Spoon Feeding Those Redfish

Contributed by Sibley “Scrib” Perry

Some lures have stood the test of time and just flat out produce. When it comes to fishing nowadays you have so many options to choose from when it comes to lures. From fancy paint jobs that resemble a live fish, to the scented soft plastics that draw fish in from a distance. Then you have that chunk of metal that really looks like nothing. The spoon is an old school lure that that our grandfathers were using to catch fish. When it comes to catching redfish there may not be a better artificial in the tackle box. The spoon is so important to my inshore fishing that I dedicate almost an entire tackle box to them.

The days of just the basic gold or silver spoon are gone. You can find spoons in a multitude of colors and shapes now. While gold is still the go to when fishing for reds you can now more easily match the color spoon to the water clarity and conditions you are fishing in. Fishing some stained or dirty water? No problem, tie on a chartreuse or pink spoon. Fishing lowlight conditions? Grab that black spoon and give it a cast. Redfish chasing mullet? Well there is a spoon for that too. Grab an Aqua Dream Live Bait Series spoon. You can find spoons with rattles and skirts as well. You can find them with weedless hooks for when you are fishing in areas with grass or snags. Or you can use the ones with a treble hook when snags are not a problem. There really is a spoon for every condition.

The spoon is a very easy lure to use so it’s great for beginners. You can literally just cast it out and reel it back in and catch fish with it. One important thing though is make sure to have a high quality swivel on it. If not it will cause lots of line twist. When fishing a spoon you want it to wobble and not spin as its coming through the water. That wobble will throw off vibration and flash causing that hungry redfish to come and eat. Normally when I’m fishing a spoon I will reel it just fast enough to keep it off the bottom and give me that wobble. There are times where I will speed up my retrieve, but I let the fish dictate what they want. Another effective method is a start and stop with it. Cast it out and let it sink. Then jig it up and start a slow retrieve then let it flutter back down. Using this method is very effective for me when the reds are acting a little sluggish. Another trick I use is to add some scent jell to the spoon. You are already grabbing attention with the flash and the vibration. It never hurts to go ahead and grab the attention of one more of their senses.

I normally will use the spoon when targeting redfish, but you can catch a multitude of inshore species on it. A silver or chartreuse spoon is a very productive lure when targeting speckled trout. Don’t be surprised if you catch a flounder as well when slow dragging a spoon across the bottom. I’m not sure what it is about that little piece of metal, but it sure works. So if you have never tried one then maybe now is the time to add it to your tackle box. Tight lines and good luck.