Lures quite possibly as old as fishing itself, spoons have been around for as long as there have been people trying to get dinner to bite a hook. Early examples may not compare favorably to what we know today, but there's no doubt that even primitive spoons have been catching fish for a very long time.
Simplicity and versatility are what make spoons so effective, and although they have their ups and downs as far as popularity goes, the fact is that, to this day, they still catch fish - and lots of them!
Whether you’re thinking about trying out spoons for the first time or you’re looking to add more versatility to your fishing arsenal, we’ve got you covered with our top pick of spoons to catch anything that swims.
Bass Pro
| Fish USA | Cabela's
Size: 1/32 oz. to 3 ¼ oz.
Target Species: Muskie to trout and everything in between
Must Have Colors: Red Devle, Five of Diamonds, Crackle Frog
Invented in 1906 by Lou Eppinger, the Original Dardevle spoon brought spoon fishing into the modern fishing era, and aside from Rapala’s original floater, it’s possibly the most iconic, well-recognized lure of all time.
While Eppingers’ lineup of quality fishing lures has continued to grow over the years, the Dardevle is the spoon the company has been, and continues to be, famous for and that's because it catches fish, and lot’s of them. From trophy northern pike to tiny stream trout, there isn't a fish that these spoons won’t catch.
Available in a wide variety of colors and sizes, the classic wounded baitfish action of this spoon has stood the test of time and while it’s often imitated, it has never truly been duplicated. If you’re looking to stock up on casting spoons, the Dardevle shouldn’t be overlooked.
I've cast these spoons - especially the original red and white pattern - to bass and pike, and they've delivered in spades. There's something unique about the side-to-side wriggle that these spoons produce, and especially when the water is murky or stained, I find that the vibration that results from this action is very effective at triggering reaction strikes.
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Size: 1/32 oz. to 2 oz.
Target Species: Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Trout, Red Drum, Speckled Sea Trout
Must Have Colors: Chrome, Gold, Chrome/Neon Blue
The Acme Kastmaster can easily fall into several categories on this list from casting to trolling, but where this spoon really shines for us is jigging. Whether you’re jigging for hard water walleye or suspended summertime smallmouth, the Kastmaster deserves a place in your tackle box.
The Kastmasters biggest claim to fame is right in its name. The unique aerodynamic, perfectly balanced design means it can cast a mile, but it’s also that design that produces a wild erratic action that will not result in line twist like many other spoons, making it perfect for vertical jigging.
Just like with the Dardevle, the Kastmaster is a classic design that has stood the test of time, and with the multiple sizes and colors available, it's easy to find one that will produce fish in any condition.
When it comes to vertical jigging, the Kastmaster is a spoon that often gets overlooked, and understandably when you consider the wide range of jigging spoons available on the market. But even with all those options, the Kastmaster is the jigging spoon we reach for first.
It has proven itself more than capable of long casts in a stiff breeze, too, and John has thrown the Kastmaster - true to its name - into the next county (or parish) with a good rod and reel.
If you need a spoon that really shines in jigging applications, or one that can effectively target inshore species like redfish and speckled sea trout with long casts to avoid spooking them in shallow water, the Acme Kastmaster is hard to beat.
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Bass Pro | Amazon | Nichols Lures
Size: 2 ½ oz. and 3 ½ oz.
Target Species: Striped Bass, Red Drum, Speckled Sea Trout
Must Have Colors: Silver Chrome, Bombshell Shad
Spoons have been catching fish since fishing with hook and line was a thing, but if there's one spoon that can be considered new to the game, it’s the flutter spoon. Flutter spoons can often get mixed in the same group as a jigging spoon for no other reason than the technique used can be similar. One look at the two types of spoons together, however, and it becomes very apparent that technique is the only thing they have in common.
If you were to compare a flutter spoon to other spoons, the one that it would most closely resemble would be the trolling spoons used for catching deep water salmon. Those spoons are lightweight and require additional weight or a downrigger to be fished in certain applications. A flutter spoon on the other hand is much heavier, meaning it can easily be cast and fished at depths without added weight.
That weight is evenly distributed throughout the entire lure, and combined with its cupped design, produces a fluttering action that big largemouth in deep water have a hard time turning down.
The Nichols Lures Magnum Flutter Spoon is a staple lure anywhere you find inshore fishing, and stripers, drum, and specks just can't get enough.
