fischer Posted June 10, 2009 Posted June 10, 2009 What size spoons do most people run when they mention using spoons. Is it the regular stinger size or scorpion size and what speed do you run the spoons at? I fish the Buffalo, NY area of Erie and haven't had much luck with spoons yet. Should I tip them with bait? Thanks for any replies!
silver one Posted June 10, 2009 Posted June 10, 2009 I will let the walleye experts chime in but I believe they are dragging harnesses on the backend of the spoon and useing crawlers almost useing the spoon like a flasher with hooks and even without.
fischer Posted June 10, 2009 Author Posted June 10, 2009 Is there a top end or optimal speed for the regular stinger and scorpion spoons? Can I run them at the same speed as the harnesses or do I have to bump up the speed? I'm used to trolling for salmon and steelies on Lake O where you troll spoons from 2.5 to 3.75 and I run my harnesses for erie walleye from 1.8-2.0.
JWheeler Posted June 10, 2009 Posted June 10, 2009 I run a lot of stinger scorpions on Saginaw Bay. Seems like I am usually between 1.4-2.2 sog. I would say to play with the speed a little bit. You will quickly find out where they like it at. If they stop biting then you maybe going to fast.... And no, I don't drag harnesses behind spoons. I just run them clean!
EdB Posted June 11, 2009 Posted June 11, 2009 We run stinger scorpions, mini streaks and mini yeks and moonshine also makes a small walleye spoon. 2mph hr or a bit slower when the water is cool and 2.5mph when it starts to warm up. I don't think they have good action at crawler harness speeds. We also will hit a fish now and then on regular size stingers and DW SS spoons. Those bigger spoons will work good off divers and riggers.
j1musser Posted June 11, 2009 Posted June 11, 2009 We run stinger scorpions, mini streaks and mini yeks and moonshine also makes a small walleye spoon. 2mph hr or a bit slower when the water is cool and 2.5mph when it starts to warm up. I don't think they have good action at crawler harness speeds. We also will hit a fish now and then on regular size stingers and DW SS spoons. Those bigger spoons will work good off divers and riggers.Heading up to the bay this weekend with my cousin. He just got riggers last week and took him salmon fishing. Im gonna bring a bunch of my stinger and scorpion spoons to try of riggers and dipsy. Thought it sounded like easy way to throw some more at em.
Walleye Express Posted June 11, 2009 Posted June 11, 2009 What size spoons do most people run when they mention using spoons. Is it the regular stinger size or scorpion size and what speed do you run the spoons at? I fish the Buffalo, NY area of Erie and haven't had much luck with spoons yet. Should I tip them with bait? Thanks for any replies! I run spoons both ways, but not a harness that most think of. I only run the scorpion size, both as sliders ahead/above Rattle Tot's and also build and run my own spoon harnesses individually on other rigs. The way their built you can run them on one side and cranks on the other at dead slow speeds or speeds 3.5 mph or better if you like and use real of Gulp crawlers as the bait. I prefer Gulp at higher speeds for obvious reasons. Both work great on the Bay in many varied applications (Jet's/Dipseys/Lead Core/Sliders/keels) and also catch many fish on Lake Erie in the same manner. Here's a good picture of the spoon harnesses. Not hard to find the components at a well stocked sporting goods store to build your own. In fact since my invention, 1 individual and 1 spoon manufacturer barrowed the idea and now sell them in this same form (minus the beads) retail at www.franksgreatoutdoors.com
shu9265 Posted June 12, 2009 Posted June 12, 2009 Well now, we are talking about my old stomping grounds here.lol I miss it too.Ok, the way I did it was basically the same way as you describe, 1.8-2-5 mpg, faster as the water warms.When fishing out of the small boat harbor, we used to head for the departure bouy, start there in 40 fow, and troll west. Usual setup was with dipsey divers, with the small Stinger spoons and worm harness's.All were run at the same speed, but were staggered in depth and distance from the boat. I also used them from the planner boards, and jet divers. And for some reason, we always had 1 rod with a stinger, at the inside corner of the boat, with a large dipsey set on zero, back 35' feet from the rod tip. and it always took fish! !And be SURE to try some of Captain Dans spoon-harness rigs, they are killer on the eyes ! ! !Also, I found that mostly "copper" was a better choice for that part of the lake.
fischer Posted June 12, 2009 Author Posted June 12, 2009 Thank you for all the helpfull replies. Capt. Bill- that is one of two of my regular trolling paths. The other being in front of the windmills. For some reason, hardly anybody around the Buffalo area runs spoons- usually just worm harnesses. I know they run them down in dunkirk and barcelona. I bought a bunch of copper based scorpion spoons to give it a try and I may make up a spoon harness or two. I'm really interested in the spoon bite b/c you could probably cover more water faster and hopefully the gobies won't be able to pick off the worms at a higher speed.
shu9265 Posted June 13, 2009 Posted June 13, 2009 I really do miss that area. It was really nice being able to setup after only run out for a mile or so, instead of the way it gets here in summer, have to run 10+ miles some days just to find the fish.But, I like it here, at least for now.
fischer Posted June 14, 2009 Author Posted June 14, 2009 Capt. Dan. - do you have to make the spoon harnesses with the chains or can I use 40 or 50lb test( I have a bunch from flasher fly fishing salmon) and then add the beads and snell the hooks or will it effect the action of the spoon?
fischer Posted June 14, 2009 Author Posted June 14, 2009 Capt. Bill - the bite in Buffalo is just starting to set up and I'm looking foward to trying everyone's spoon methods here. That 35 staight off the back sounds intersting- I never ran them that close b/c they say walleye are boat shy but I'll give it a try. Was that a regular stinger you ran off the dipsy or scorpion?
Daddyo Posted June 16, 2009 Posted June 16, 2009 I have been running the Flutter spoons from Warrior Lures which are 3 3/8 inch long. We have been killing the eyes with them.Daddyo
shu9265 Posted June 16, 2009 Posted June 16, 2009 on my boat, the stingers are almost all the small ones.I use a lot of them, also harnesses, and stick baits.Once you find a pattern that works stick with it but, until then throw an assortment at them, they will hit something ! lol
Walleye Express Posted June 17, 2009 Posted June 17, 2009 Capt. Dan. - do you have to make the spoon harnesses with the chains or can I use 40 or 50lb test( I have a bunch from flasher fly fishing salmon) and then add the beads and snell the hooks or will it effect the action of the spoon? What you see is about 6 years of both experimentation and trail and error built into those spoon harnesses. Having Beaded chain swivels at both ends is very much the key to my spoon harness. They allow them to work at very slow speeds and very fast speeds in conjunction with crankbaits if you so desire. Giving you the chance to run both meat and plastic. And Gobies are less a problem on them at faster speeds, as is running them off bottom a ways. Remember Bobies do not have swim blatters and are hinged pretty much to, or near bottom. They can swim up, but cannot catch things swimming along at moderate speeds or anything swimming higher in the water column. That's probably why most gobie trouble occure when slow trolling harnesses near bottom.
Walleye Express Posted June 18, 2009 Posted June 18, 2009 Never tried them Adam. But I'd sure like to be able to buy a couple dozen for river smallies and walleyes.
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