Spoons were probably some of the first artificial baits. They're either stamped out of solid steel or made by pouring lead into a mold. Choose the right kind and they're effective from the surface to the bottom no matter how deep the water. They can be fished in a variety of ways to catch any kind of fish that feeds on minnows or baitfish.

Casting Spoons

Casting spoons are made of thin metal and look like the bowl of a dinner spoon. They have a hole in one end to tie your line to, and a hook at the other. When you cast them out and reel them in they swim with a wobbling motion. Silver and gold ones flash just like a minnow swimming along. They also come in bright colors that attract fish under varying conditions.

FIGURE 12-4

A spoon.

Casting spoons come in a variety of shapes from long and thin to short and wide. They can be a tiny one-inch spoon used for panfish to a nearly foot-long spoon for muskie and saltwater fish. Some have hair or feathers on them to give them added attraction. You can also add a trailer, like a pork rind strip, to the hook for more swimming motion.

Jigging Spoons

Jigging spoons are solid metal, often lead, and come in many shapes and colors They're designed to sink fast and be jigged up and down off the bottom. They will wobble or dart from side to side as they fall but are hard to cast and reel in over shallow water because they're so compact and heavy.

Jigging a spoon up and down near the bottom of a freshwater lake or saltwater reef will attract all kinds of fish. The motion looks like a hurt minnow trying to swim up but drifting back to the bottom because it's hurt. All predator fish love an easy meal like these spoons represent.