The Utterly Epic Trolling Spoon

Spoons may have been around for eons, but even today they remain one of the most effective trolling lures on the face of the planet. They provide lots of action, excellent flash, and attract strikes from just about every predator species in the ocean.

Why don’t more people troll spoons? The sad fact is that there are so many uber-tempting goodies on the tackleshop shelves that often we anglers are tempted to pick out some new snazzy-looking goodie as opposed to the tried-and-true spoon. But if you’re more interested in getting a fish on the line than in trying out those cool new lures just for the sake of their looks, consider:

• Troll spoons whenever toothy fish like wahoo, kingfish, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel are around. Thanks to their metal construction they usually eliminate the need for wire leaders (assuming the size of the spoon and the size of the fish in the area match up), which can boost the number of bites you get in clear conditions when the fish may be leader-shy.
• Matching the hatch with spoons is as simple as choosing the correct size and color – they can be used to mimic just about any type of baitfish.
• Compared to all those jazzy plugs and plastics, spoons are quite inexpensive.
• Spoons require no special rigging, jigging, or additional input to provide a fish-attracting action. When trolled, these are set-it-and-forget-it lures.
• Spoons can’t be torn, ripped, or otherwise damaged when a fish strikes and misses the hook. Unlike plastics or rigged baits, that means that after a missed strike the lure is still working perfectly and there’s a good chance of a follow-up strike, or a hit from another fish in the school. Plus, you never have to wonder if it’s been damaged and is still running properly.

Put these five factors together, and what do you have? A lure that may be ancient, but remains a top pick for even the most modern anglers. If you troll, you should have a selection of spoons in your tacklebox.