Casting Spoons

[BigBassin144]

I'm going to give it a try this spring. The thing I'm not sure about is the rod/reel. I will probably not get a rod and reel just for that this year, but I will eventually.

I've read that a 6' H rod should works, or should I go a big longer? As for the reel, what I've read said that a high speed (7.1:1) reel is a must and a wide spool would help. I can't find a lefty reel with both high speed and wide spool. And what about line? I read something that said braid is a must, but a guy on BPS TV show said he used 20lb Fluoro exclusively for spoons.

Thanks,
BB

[Lilmoosecountry]

I use 20 lb camo green Berkly big game on mine. With that stiff rod you should fill every thing going on. I lilke Mono because when a fish hits the spoon i like that stretch. I respond alittle better.

[BigBassin144]

moose, what about rod and reel?

BB

[fishin' fool]

I use a M action with 14 or 20 pound mono/floro line depeding on how fast or slow I want it to fall.

[Buzz Wing]

I'm leaning toward Fool's perspective. A Medium, Fast Action. Also, most spoons you will be using, or rather should be using, should be 'slab' spoons. These spoons have a tight wobble and reach bottom quicker than the big, trolling spoons you are referring to, unless you are reffering to trolling spoons???

-Buzz

[BigBassin144]

No I'm not referring to trolling spoons. I know what I mean... I hope...

BB

[Lilmoosecountry]

I'm using a Medium heavy action allstar rod with a Garcia 5600 reel. With a little stiffer rod you feal everything almost as if your fishing a texas rigged worm. Mono thatz simple 1 i don't like braid so i up my poundage on the mono. With the stretch of mono itz almost like using a bungy cord as a leader. so you can pentrate a hook with faster force

[fishin' fool]

I wouldn't use braid since spoons have trebles hooks. Mono or fluoro will absorb some of the shock when a bass strikes and when your fighting fish. Landing percentage would probably increase with mono or fluoro.

[BigBassin144]

The rod I'm looking at is a 6'2" H and I'd put it with a high speed reel. Probably a BPS Johnny Morris Signature series baitcasters. One of the few left handed burners I know of. I would like a wide spool, but I don't know of any Wide spool, high speed lefty reels.

BB

[zooker]

bps extreme reels they come in lefty reels. key here would not be a heavy line 12-15 pound braid. do not use floro you think mono will twist up floro will twist up 5 times as fast 5 times as ugly..

my guess is you goin to use dare devils types right?

ball bearing swivels are a must. move up 6-12"-depending on water clarity-add a small ball bearing swivel..

zooker

[BigBassin144]

Zook, I probably will be using spoons like this

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage-CCSP.html

I don't know if these are called casting spoons, I just needed a title for the thread. So what are these spoons called?

Thanks for the advice guys,
BB

[Lilmoosecountry]

I think you need to 20 mono. The wide spool BPS exrteme is just fine. High speed is fine for getting out of touble quickley. I know my 5600 is'nt. Usually i burn the handle really fast to keep me out of trouble. This was a 2nd hand reel when i got it. Since i use 20 lb mono. I liked it more for it's spool capacity. Take zooks opinion on reels. Then go with mine on line & pole. I think you'll have a nice set up.

[CarpMan]

Home made.

[BigBassin144]

Well I saw the same episode of the BPS Bass Pros TV show. This time I paid attention to what the guy used.

7'6" MH rod: long for more distance casting, heavy enough to get a good hook set, but not too heavy to pull the lure away from the fish.

Pfleuger Summit: 7.1:1 cause bass will take the spoon while it's falling and you need to bring in the slack fast to set the hook. Wide Spool to hold mor eline for casting long distances.

20lb Fluorocarbon: to feel the ites when bass grab the spoon while it's falling.

And since I can't find a Wide spool and burner in a LEFTY reel, which would be more important?

BB

[Buzz Wing]

Me thinks you should switch your crankin' rod to a baitcaster and switch dis rod to spinnin'. The WHOLE board is telling you this for a reason...

BTW, those are sometimes called 'jiggin' spoons' or 'slab spoons'...

-Buzz

[zooker]

they are the old hopkins castin spoon..caught tons of fish on them.. they are not good at retriving like a johnson silver minnow or daredevil the are a more a yo yo jigging spoon.. why do you need a wide spool? they really don't hold that much more line..

zooker

[Lilmoosecountry]

One good reason is now & then you'll loose a spoon to a snag. If your spooning deep say in early spring you could loose allot of line. The other reason is with me using mono the diameter is not as small. So to have a decent amount of line capacity. You need a reel that can hold it. A 100 yards of old school 20 lb mono is all i'm looking for.

