Jigging Spoons

[aikenyounggun]

So I moved up to Clemson last year (for college, 2 and half hours away from my house) and was introduced to new lakes. I fished Hartwell a couple times before going up there and it fished a lot like Clarks Hill (two lakes down the Savannah chain and one of my home lakes) so that should work out this year.

BUT... two of the other lakes I fished with our club (college fishing team) were Lake Keowee and Lake Jocassee, both lakes in the mountains (deep and clear). These presented new challenges and after fishing Keowee a couple times I think I can figure some stuff out that plays into my strengths (I should have a boat up there this year, not just a co-angler). But Jocassee is even deeper and clearer and one of the mainstays, especially during the winter, is throwing a jigging spoon. Somethin I have never done. So last year I ran out and bought one or two (not much selection last minute) and watched some videos.

Just this past Friday an Academy opened in Aiken 4 minutes from my house and I remember I need to get more spoons and they have a ton more choices. So what I am asking for is what you look for in a jigging spoon (colors, weight, brand, etc). [Academy has a bunch of them]

Also any tips on fishing them would be greatly appreciated.

And to put more info, these would be used anywhere from 40 to 100 feet. Especially in 70-100 range (I think). Least near the dam where water is pumped, that's the depth. And when they pump water, the fish turn on, so people stack there and throw the things.

Thanks guys.

[bluebasser86]

Only ones I use anymore are the War Eagle jigging spoons. They come with good hooks and already rigged with swivels to prevent line twists. I prefer the 1/2 or 3/4 ounce sizes in either silver or white. I like to fish with sharp hops and let it fall on a mostly slack line. Pay close attention to the drop speed and distance of the drop. Sometimes you won't feel a bite a lot of times, the bait just won't sink as far as it should or the drop speed will appear to slow when a fish catches the bait and swims off.

[3dkicker]

If you don't have a Silver Buddy pick one up. Go with the larger 1/2oz size. Not a spoon but might give the fish a different look/vibration vs the "stack".

[merc1997]

jigging spoons can be cast or fished vertical. when casting, after popping the spoon up, keep a belly in your line from the rod tip to the water. maintain the belly by following the spoon back down. this will allow the spoon to free fall unimpeded and still have contact to detect strike. vertical is pretty much the same. the spoon will catch them both on the bottom and suspended. spoons are kind of like american express, don't leave home without them. they are are great search tool, and sometimes even after locating the fish, the best lure to keep catching them.

bo

[DVT Mike]

Originally Posted by 3dkicker

If you don't have a Silver Buddy pick one up. Go with the larger 1/2oz size. Not a spoon but might give the fish a different look/vibration vs the "stack".

x2 on the Silver Buddy. On other jigging spoons try swapping the treble for a straight shank hook with a split ring and swivel. I took this tip and see much better hook ups.

[bamabassman]

this is ironic aiken....i rigged up a silver spoon with a tail piece of a worm yesterday to use on weiss lake. didn't use it though but it is still there ready. think i am gonna give it a try in the channel and deeper parts of that lake to see what happens.

[SaminVa]

Ditto on the silver buddys... get some in various sizes and colors.
They are a mainstay for me in winter and early spring.

[lilmule]

Dont overlook flat hopkins spoons or flutter spoons all can be jigged,even a lil george,must admit however i do better on sauger,walleye,and whites than blacks.
Last fish I caught one one was an extra large bluegill so anything will eat them.

[merc1997]

i am not too brand conscience when it comes to jigging spoons. the best one ever made was the 3J, which you can not get anymore. i do use different weights because fall rate is important, and i use chrome, white, and chartreuse in colors.

bo

[OkobojiEagle]

I've tried silver buddies, little george, hopkins and several others over the past years... not one fish yet! Gold, silver and painted! How deep are you fishing yours?


oe

[merc1997]

Originally Posted by OkobojiEagle

I've tried silver buddies, little george, hopkins and several others over the past years... not one fish yet! Gold, silver and painted! How deep are you fishing yours?


oe

here on table rock we will catch bass over 100 ft. deep at times. the determining factor is always the depth of the shad.

bo

[OkobojiEagle]

Originally Posted by merc1997

here on table rock we will catch bass over 100 ft. deep at times. the determining factor is always the depth of the shad.

bo

Well Bo, depth may be part of my problem with these lures. Shad aren't part of our forage base and I don't fish deeper than 20' (too hard on the bass).


oe

[lilmule]

They are versitile lures can be fished deep or even as a topwater bait a flat hopkins spoon can be waked across the top easily,white bass,stripers and largemouth all take it and if vertically jigged whites,stripers ,walleye and sauger,or even spots at bull shoals.

[joedog]

Originally Posted by OkobojiEagle

I've tried silver buddies, little george, hopkins and several others over the past years... not one fish yet! Gold, silver and painted! How deep are you fishing yours?


oe

Me too!

Maybe it's North, South thing.

Other than a Dare Devil for Pike (they'll eat anything ), I've never caught a single fish on them.
I've fished them deep, shallow, fast, slow, yo-yo ,pump and flutter, straight retrieve at every speed you can imagine, draged them across sandy points even....NADA.

[OkobojiEagle]

Joe... I hop a heavily weighted 4" grub or yo-yo a single blade spinnerbait where others claim to fish a blade bait. What do you use?

oe

[joedog]

Spring I Yo-Yo lippless cranks. (Vegatation hasn't grown yet up here)
Fall I'll use them again but takes almost to middle or late Oct. before semi deep weed dies.
I will also yo-yo Texas Rigged Space Monkey and Yum Woolly Bullies and Rage Smoking Roosters if I have to deal with vegatation.
I like to find points and I'll cast over and yo-yo up far side a down near side. Then moderatly/slow swim them back with a few stops on the way.. Start close to shore working out till I find the depth they are holding at.
Once you find that 'special' depth it seems like they are at similar depths on all the points on the BOW. The Texas rigging helps if there's vegatation on some portions of the points. Far side is more of a hard pump/hop then drop sit for about 5-10 seconds then repeat.
At times I'll put a Bullie on 1/4 jinesse jig (no skirt). And yo-yo it. This is best with lite to zero vegatation but will Texas the jig (nose thru hook normal and angle the plastic UP torwards hook point and bury hook. This makes the Bullies or Monkies stand sort of nose down-tail up when at rest.
I get as many or maybe more hits on the up swing with plastics. (I think they see the bait legs flutter on down fall, then sit and look at it while sitting. Then they kind of freak when it pops upwards again and they react probably fearing it's going to swim away).
The points aren't necessary, works on flats or drop offs good too.