Just like the subject reads…I am trying to decide on some more top water plugs, possible throwing/jigging iron, plastics, and bucktails to trailer on my top water stuff.
What is your favorite go to tackle? Sizes, and weights and most productive colors would be helpful…
David Padgett
“Take 2”
191 Mako
Well… you know I like jigging spoons. Size depends on time of year with anything from 1/2 to 4 ounces. Usually, I take the attitude of “go big or go home!” However, there are times in the dead of winter at which smaller is better. This occurs when water temp. is less than 48 with stripers gorging on threadfins. Right now, big is good. Berry’s, Slammers, and Deadly D’s are my “faves!”
Color depends on conditions. Under clear, bright conditions, I prefer pearls, chromes, and chartreuses. With muddy and or low-light, I like these colors combined with black. Blue thown in can be good at times.
Swimbaits in similar colors and conditions would be my choice of artificials when targetting shallow or surface fish. Sassy Shads, Storms, and Castaways would be the brands.
I’m not big on plugs.
Hope this gives some ideas!
Xpress HB-22
175 Yammy Jammer
I agree with Fog on the spoons. They are hard to beat once you learn what to look for and how to work them. I also like to put oversized red trebles on the Berry’s before I ever fish with them. Most of my larger fish have come on the 1/2 ounce Berry’s spoons from December 'till early February. I don’t have any experience with the larger spoons, but hope to change that in the future.
In the fall, like today, I like to throw clear Super spooks or Super spook jrs. with a chartreuse back. Haven’t caught a striper on the chartreuse model since around 6:30 tonight. I love to see the stripers knock the spooks into the air and nail them when they fall back into the water!!! Haven’t had one do that since Tuesday, but it is a really neat sight to see. The spooks also work great for largemouth too.
Zoom super flukes and other similar baits also work well in schooling stripers and bass, as do bucktails in various sizes and colors. Let the bucktails sink down below the top fish because most of the larger stripers tend to feed a little deeper than the schoolers on top.
If you put a trailer behind a topwater be sure it has a sturdy hook in it. Otherwise it might get straightened out. I used to put 1/4 ounce bucktails behind topwaters on 30 lbs. test line just to be sure I had good hooks and the line wouldn’t tangle or break on a big fish.
My list is simple and takes me year round…
Planer Boards
#1 MUTU Light Circles
bag of 1 1/2 egg sinkers
Swivels & beads
12 lb Ande
I guess you can tell what my preffered method of fishing is! 
Richy
“My biggest worry is that my wife (when I’m dead) will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.”
Cane Pole … Long … Stiff … with string … and a hook … and some bait … 
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
50 gal Ron Vest Super Bait Tank II and a 8ft Betts Super Pro 1/2 inch #20…I can catch 5X more of the schooling fish trolling umbrella rigs than casting to them…I guess it depends on if you want to see them smack a lure or load the boat with them… I do normally keep a super spook or a double fluke rig tied on and ready to cast though…
Team Shad Up & Fish
If you’ve had fun catching fish on the transom bait, you are welcome…
I’ve spent about 85% of my life’s wages on fishing, the rest I just wasted…
If I really was hungry for fish, and could only have one bait to catch my supper with, it would definitely be the 1/2 ounce white/silver Berry’s spoon. I can catch fish between 13’ and 85’ bumping it. I have also caught a bunch of stripers and largemouth casting it into schools just winding it through them at a medium or slow pace. When they don’t want the topwaters, flukes or crankbaits, try it you might like the results. It’s actually about the size of the shad the fish I caught last week and yesterday were eating.
quote:
Originally posted by SpoonmasterIf I really was hungry for fish, and could only have one bait to catch my supper with, it would definitely be the 1/2 ounce white/silver Berry’s spoon. I can catch fish between 13’ and 85’ bumping it. I have also caught a bunch of stripers and largemouth casting it into schools just winding it through them at a medium or slow pace. When they don’t want the topwaters, flukes or crankbaits, try it you might like the results. It’s actually about the size of the shad the fish I caught last week and yesterday were eating.
Are you talking about one of these??
it’s my Wife’s fault we HAVE to fish now!!!
