What is the best way to retrieve your spoon in the surf? I have not had any success using them so far.
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What is the best way to retrieve your spoon in the surf? I have not had any success using them so far.
Your fishing the wrong spot.....I can't imagine a wrong way.....fast ,slow ,jerky.....slow on the bottom or fast along the surface......let it sink to the bottom then rip it from there then repeat???....jig it??
I fish smaller spoons in much the same way I do for freshwater white bass. Everyday is a little different. Some days it's a steady retrieve with a few small twitches. Other times it's a reel, jerk, reel, jerk retrieve fished about1-4 feet deep. Sometimes I'll let it sink to the bottom before I start jerking and letting it sink back, but typically I don't let it set too long, especially in clear water. The clearer the water the more I move it, not necessarily because they are more aggressive but because I don't want them to get too good a look at the lure and realize it's not real.
IMO, the fish that are most likely to strike a spoon near the surf line are mobile and pretty fast moving usually small Spanish, ladyfish, or hardtail (if the spoon is small enough). They are either there or not, if they are around it is usually because anchovies are also there or something else to start them feeding.
They are not like pompano, speckled trout, reds, and whiting that slowly patrol the bottom of troughs feeding on whatever they come across. I'm not saying you won't catch the above on a spoon, but you won't often and there are better baits.
IMO, a spoon is best when you see some surface action or flashes of white shiny sides that indicate something is pretty actively feeding. YMMV.
Keep moving unless you see fish breaking the surface and varying your retrieve until you find what they like on a given day.
This ^^^ and Pier#r's advice are very good tips. Fish daybreak and dusk, if you can(and anytime in-between, too). One morning last week in the surf I was getting hit every 2-3 casts and hooking Spanish macks, ladyfish and small jacks every 5th cast, next morning could not buy a strike. If you are not getting hits with a fast-moving bait, change tactics and soak bait for different species(redfish, trout, whiting, pup sharks and catfish) or move to another location where the fast-moving predator fish may be chasing bait.Quote:
Originally Posted by frednic
If you are fishing from the sand, it also helps if your rod/reel/line/lure setup will allow you to cast past the first sandbar(where the waves are breaking). Sometimes the fish are nearer the beach, sometimes not. We had better luck with spoons when casting past or wading out to the first bar and casting from there. Surf can beat you up if it's not calm, though.
Slower retrieve than you would think. If you are screw pitch/spinning, slow down. Back and forth in the half pipe.