Anytime I'm fishing suspended fish, I'm casting and counting the lure down to the productive layer, and concentrate the retrieve at that depth.....Todays fish were holding unusually deep and we varied the retrieve until we found out what worked (bottom dragging)

Mod, thanks for inviting me to this group.

So, when is the first Bigbluegill.com North American Spoon Chuckers tournament? Two man teams, 15 fish (total weight), and only spoons allowed. A minimal entry fee and payouts to the top 10 teams, or no fee and just the ability to brag about your team's finish. Could be a great time and provide the opportunity to meet Bigbluegill users face to face vs. the "virtual world".

Thanks Mike. Everything you said makes sense. One of my biggest problems is trying different things and changing up colors and weights of baits. I have a tackle box full of stuff but when it comes time to try something different, I just keep trying what worked last time out. Only problem now is finding time to get back out there. I'm stuck to weekend fishing now that I'm back to work full time again. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. This website helps with the time in-between. Thanks so much. Bob

Bill That sounds like clear water your fishin' at Lake Delavan...Am I wrong?

http://www.bigbluegill.com/video/spoons-1

Thanks for the invite! Always willing try expand my repertoire to improve my bluegill catching skills.

blackhawks, that sounds like a great idea!.....problem is the groups demagraphic diversity. If we could find enough members to participate in something like this I would like for it to happen on strange water, Rock lake in Jefferson co. WI might be a good location....I hear big gills swim there, and locals regularly finesse the deep water.....it's just itchin' to get spooned, but I'm up for any suggestions, and willing to travel.....meeting some BBG members on this type of stage would be a blast.......If anybodys got any ideas, shout them out!

Bill, I totally agree....these things are always easier to say than do. However, it might start small and then increase in numbers. We would need to consider the proximity of lodging, restaurants, bait shops, etc. That being said, we should give it a shot. If held in Wisconsin, I believe the Dept. of Natural Resources has recently increased rules related to tournaments. I haven't researched the laws to see if they include panfish, etc. I need to do that if we target Wisconsin water.

I am on vacation this week. Currently, I am in Prairie du Chien, WI and my hotel is right next door to Cabela's. I went in there last night hoping to buy the hooks and snaps you recommend for spoon fishing. They were sold out of smaller snaps and they didn't have the Mustad hooks you recommended. I ran out of time so I'll head back there later today to look for other brands in that size/style. Beautiful country up here. We took the bridge over into Iowa and saw some guys fishing some backwaters. My wife told me to keep my eyes on the road!!

Bill, Do you switch out the hooks that come with the Swedish Pimples with the #6 O'Shaughnessy on your rig example? If so, why? Do the gills take the single hook better then the treble? I checked the Duolock snaps on the Cabelas website in black. Many folks who bought them were very unpleased with the results. Others thought they were great. Think I'll look around on these things. Bob

After all this rain here in NE New Jersey I decided to add this little spinner to my spoon presentation...works good casting and retrieving slow.

Hit one of the better deep waters this morning for some gills.Not in the cards for me today.I know where they are and it's just a matter of time before I get it right. Used a 1/10 and 1/5 oz swede with a little wax silver or copper color.I have some random success with the spoons so far but am confident it will come.I have been using small hops in the deep but will add the drag.I think I will have to make a trip to bass pro to try and find a few more color options.
My best success with this method so far has been shallow water weed top ticking, pretty much ever thing hammered it, in this type of location. I think the deep bite may be a more subtle hit. Time to try for some Lake perch. May all your lines be taut,and your pans filled with grease and sounds of the sweet fry.

I guess Joe, but I added it more for the vibration thinking in muddy water gills could locate it easier.I usually throw small spinners for gills in high muddy conditions but like the spoon for its ability to take it down to the fish ...gonna start using this more and see if the combo has its day

Alright!John McKeans here!!

Bull gils is the game finatic is the name. Great site looking forward to the tactics and knowledge.

First time using the spinner/spoon/ worm rig.... a rainy muddy water concept...this fish and others were caught casting to a 3-4ft. flat adjacent to a dropoff of perhaps 6-10 ft or more shortly before a storm and little cold front...need to test this drifting and trolling

John, I re-posted your pic for a better view....this page will stretch pics that are wider than 600 pixels.

Bob, as to your question about hooks, the single hook that comes with the Swedish pimple is by far the best single hook...it has a larger eye to better accomodate the split ring....the Mustad Oshaugnessy hook is only to be used with spoons like the Acme Kastmaster, as they do not include a single hook with their product......Snaps are snaps, just make sure it's a cross lock snap and not a safety pin snap.

The spinner/spoon combo is easy to assemble but read through my discussions on "Spoon Chuckers "for its drawbacks as well as pluses...I had some old Eagle claw snelled spinner rigs designed for small trout/Panfish and the hooks rusted..so I cutoff the spinners/clevis's and beads and utilized them this way.

My spinner /spoon worked well today ,caught alot of BG/Bass and White Perch...but a drawback is the spinner seperates from the spoon while casting (maybe if it was mounted on a shafted spoon it would be better.I'm thinking the added spinner/Spoon combo is better for trolling and drifting spoons . I'll continue to use it under muddy or badly off colored rainy water though as I think it is still a trigger to some degree. Fish feel a spinner I think better than a spoon and I'm using it more for vibration than flash...Its a tiny spinner and the spoon has the flash and perhaps a little more flash and bigger profile from the added spinner works better under the conditions of cloudy visibility for the fish.

John, As far as your spinner blade seperating from your spoon, you can try putting 2 or 3 colored beads ahead of the clevis and blade. Then take a round toothpick and a micro amount of superglue, place the dab on the bead furthers away from your blade and let it set up. It will hold your bead in place and not affect anything else. Just be very sparing with that stuff. You'll get the hang of it in very short order. It should work fine for you. Bob

Thanks Bob that tip sounds like it'll work.Thanks for your in put!

