Back at it

[C_Run]

2022 wasn't much to brag about for me. I did not fish much nor catch much when I did go except for one great day fishing for searuns in June. Hope springs eternal, though, and I am ready to go out and get soaked and freeze in the coastal woods pretty soon. I whipped up a fresh batch of spoons as well as stocking up on jigs, pink worms, and various Stee-Lees. I posted a thread several years ago under the Homemade Tackle Forum that generated some discussion at the time. I found these spoons for $1 each at a thrift store and have been picking the smallest, heaviest ones I can find. Going to give it a shot real soon. Anyone catching so far?

 

[Irishrover]

Those spoons are right out of history! Bill Herzog wrote a book "Spoon Fishing for Steelhead". In the book he details the story of Julio Thompson Buel, the inventor of the spoon fishing lure. He describes how it came about that Buel stumbled upon his creation. The short story is he accidently dropped a spoon in Lake Bomoseen (Vermont) and he saw a large trout go after the spoon and swim off with it. His next step was to create the spoon lure from actual spoons just as pictured above. Buel started crafting his lures in 1921. Nice looking spoons C_Run!

 

[C_Run]

I read Herzog's book and read the story about Buel dropping the spoon in the lake. I did not start fishing for steelhead until my late 40's but really turned a corner after learning how to fish spoons. The one drawback of the homemade ones is that they are a little light and so in deep faster water, you can't get them down deep enough, but then, that's what the bobber rod is for. I've caught a fair number of fish, steelhead, trout, and some coho with the homemade spoons. Chinook still have been elusive although I did lose a big one on a spoon a couple of years ago. So, I go out with a lot of confidence in spoons.

 

[Irishrover]

Catching fish with your own homemade tackle is rewarding and fun. When ocean bottom fishing we used to lose a lot of tackle. Then I saw an article about making jigs from butter knife handles. It was crazy how easy they were to make and how well they worked. I might have to make a Good Will run for some spoons and give it a shot.

 

[jamisonace]

I've been out twice for steelhead. No nibbles yet. Good looking spoons Chris.

 

[troutdude]

I have a copy of Herzog’s book and it’s got good tips throughout.

In low light / foggy / misty Fall days @C_Run try painting a few spoons black. And if you use swivels use black ones. That’s a trick I learned from Jed Davis’s spinner making book. It truly works—in those conditions—to hook Fall Nooks. So it might work for spoons too.

 

[C_Run]

I've seen videos on spoon making where they want you to shine up the spoons but I never do anything to make them more shiny. They have plenty of flash. I like the tarnished ones like a couple in my picture. I also use the dark green and blue Stee-Lees quite a bit. It's amazing how changing colors can produce a bite on some occasions. I have always used the black, made in USA swivels that BiMart used to carry but could not find the exact ones this year. I'll probably do a shakedown trip soon. Usually I don't try until January.

 

[jamisonace]

@C_Run when you're down this way lets try those spoons on the Elk or Sixes. I'll bring the side drifting gear and you bring the spoons. And I agree. Do not polish. They look amazing as is. Fish probably think so too.

I'd buy those for decoration as much as for catching fish.

 

[C_Run]

Well, I did a quick shakedown run to my closest river. Not the fish I would have preferred but fish nonetheless. Lousy pictures, yes, but I was trying not to touch the fish. Both on homemade spoons.

 

[jamisonace]

Well, I did a quick shakedown run to my closest river. Not the fish I would have preferred but fish nonetheless. Lousy pictures, yes, but I was trying not to touch the fish. Both on homemade spoons.

That's a satisfying feeling to get fish on homemade gear. Nice work Chris!