As a keen trout fisherman, I like to keep an open mind and try many different lures. Over the past three decades I’ve caught trout on and live bait. Breaking the classic trout lure mold has helped me account for some really nice fish. But day in and day out, and when the money is down, the trout spoon is tough to beat. I never, ever leave home without them.
A couple of years back on a stocked brook trout lake in Northwestern Ontario, I was fishing with my long time fishing partner Gene Balec.This was new water, so after some deliberation I decided to clip on a favourite spoon. Spoons are easy to cast, fun to fish and almost always attract trout. They are a good “searching” lure. This lure, however, happened to be one of my all-time favourites for inland speckled trout. The spoon was a one quarter ounce EGB Blinker spoon in colour pattern 330 (a favourite). These spoons are beautiful to look at, have exquisite action and are like gold to those of us in the know. They also are simply dynamite on brook trout. On about my second cast, a 17 inch spec roared out of some fallen wood and clubbed that spoon. That same action was repeated over and over by trout that seemed positively hypnotized by the wiggle of the Blinker. That one spoon caught so many brookies, the paint was nearly rubbed off the brass body. It was a performance even my jaded partner could appreciate.
Spoons come in all shapes and sizes, but for reasons of clarity I’ll break them down into two key types. The classic oval or tear drop shaped spoons and the long skinny swimming spoons are the two most consistent types of trout spoon. These spoons have the ability to dupe trout in a wide variety of places and in a number of different condition. I’ve caught specs on spoons during the heat of the summer, in the cold water of spring and through the frozen ice of winter. They are just that efficient at catching trout, but really shine at ice out. Two years ago, my Dad and I hiked through snow drifts to get into a trout lake at ice out. The lake was open, mostly, although we did have to cast around some ice chunks. But Gord senior, who was throwing a fairly heavy Kamlooper spoon, nailed some dandy specs in water so cold that it hurt to touch. Steelhead in Lake Superior also love to crush a spoon when the ice goes out. I’ve caught literally hundreds of rainbows over the years casting Little Cleos, Krocodiles and Len Thompson spoons at river mouths at ice out. Sometimes the steelies hit the spoon as soon as it hit’s the water. Occasionally they will hit it on the drop. Usually it’s smoked within the first couple turns of the reel. If there is a harder strike than an ironhead grabbing a spoon in ice cold water, I’ve yet to experience it.
Classic trout spoons look like the business end of a teaspoon. They’re generally oval shaped and concave. The already mentioned classic EGB Blinker spoons are a prime example of this lure design. They are great when cast and slowly reeled back with a steady retrieve. It’s the rare fish that doesn’t at least take a look at a spoon. The best spoons for inland lake and river fishing weigh between one quarter to half an ounce. In some situations you may want to go lighter, especially when fishing shallow lake or ponds.
Favourite Retrieves
One of my favourite retrieves when fishing with spoons for brook trout in lakes is a modified go-stop-go pattern. Cast your spoon out, retrieve it steadily for about 5 reel turns, then let the spoon flutter for a moment before picking up the retrieve. This is especially deadly when you are casting to shore and reeling out over deeper water. Any trout that’s following will often be triggered by the sudden stop and dead fall descent of the lure. The short, teaspoon style spoon is especially deadly for this technique thanks to its great flash. Spoons are also great for flat lining early spring in lakes. Check the speed of your troll and make sure the spoon is not spinning wildly. A little spinning can be ok, but the best action is a slow flutter. When you get the right trolling speed down, cast the spoon out and start covering water. You can use a rod holder, but you will miss strikes. If you hold the rod, you’ll often feel trout whack at the spoon, then come back and clamp it. A solid handheld hook set definitely puts more fish in the boat or canoe.
Long, thin bodied spoons like the Krocodile and Williams have a tighter wiggle and a more pronounced shimmy toward the back end. Spoons of this body type are more commonly trolled, but they’re also an awesome casting bait. I really like thin, long spoons when fishing big water where smelt and herring are a primary forage. On Lake Nipigon and Lake Superior in northern Ontario, giant coasters feed on smelt, and will gorge themselves in the spring. A long silver spoon with a dash of red or blue can really turn the heads of these big brookies. If the wind is heavy or I’m shore casting, I’ll throw a spoon that is pretty heavy, up to three quarters of an ounce sometimes.
Vertical Jigging
Although most people cast or troll spoons, there is no reason why you can’t vertically jig them. A little pop of the wrist brings these spoons alive in all sorts of different ways. I’ve vertically jigged spoons over spooky spring brook trout and have been amazed at their suddenly positive reaction. On one lake, the brook trout just kept swiping at the spoon until they became hooked. The frantic vertical action of the spoon seemed to infuriate the specs. The more they missed the lure, the harder they swiped at it. In lakes where the water is really clear, you can often see the brook trout below your boat as you jig the spoon. The fish will turn and swiped a the spoon, and as often as not hit them on the drop. Be ready for the strike and set the hook.
As for colour, my favourite brook trout colours are fire tiger, orange/silver, gold/red and blue/silver. In sunny conditions, the silver and lighter coloured spoons get the nod. In dark water and when the skies are overcast or foggy, brass, gold and red are favourites. Don’t be afraid to experiment however. I honestly don’t think trout spend much time scrutinizing lure colours. They like it or they don’t. You’ll know quickly what is working and what isn’t. I’d recommend at least a seven foot spinning rod when fishing with all but the very lightest spoons. The lighter your line, the longer you can cast, but using anything lighter than about 6 pound test pretty much guarantees you’ll never get a snagged lure off the bottom. I like using limp 8 pound test monofilament line on a smooth front drag reel. If spring trout fishing is your game, you won’t go wrong with spoons. In my world, the two were meant to be together.