[Buzz Wing]

I'm with Zooker. Why would you want a spool that holds 140 yds of line when you'll only be casting 70-80 yds.maximum? That about 50-60 yds of wasted line if you're using monofilament or fluorocarbon.

-Buzz

[Lilmoosecountry]

Originally Posted by Buzz Wing

I'm with Zooker. Why would you want a spool that holds 140 yds of line when you'll only be casting 70-80 yds.maximum? That about 50-60 yds of wasted line if you're using monofilament or fluorocarbon.

-Buzz

Berkley Big Game will only set you back about 7 dollars for 500 yd spool at bps. It not like you have to 2nd fianance your home like you do when your buying Florocarbon or braid.

[Bob Smith]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

Well I saw the same episode of the BPS Bass Pros TV show. This time I paid attention to what the guy used.

7'6" MH rod: long for more distance casting, heavy enough to get a good hook set, but not too heavy to pull the lure away from the fish.

Pfleuger Summit: 7.1:1 cause bass will take the spoon while it's falling and you need to bring in the slack fast to set the hook. Wide Spool to hold mor eline for casting long distances.

20lb Fluorocarbon: to feel the ites when bass grab the spoon while it's falling.

And since I can't find a Wide spool and burner in a LEFTY reel, which would be more important?

BB

BB, first of all in your other post those spoons were jigging (or slab type spoons) and they are really much more effective on a vertical jigging presentation. A fairly stiff rod and a good winch will suffice in most cases. I use braid for most of my vertical presentations and do that primarily in the dead of winter when the surface temps are at thier lowest.

As for casting spoons that's a different animal. Depending on the size of the spoon you may want ot either use a lighter action on the tip and use mono. If you fishing thin grassy areas with a Johnson Silver Minnow type spoon a quicker reel will help you. This set up will usually be good for shallow water and lighter spoons.

If you thowing something like the "Big Joe's Spoons" that Kelly Jordan and, finally, "In-fisherman" let out of the bag last year

like the one on the left:


Then a heavier set up is necessary, a long stiff rod with heavy mono is my first recommendation. I use a Abu Garcia 4600CA with a 3.8:1 retrieve because most of action is lift and fall. The reel is picking up line and winching in fish from deep water in this set up. This set up is really in it's element in early to mid summer when fish are holding on offshore structure such as ridges and humps that top out just above the thermocline in that body of water. Obviously other ingredients have to be there as well such as baitfish some decent water clarity (not gin clear though).
This spoon is a money maker. I know Joe Spait in Alba, Tx. he experimented with this bait for a while and only shared it with a few of the guides for several years before Kelly and several others let the cat out of the bag.

[BigBassin144]

Ok, I was mistaken. The one's I'm refering to are Jigging spoons. I forgot who the guy on the BPS show as, but he was using Hopkins spoons. What he'd do was cast them out, let them sink to the bottom, then rip them up off the bottom, let then flutter back down, and repeat this back to the boat. This is just a different way to use jigging spoons opposed to regular vertical jigging.

I tried it in my pond today for a little while with no luck. I casted to the opposite side so the spoon was going toward the deepest middle. I has no Jigging spoons, but I used a Kastmaster. Don't know if you've ver heard of them, or seen em, but they are similar. They are a great trout lure though.

BB

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by Buzz Wing

Me thinks you should switch your crankin' rod to a baitcaster and switch dis rod to spinnin'. The WHOLE board is telling you this for a reason...

BTW, those are sometimes called 'jiggin' spoons' or 'slab spoons'...

-Buzz

No one's said to use a spinning rod for this... and I am using a spinning rod for cranking.

BB

[Buzz Wing]

Those Kastmasters pure kick when it comes to salmon, trout, and splake trolling in the big waters.

Another spoon you could try is the Daredevil, (make sure it's an original and not a knock-off. Originals will be chrome-backed and have 'Dearborn, MI' printed on the back of them.), Little Cleos, and the Sweedish Pimple. All classic lures...

-Buzz

[zooker]

i use braid if you are fishing gin clear water add an bout a foot of floro..he was basicly freestyle jigging with the hopkins..




here is my freestyle fresh water rod it is a spinning rod. notice the extra lenth on the handle compaired to the long handled casting rods on either side.you will need the extra long handle trust me..



vertical jigging works well in the dead of winter. but you must be near struture, rock piles creek channels and the like..

the guy on he bps show was swing casting. he cast it out let it drop a while then freespooled the reel. this is used to #1 get your bait away from the boat. and #2 it don't drop straight down it will flutter more..

zooker

[Buzz Wing]

Nice Fenwick you got there. Just say the same rod at Cabela's this evening; t's beautiful rod design.

-Buzz