2005 Sea Pro 2100cc / Yamaha 150hp 4-Stroke
Yes, and no, I much prefer the 1/2 ounce models of Berry’s spoons. To me, maybe it’s the way I work a spoon, they seem to have a more erratic action, especially on the fall when bumping. A lot of strikes will occur on the fall with spoons. After all, I’m trying to immitate a crippled shad when bumping, not one swimming merrily along. I guess I’m trying to say the 1/2 ounce spoon wriggles on the snatch or jerk coming up and flutters better than most when falling back down. I leave a little slack in my line and snatch the spoon quickly up between 6" and 24" depending on what the fish seem to want. Pay close attention to the fall and learn to “follow” the spoon back down on a semi slack line. This lets the spoon have more action on the fall and you can still feel the strikes. Whatever you do, please don’t raise and lower the spoon in “slow motion”. This lack of action normally results in a lot fewer bites.
I don’t really care for the shape of the 1 ounce spoon. It doesn’t seem to flutter as well for me. That being said, some folks bend their spoons to get a different action. I don’t ever bend one so that might be why I prefer the smaller ones. I do like the shape of the 3 ounce Berry’s but haven’t fished them a lot yet.
My biggest striper on the 1/2 ounce Berry’s spoon was only 14 lbs. Biggest largie was 10lbs 3 ounces. Biggest perch was 1 1/2 lbs, and biggest catfish was a little over 21 lbs. I figure that’s good enough for me to continue using it.
The 1/2 ounce model put 11 perch and a 19" striper in the boat for me after work today. Of course I released the striper. This afternoon they were between 18’ and 25’ and I had 7 in the boat in my first 15 minutes of fishing. If I’m lucky I might be able to get back on the water by next Tuesday. By the way, something really big tried to take one of my perch right at the boat today. Guess I should have wound that one up a little slower. Couldn’t tell what kind of fish it was, but I’ve caught a 25+ lbs. flathead in that vicinity in the past.
Are you fishing mono on your rigs or braid? Are you direct tying your line to the spoon or using a short leader with a double barrel swivel?
David Padgett
“Take 2”
191 Mako
I’m a big fan of Fuorocarbon, especially for largies when fishing any slow or finnesse presentations. When I’m fishing the spoons in very clear water I might use my expensive bass reels and fluoro. By the way, I always use baitcasters when bumping the spoons. If you do get some line twist they handle it much better than any other type of reel. For most shallow spooning, less than 35’, I like either mono or fluoro. using my bottom of the barrel baitcasters. Deeper than 35’ I prefer fluoro. because I can fish heavier line that is smaller in diameter per lbs. test than mono, basically invisible, sinks faster, and also has less stretch for better hooksets. I like to put a good small ballbearing swivel about 18" to 2’ above the spoon to help eliminate line twist. I don’t especially like braid for deep spooning because if you hang it up 85’ deep you can easily lose 85’ of your line along with your bait if you can’t get the hooks to bend straight on the spoon. Since I use larger stronger red treble hooks, that can get expensive. You could always tie a fluoro. leader to the swivel and it would probably break off there. I admit I have been lazy and not tried that yet. If you do try the fluoro. line learn the San Diego knot, it’s not hard to tie and has great knot strength. Also, if the fluoro gets a nick near the bait cut and re-tie or plan on it breaking on a big fish. I always set the drag very loose on my spoon rods and thumb the spool while bumping to get a good hookset. That way when I hook one of the lake monsters it can’t break me off before I can loosen the drag. If a big striper hits a spoon 18’ under your boat you will be very happy that the drag is not set very tight. The big ones have almost taken rods out of my hands on several occasions over the years. Seriously, sometimes they don’t give you the time to loosen the drag. I’ve seen friends run from the front to the back of boats trying to follow the fish and loposen the drag at the same time. Most weren’t successful. Especially when big stripers hit the spoon
Thanks for the in depth reply. I had planned on setting up a couple of spinning combos for the jigging, now you got me thinking about bait casters. What size reels do you prefer?
I do like the braid though. Fished a lot of deep saltwater drops with 80-130 lb stuff. 120-300 feet fishing on the ledge for grouper and snapper. It is amazingly sensitive. You can feel the slightest bump on your line in 200 feet of water. If you fish the braid you would have to go with a florocarbon leader and barrel swivel. That way you could break it off.
David Padgett
“Take 2”
191 Mako
I wouldn’t. I use 20 pound Pline Fluoroclear with a snap swivel on my heavy spoon rods. Usually, I can get loose from a snag by putting a little slack in the line and working the rod a little. If I had to use braid, I would go with Spiderwire Invisibraid. JMO.
Xpress HB-22
175 Yammy Jammer