FlatsFisher.com banner flats fishing information
Search r_gearshop
Article Archive

Back to current article

June 2002
Silver Spoons
August 2002
Starting Flats Fishing
September 2002
Beginning Gear - pt. 1
October 2002
Beginning Gear - pt. 2
November 2002
The Courteous Angler
Dec 2002/Jan 2003
Reflections at the
Tide Change
February 2003
Jerkbaits, another look
March 2003
How important is presentation?
April 2003
When to fish...?
May 2003
New ideas
September 2003
Flats Fishing 101 (recap)
December 2003
Another flats fishing year ends
Jan - Feb 2004
New year, new opportunities
March 2004
Flats fishing on any budget
August 2004
Special Request - Hurricane Report
Silver Spoons
June 2002

Other than what those born to affluence eat with or the name of a long gone sitcom what is the big deal about the silver spoon?

For my first article I figured I would start with something I know well (good thing I guess). But other than tying it on and fishing it I was not sure what else to add. I decided to do a web search to see what turns up. Give me a little room and I will bring this around to why I use this lure so often.

One of the first things that caught my eye was a summary detailing patents held for the lure. It so happens that the link lead to an obituary on the Tecumseh Rotary site. There I read that Bill Haselwood (1908—2002) held a patent for the Silver Spoon. Unfortunately he passed away in February. That leaves me with questions I never would have considered before and likely no answers. I wonder how much fishing Mr. Haselwood may have done in his long life and when the last time he was able to take a trip? I could find no other information about Mr. Haselwood.

No more history of the spoon for now. Needless to say, that spoons of a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, materials and weights have been used throughout the years to catch an equal variety of fish. Like any lure I have seen discussed there seems to be many ways to present the tackle. I think the right way is the way you fish it when it works for you. The spoon can be fished at a variety of depths, facilitated by using lighter or heavier models. One tip I received was to use a trailer. Whether something made specifically for the task or just adding a grub tail. This will allow it to be retrieved more slowly in shallow water.
Aside from the variety of fish that can be taken on the spoon there are other benefits. With a high ratio of weight to surface, the spoon can be cast a great distance. The lower resistance means that when the lure does enter the water it is less likely to run spooky fish. In fact, I have tossed a spoon in the middle of tailing reds without any apparent alarm from the fish; of course that is a given day and reds are moody at times. One other consideration relating to the weight and surface area factors. Even though it is a fairly sleek profile, it also resembles a leaf. Of course leaves get caught in the wind. If you use a baitcaster with the spoon, be cautious when casting into the wind. On one hand casting anything into the wind with a baitcaster can leave you with a birds nest that will crimp you fishing for a while.

When all the conditions for fishing are right the spoon will allow the coverage of large areas of water. This may be one of the reasons it provides me with success. Of course covering area is no good if the lure won’t fool the fish. I have fooled enough fish to say that the silver spoon (any spoon? can not vouch for anything but silver) will catch fish. I must say that I use it as a probe. I don’t give much thought to jigging, or pumping the lure. I get it out to or over likely looking water, drop it near the mangrove line and then after allowing some sink time retrieve at various speeds. Normally I would think that it is always to fast. It may take a touch developed over time with the lure to use it without consideration. Or it may just be that I use it however and catch fish in spite of my errors.

The species of fish I have caught on the silver spoon include trout, more often gator trout, snook, redfish, a 4 inch black mullet and the first fish, a small mouth or shoal bass. That was interesting as I was on my local water (Lake Lanier) trying to get the hang of the baitcaster for my upcoming trip back ‘home’ to Tampa Bay. I was throwing a spoon as it was easy to cast, weedless and I could crank it in pretty quickly. That is just what I was doing. I was only interested in casting. I was on a flat of sorts and cranking in as fast as I could possibly reel. After one long cast, about half way in I meet resistance. There are no weeds, just clay, rocks and stumps, along with what ever may have been dumped. So it did not seem likely it was grass. After a short tugging match, never any run, I had my bass. A pretty 14 inch specimen. I laughed out loud. The first bass I had caught since I was 11 on the Hillsborough River. That may have been a few years ago.

So, from the start I have figured that the spoon is likely to catch fish whether I am trying or not. Not a bad lure to have on the end of the line.

Try a spoon for a trip and see how it does for you. Let me know how you do.

Good Fishing,

Joe
Search | Home | Articles | Reports | Reviews | Photos | Resources | Species | Contacts | Gear Shop
Privacy Policy - [Copyright 2004 Webb Information Exchange]