Spoon
Also called spoon lure, casting spoon, jigging spoon
What is a spoon lure?
A curved metal lure shaped like the bowl of a spoon. It wobbles and flashes as it falls or is reeled in, which reads to a fish as a wounded baitfish.
How does a spoon lure work?
The concave shape catches water and makes the lure rock from side to side, and the polished or painted metal throws flashes of light as it does. That wobble and flash together look like a struggling baitfish to pike, trout, bass and walleye.
There is nothing to rig. Tie it on, cast, and reel, or let it flutter down and lift it again.
What are the different kinds of spoon?
Casting spoons are thick enough to throw a long way and are fished with a steady or stop-and-start retrieve. Jigging spoons are heavier and more compact, dropped straight down and lifted, which makes them a winter and ice-fishing staple. Weedless spoons carry a wire guard over a single hook so they can be pulled across lily pads and through grass.
Why does a spoon twist line?
A spoon can spin as well as wobble, especially when it is reeled fast, and every turn goes into the line. A small ball-bearing swivel a little way up the line lets the lure turn without taking the line with it.
Count a spoon down before you start reeling, and let it sink a few seconds longer on each cast. It is the simplest way to find the depth the fish are holding at.
Common questions
What fish can you catch on a spoon?
Most predatory freshwater fish: pike and pickerel, trout, bass and walleye in open water, and perch and crappie on small jigging spoons through the ice.
Is a spoon a good lure for beginners?
Yes. There is nothing to rig and almost no wrong way to reel one, which is why a small spoon turns up in so many starter tackle boxes.
Where this comes up
The guides that use spoon and show it on real gear.
Last reviewed . Spoon is one of 222 terms in the fishing glossary.