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basscat247.
Wondering if anybody else watched the Match Fishing Monday night. Was one of the better ones that has been on this year. Anyway, the guy that won it that night was fshing a technique I have never seen. Looked like he was taking a big slab spoon, casting it out and stroking it kind of like a big jig. They were fishing the ledges on Kentucky Lake. Was pretty impressive the fish they both caught but am interested to learn more about what the guy that won it was doing. Anybody out there doing or using this technique to catch fish. ThanksJoey
It is an old technique as opposed to vertical jigging. It lets you fish the water column and drops as you pump the spoon back. Works pretty good on ledges and bluffs. Once used frequently as was the old Twin Spins on Bull Shoals, Beaver, Table Rock and Norfork, though no one uses it much today. Just those older guys who no longer compete. They still catch them on a twin spin and a pork chunk also in those winter months. BCB
Thanks, can you tell me what kind of spoon they use for this. Was a pretty wide spoon and I am guessing that it had a treble hook. I would assume you would want a wide spoon like that so that it would slow the fall rate down just a little. Give the fish a little longer to look and react as opposed to something that fell like a rock. Only problem I see with this is getting that thing hung up quite a bit on stumps and brush piles. Other than that, thought it was pretty interesting and something I might try. Thanks
Select you spoon based upon bank transition. Steeper bluffs, an old fashioned CC Slab spoon. Less transition, obviously a slower falling spoon. And it is hard to beat an old Dixie Jet if you can find old ones. The new ones do not work as well.BCB
I have an uncle that lives at Lake Ouachita that does the same type thing with the spoons. He showed me how to fish that technique probably 15yrs ago, and also how to free up snagged spoon. But, like everything else in learning, what you dont use, you lose…. I need to give him a call, and pick his brain about that technique again…sometimes we forget that our elders may know something that can be passed down to generations, so that on the one day, when everything else fails, a style or technique that hasnt been around in years, may fill up a livewell or two.96 Eyra/12 Mercury 175 Pro XS with 2015 single axle trailer2017 Victory Gunner
Basscat247, The video (DVD) series that bass pro carries “classic patterns” is really good. In fact Jason Quinn devotes at least half of his video to the spoon technique you are talking about. I think the spoon he uses is a hopkins “Smoothie”? Its not hammered but has a flat surface. The Marty stone and Iaconnelli videoes in that series are really good too.
Thanks for all the info. Never to old to learn a new technique thats for sure. Now days with so many people fishng and so much pressure on the lakes some times it takes something a little different to catch those fish. I do some jigging with spoons from time to time but have never tried fishing with them like that. Think I might have a few spoons similiar to what youll are describing and might give this a try on some of the ledges I fish. Was going to go this morning and kind of wish I had but got up to late and have a few more things to take care of around here. Might get up in the AM and hit those ledges. Have a few spots and a few fish that have not seen me in a couple months. Surely there is a fish or two that ole Mike Whitten has not caught or saved for me !!!! Thanks AgainJoey
Joey,You dont need to worry about me hurting the ledge fish. I left them alone when it was over 100 degrees, and a lot of them are moving now. Not as thick as they were.On the spoons, the guy you saw was Kelly Jordon, and he was throwing a 1.5 or 2.0 oz salmon trolling spoon, like they use for salmon and lake trout in the Great Lakes. It does have a single treble hook, and it does do a great job of imitating a big threadfin or gizzard shad. Triggers a reaction bite on the fall.Mike Whitten
Jigging spoons can produce nice fish all year around. In the fall is when I do the most. You never know what you are going to catch. I have cuaght everything on on them but a gar. The have the Swedish Pimple little different in design falls slower and come with different colors on one side of it. Jiggin Minnow has a hook in front and back I would take trouble hook in the middle off when trying to locate fish in the cover so I would not get hung up as much. Another great trick for a regular cotton cordell spoon is to run it through your favorite colot getsit this also slows down the fall and have a varitey of colors.One thing for sure if you get in to bass jiggin 30 to 40 feet you usually dont have to worry about a bump board.I have cuaght to crappie on norfork over 2 lbs and they came on swedish pimple with the red.
Mike, was just teasing with you. Have you been catching anything up there. Kind of figured the fish would be moving. Getting that time of year and this weather is starting to cool down a little. Might head that direction tomorrow and try to get reacquainted with with a few of my spots up there. Think Sam might come this direction next week. He has been wanting to fish with me up there for quite some time. Would be a very good time before I have to get back to the bump and grind of every day work. Gabe, do quite a bit of vertical jigging up here during the colder months. Like You said, never know what you are going to catch. Have caught bream 35 deep along with catfish and stripes until you are tired of catching them. Also like you said, is a good way to catch a big bass or two when they are not wanting to chase a bait during those cold periods. Just have never seen somebody stroke a spoon like that and it got my brain to thinking. (pretty dangerous thing for me to do) The ledges on Kentucky Lake are very similiar to the ledges we fish up on Pickwick. Think it is something I am going to try and maybe add to my arsonal. Thanks AgainJoey
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