Judge spoons by weight and shape, not glitz or glam. Jigging spoons are deadly weapons, but not all spoons are alike. Some fall fast with little fanfare, while others flutter wildly on a slow dance to the bottom. Such differences are extremely important, because choosing the right spoon for the conditions at hand can mean the difference between catching fish and getting skunked.
During the decision-making process, many anglers anguish over a spoon’s color and appearance, but the action is what makes fish bite. Bass anglers figured that out long ago, and it’s finally catching on in the ice fishing scene.
For this reason, what a spoon looks like in the package hanging on the shelf isn’t nearly as important as how it behaves when you drop it in the water on a slack line—and these traits are determined largely by shape and material, not glitz.
One way to judge a lure’s metal is how heavy it feels for its size, which helps determine the amount of time it takes for the spoon to settle on the drop, as well as what it feels like to your fingers when the spoon thunks against bottom or the end of your line.
Shape is likewise critical to a spoon’s flutters and fall rate. Short, wide spoons fall more slowly and yield different action, flash and vibration than slender designs. Rattles enhance a spoon’s sonic output and can help call fish from afar, but such add-ons are often reserved for heavy, fast-falling designs.
Spoon selection is often a matter of tendering such tradeoffs, but for 2016, Northland Fishing Tackle has introduced the Buck-Shot Flutter Spoon, which features a fish-attracting rattle chamber with a flashy, strike-triggering flutter. In so doing, the company combines the deadliest of jigging spoon qualities into one fish-catching package.
The accentuated flutter floods the water column with eye appeal, while the external glass rattle chamber projects high-pitched clicks and clacks that reach beyond the visual realm.
The Buck-Shot Flutter Spoon comes in a variety of sizes appropriate for perch and walleyes. It’s also available in a rainbow of colors—but that’s a story for another day. For now, focus on shape and weight when judging your spoons and you’ll soon be catching more fish on every trip.