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"Spoon Fed Bass"
by Joel Stokka

Probably the most versatile lure you can throw for shallow water bass is a spoon.  Spoons come in all sizes, colors and shapes and each has their own time and place.  I’ll offer a few tips and techniques on how to use a few of the styles of spoons available today. 

Because of the ugly places you can throw a spoon, heavy equipment is required.  I use a 7’ MH baitcast rod for added leverage coupled with a high-speed reel to cover water fast.  When fishing spoons in the heat of summer over thick mill foil mats or lily pads, a spoon is one of the most effective lures you can ever use to draw bass out from under the thick vegetation.  When fishing this type of cover, the advantage a spoon has over a rat or frog bait is it can be thrown in windy conditions and dropped into pockets.  I turned a bad tournament day into a 3rd place finish by throwing spoons in wind blown lily pads and letting them drop into the pockets. 

Spoons are a great search lure when pre-fishing shallow water.  You can run the spoon over the pads and mats while dropping the bait over the weed flats and working it like a spinnerbait.  You can easily convert a spoon to a buzz bait simply by adding an Uncle Josh pork #23 Kicker Frog.  Have you ever tried “Dock Spooning”?  The design of the spoon makes it an ideal skipping lure.  I like to use the smaller 3/8 oz spoon tipped with a Pork Frog for added buoyancy, balance and weight.

Ways to work a spoon:

Swimming:

In submerged grass, simply reel in the lure steadily as you would a crank bait. The spoon will wobble and dart erratically and the trailer will dance and flutter.

Stop & go:

In surface weeds, cast the bait, allow it to sit on top of the pads or matted grass and pull it along for a foot or so and stop. Allow it to rest 5-10 sec. and repeat. In lily pads, pull the bait across the holes between the pads and hang-on.

Tumbling:

In lily pads, let the lure cross the top of the pads, then slowly draw it over the edge by pulling gently with your rod. Then allow it to tumble down into the pockets and deeper pad edges.

Tips:

bullet Always allow the bass to take the spoon completely beneath the surface, count to two before setting the hook.
bullet If a big fish strikes the spoon in heavy cover, it is often a better idea to go to the fish, instead of applying a great deal of pressure to reel it in and risking breaking the line or tearing out the hook. The fish will often bury in dense cover or pad stems and will usually swim free once you move closer. 50lb+ Spiderwire Spectra braid and a Minnkota trolling motor are a must in heavy cover.

Recommended Lures:

Northland Tackle( www.northlandtackle.com ) “Jaw Breaker”

Nemire Lures( www.nemirelures.com ) “Red Ripper” and “Spoon Buzzer” with the patented skirt and sound chamber.

Heddon Lures( www.lurenet.com ) “Moss Boss”

Bagley Baits ( www.bagleybait.com ) “Grass Rat”

Tight Lines,

Joel Stokka
classicbass.com Pro Staff

 

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