- How to Fish Winter Spoons
By Forrest Fisher
Minnesota fishing guide Brad Hawthorne, an ICE FORCE pro, offers time-tested, fish-catching advice using several of the new spoon baits for fun fishing on the ice.
Flash Champ Spoon
Constructed of heavy-duty brass, the Flash Champ Spoon is designed to get down to the action quickly. Beveled edges and a tapered design give it an erratic, fluttering fall.
“The reason to switch to that is that it gets down faster,” Hawthorne says. “And when a fish are coming through, they can see it and hear it. It makes a teeny bit of noise from the split-ring hitting against the body, but it’s really noisy when you ting it off the rocks.”
Available in four sizes – 1/32, 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4 oz. – Flash Champs work best in clearer water. “If I was on a stained body of water, I’d stick with the Tingler or the Tumbler usually,” Hawthorne says.
For more on the Flash Champ, visit: http://www.rapala.com/vmc/spoons/spoons/flash-champ-spoon/Flash+Champ+Spoon.html?cgid=vmc-spoons-spoons#start=1&cgid=vmc-spoons-spoons.
Rattle Spoon
Hawthorne often ties on a Rattle Spoon after he’s caught a few fish by bouncing another bait on the bottom, making a racket.
“It might not be the first bait you tie on at the beginning of the day, but you’ll know pretty quickly if you should switch to it,”
he says. “If you’re banging bottom with something else and the fish are coming in and drilling it, they’re keying in on that sound.
“If they’re picking it up on rocks, gravel or sand, go Rattle Spoon all the way,” he continues. “You’re going to beat up your spoon a little bit, but you’re going to catch a ton of fish.”
The Rattle Spoon’s specially designed resonance chamber – made of heavy-duty brass and multiple beads – allows anglers to make a racket with just a subtle jig stroke, while still delivering action to the lure.
“I’m pretty sure that’s the loudest spoon on the market – the rattles on it are huge,” Hawthorne says. “When you slam that thing on the rocks, there’s not a louder spoon you’ll find.” Rattle Spoons are available in three sizes – 1/16, 1/8, and 1/4 oz.
For more on the Rattle Spoons, visit: http://www.rapala.com/vmc/spoons/spoons/rattle-spoon/Rattle+Spoon.html?cgid=vmc-spoons-spoons#start=1&cgid=vmc-spoons-spoons.