out of some nasty stuff by doing just that....holding my rod and letting the line twist give the fish a slow spin in the brush...AKA JKitz is using a spinning reel I think which I view as a cardinal sin.....Please tell me I'm wrong Right now I'm using 14 pound Machine gun for line but But 12 is as light as I ever go and then I'm using Maxima. I don't use Braid as the bait floats on the way down instead of falling right past them the way I want it. I don't use any trailers as they have the same effect on the fall rate and never proved themselves to be outstanding in any way. This will shock Ray but here goes......I'm going to let the cat out of the bag and let you guys know right now....If your not fishing a BPS ( Bass Pro Shop ) 3/4 oz. Tungsten spoon with a red number 4 hook on it than you are missing out on the deep fish that I am presently catching. After 2 days on Cachuma I have a 6 and a number of 4 pound fish on my spoon. This from I guy who hasn't wet a line in 6 weeks.I have been fishing the tungsten bait now for three years and it honest to God cross my heart and hope to die is flat out the way to go. I can tell you this but guys...you're going to have to learn how to fish it without me. The most important thing I think we will all ( Mostly ) agree on is that fall rates are crucial to bass fishing. Whether it be a jig, senko, Huddelston whatever....It's always been about speed or lack of it...Get it? Fall rate....SPEED MAKES THEM STUPID ! echo, echo, echo, the tungsten bait is half the size of my favorite winter bait the Hopkins 3/4 oz shorty. It takes alot for me to pull the plug on the Hopkins as it has always flat caught me some fish but the numbers from the last three years cannot be argued. Ask Scott...B.A.S.S Region 7 Cachuma in 04' I had two fish ( one that culled ) before he got out of the passanger seat. Spoons are HOT and will fill the boat when you are scratching and usually in an area the size of your boat. I think that is the hard part...boat control,electronics and trying to get a bite in frigid water while the wind and waves blow you all over....But at least I can feel what I'm doing and more importantly I can control what I'm doing. I just reworked my Ice jigs for my next outing. I never liked the hook-up to landed bass ratio. Silver Buddies....Ranked ahead of tailspins at Cachuma but that's because the smallmouth here must be from Tennesse or somthing as they just can't not eat enough heavy metals. I'd like to fish Shasta for spots but since I live here in Santa Barbara I will just have to settle for what I have. Line twist? Who cares? Just fish the spoon the way it's supposed to be and let the green lips beware I love winter fishing ...Now Ray....another question.What rod? I am a real stickler about my choice and I think the rod I use makes a serious difference and will let ya know on another post as I want to hear what other folks use as there bread and butter when the fish aren't eating a Huddelston

[Ray L.]

I am really intrigued by the responses so far. I will now give a little response. I use 13 pound Defier for most of my spooning. I have been known to use braid when I am useing a 1 oz. spoon or larger but only if I am fishing in some serious trees. The silver buddy I do down size my line and go to fluoro but I still use 10 pound. I also have started to play with the horsey heads or swarming hornets and such. I have found with these that you need a light line and a light action rod to be able to feel that small blade it has on it. I started with 10 pound and am now down to 5 pound fluoro. I also use the 13 pound with my tailspins. I am going to start useing my ice jigs again and if I remember right I used 6,8 ,or 10 pound test. I think it depended on the size of the ice jig.

[mark poulson]

Another thing to try to eliminate line twist with 3/4 oz and heavier jigs is to use 30lb. braid, with a flouro leader, tied on with an Albright knot. Leader length is you choice depending on how often you retie, and howmuch line you use when you retie. The braid makes the setup super sensitive, but you have to be careful when you're playing the fish, as you have no shock absorber in the line. You can get away with a med. or med. heavy rod if you use braid, so that helps. Just be sure there is enough tip to give you some shock absorber.

[smpboy]

my favorite spoon by far is the rapala ice jig it doesnt get caught around the hook and catches alot of fish, the hooks seem odd but they work well i usually trown them on 10 lb izorline i like to drop the bait straight down and watch it go down on my graph until it gets to the activity then they usually hit it within the first 5 jumps sometimes u can actually see the fish on the graph going for your spoon!

[JKitz]

AKA JKitz is using a spinning reel I think which I view as a cardinal sin.....Please tell me I'm wrong

You are wrong.. I only use a spinning rod for drop-shotting.. Line twist for me is occuring with the 8lb test I have on one of my Casting Rods (first time I have tried anything less than 10lb on a casting rod because I thought that was my reason I was so Sh$tty at DVL.. Ended up being just me)..

Thanks for your responses and sorry for hijacking this thread, I am glad it didn't get into a full-on "Line twist" thread and people responded to the original post!!

[Gerryjig]

P-Line 100% flouro 10lb. on most of my verticle spooning stuff, but at some lakes, I've gone down to 4lb. on small underspins / darts to get bit......8lb. keeps a tailspin deeper longer and just feels nice to cast a mile, 6lb. is great for Med. to Lg. underspins. In any "spoon-bite" condition, I will have a half dozen open water rigs with all different sized flouro for any needed approach or adjustment......a smaller than stock splitring and swivel work on the spoons. Remember that with the super-sharp hooks we fish, the lighter the line you can get away with!