John has used flutter spoons like the Nichols Magnum to catch red drum, and the added weight keeps it closer to the bottom on the retrieve than options like the Dardevle. As a result, he thinks it's a bit easier to target reds with this spoon, but he skips it in the salt marshes south of Fourchon because it gets hung up too often.
Instead, he uses it to cast from shore for bull reds feeding in the breakers, and runs this big lure down the length of jetties, erosion barriers, and other tempting structure.
His view?
It's a winner.
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Size: ⅛ oz. to 1 ⅛ oz.
Target Species: Largemouth Bass, Pike, Muskie, Red Drum, Speckled Sea Trout
Must Have Colors: Silver, Gold, Red/White
Anglers will be quick to argue that there are better ways to catch fish in thick weeds than a spoon, and that's the very reason weedless spoons are so underutilized. Advancement in topwater and weedless lures and plastics have all but left the weedless spoon as an afterthought for most anglers.
But we can all agree that there was a time when weedless spoons were the next big thing, catching fish when nothing else would. Lures that catch fish will always catch fish, that doesn’t change, and weedless spoons can still hold their own in a market saturated with weedless lures.
While there are plenty of weedless spoon variations, the Johnson Silver Minnow Spoon is the original and its classic design is hard to beat. It’s that design that also makes it highly versatile. Not only can it be pulled through heavy weed cover and come out clean, but it also works well when trolled and even jigged. Fishing heavy cover is this lure's forte and if you’re trying to pull big fish out of that kind of slop, the Silver Minnow is a must own.
John uses the gold spoon for redfish when he's sight fishing in a salt marsh, and he finds that the weedless design really works. It will pick up bits of gunk here and there, but it doesn't get hung up nearly as often as treble-hooked options like the Nichols and Dardevle. He also throws the silver color to speckled trout, burning that spoon to keep it high in the water column.
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Size: ⅙ oz. to 2 ½ oz.
Target Species: Bass, Pike, Trout
Must Have Colors: Chrome, Brass, Chrome/Neon Blue Stripe
Trolling spoons can come in all shapes and sizes from casting style spoons, to the larger lightweight spoons used for salmon and steelhead. While those light weight spoons can work wonders, it’s a very niche market, which is why we chose to include a spoon in this category that has a more general application.
Luhr Jensen’s Krocodile Spoon is another classic fish catching spoon that works on a variety of species that cannot only be trolled but casted as well. Its narrow shape creates an irresistible combination of thump and flash and the included barrel swivel helps the lure maintain that action at any speed, while keeping your line from twisting. Where other spoons will lose their wobble and begin to spin if not fished at the right speed, the Krocodile spoon keeps wobbling and thumping and is the perfect spoon for covering lots of water, trolling it behind the boat for whatever species you might be after.
The heavy duty construction and corrosion resistant finishes mean that the Krocodile Spoon is a lure that can be fished year after year without fail. Some of the smaller sizes also come with a single siwash hook to switch out the treble with, a bonus when weeds are a problem or single-hook regulations apply.
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Your target species is going to be a major contributing factor to what spoon you're going to be fishing. Yes, there are spoons on this list that will catch many different species, but there are also spoons that are going to have specific applications and are going to work better for some species than others.
Matching the hatch is a term coined by fly fisherman, matching their flies to what the fish are eating. Sure it may seem a little over the top to think of trying to match a big chunk of metal to what the fish you’re after might be eating, but using the idea in its simplest form will help determine both size and color of the spoon you should be using.
Small stream trout might be feeding on little shiners or insects in super clear water, meaning you’re going to want a small spoon that doesn’t give off a lot of flash. A trophy pike, on the other hand, might be lurking in a thick weed bed waiting to ambush a struggling bait fish or a passing frog. For this you would go with a weedless spoon that has lots of flash to attract the fish.
Where you’re going to be fishing is also going to determine what spoon to choose. I’m not talking just about lakes, rivers or streams, but where the fish will be in any given body of water. Deep suspending fish might mean a jigging spoon, or a flutter spoon will be the weapon of choice, whereas fishing up shallow might require a spoon that's weedless, or a spoon that can be worked quickly without losing its action.
Wherever your next adventure takes you or whatever fish you might be chasing, don’t discount the effectiveness of a good spoon. Recent years have seen a decline in their popularity, but only because they’ve been overshadowed by other lures, not because they’ve stopped catching fish.
No matter what you end up chasing next, do yourself a favor and pack some spoons into the mix.
Do you use spoons often? Are you looking to get into spoon fishing? Whatever the case may be, leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts!