Bass inhales spoon/spinner

Very cool. Looks like that bass had no problem with your spinner/spoon set-up. Did you try the super glue idea? Bob

No Bob I got your message after this outing! I'll have to try it and get back to you...thanks!

Alright chuckers, I scored with the spoon. Nothing big yet.

Alright. I used Gulp worms tonight spooning, and they certainly did not compare with nightcrawler pieces. Are other Gulp products better than the earthworms?

Comment by John Sheehan 39 seconds ago Delete Comment I also can not compare Gulp with real worms from my yard.
I have not found fish that were really interested in the Gulp and I think its messier than live worms and more expensive.I am still not impressed with GulpI'll stick with worms for now.

I haven't seen the maggots in this area yet. I have seen the red colored e-worms. Anyone tried the nightcrawler Gulp?

Guys ,what do you think is this a BG/SF Hybrid?

Hey fellow spoonchuckers was out this morn and used a couple different baits with some success on fryer gills. Used a diamond jig with little atoms tails and a hammered purple swede tipped with waxies.The gills hammered both but the swede by far received many more hits then the fish became uninterested around 8. This particular lake I dont cast for the gills I always do better just deadsticking with the occasional jig motion.

Soonchuckers happened to have the chance to fish a beautiful 1 acre or so private pond this late afternoon.We used some crawlers ,jigs and waxies and a 1/4 oz swede tipped with the wax.Bill I think I am getting the hang of this a lil better and pretty much have the correct lift and drop method as I could see the swede roll on the drop.

Was a mixed bag today of most small for their 7inch size gills,crappies , a few white bass and what I beleive was a carp just couldn't get teh hook in good enough to get her up to shore.

Sunday evening I had my first chance of using a rfs. I was cleared to fish a 2 acre pond so took advantage. We landed about 8 or so 9" to 10" gills quickly and landed a 17" crappie!! We were using a 1/8 oz blue rfs tipped with 2 Gulp maggots. I too cannot wait to perfect this spoonchuckers lifestyle.

Rick, sounds like you had a great start. I have shared this methodology with literally thousands of fisherman, most of which have failed to properly present the bait in the presence of fish, and simply lose interest, and fail to build up any confidence in the lure, and quickly return to the tip toe/finesse approach.

I'm keeping my eye out for the 16th oz Mepps Bantam Syclops spoon. when finding myself in tackle shops.It comes with a single hook.

http://www.mepps.com/current_catalog/2009/09mp_26_bantam_syclops_lite.pdf

Bill, I hit Lake Geneva yesterday for the first time this year (on open water). Fished Geneva Bay and the flats area. Geneva Bay produced best but you had to be on or near weeds. Caught mostly Pumpkinseeds vs. Gills. Used a 1/8 ounce Little Atom Knacker spoon tipped with a crawler chunk. My partner was using a Swedish Pimple tipped with waxies. I tried dropshotting but that wasn't effective yesterday. We also tried the west end of Cisco Bay but that only produced micro perch.

Thanks, guys. I just ordered a half doz to get into some serious spoonin!

Blue Fox Rattlin Flash Spoons: http://www.overstockbait.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=Rattlin+Flash+spoons&Search.x=9&Search.y=10

what kind of places and times of year are spoons good to fish in rivers?

Hi Guys, I see where a lot of people are doing well down deeper with heavier spoons, and I agree with that presentation. However, I still get the majority of bluegill bites on those terrific rocking,fluttering little Microspoons,tipped with either a waxworm or a part of a red worm. These are easy get down to depth with a little trick that an oldtimer specialist once showed me - about 8"up line tie in 2 or 3 interlinked snap swivels, size 12 or 14. These don't pinch line like split shots,give line twist protection,cast great, and have the "just right" sinking to keep the Microspoon very active with its unique downward wobble.

Doug I usually use a couple of waxworms.This has produced more than just gills for me.

John, newbie question here. What do you mean by 2 or 3 interlinked snap swivels? do you have a photo? Thanks -Bryan

Bryan,Just open the snap and hook it though the ring of the next swivel,until you have several in a row, This "chain linkage" is almost like having a few inches of trolling leaded line directly on your line for casting & weighting.

Doug, a few years back, fishing in the Thousand Islands section of the St Lawrence River (NY) I used a 2" double tailed curly plastic as tipping -over deep humps and edges of weedbeds (18') the really big gills up there slammed this plastic. I don't believe it is made anymore-called a "Cat Claw",due to the unique parallel facing twister type tails. I got literally hundreds of hefty panfish on this dressing.Best I ever used for BIG gills! Fortunately I have nearly a lifetime stash of these actionized tails!

So I'm assuming that the single hook that comes with the rattlin' spoon is the way to go as opposed to the treble?

Charles, are you tipping the hook with plastic or live bait?

This group is taking on a life of it's own. Congratulations.

North American Spoon Chuckers is to Big Bluegill as The Jefferson's were to All in the Family. ;-)

Just joined the group and haven't tried a spoon yet. First question, can you just tie it on a start casting, or do you have to add swivels or anything else to prevent line twist? If you were just starting out, which spoon would be the best one to start with?

Marty, see this blog on spoon rigging http://www.bigbluegill.com/profiles/blogs/deep-water-spoon-presentation

Or see my video entitled spoons.
http://www.bigbluegill.com/video/spoons-1

Quote
North American Spoon Chuckers is to Big Bluegill as The Jefferson's were to All in the Family. ;-) Lol!.............

I was thinking more like....what Kramer is to Stienfeld!

Rattlin Flash spoon (Fire Tiger)in 3-5 ' depths took a Rainbow Trout as well as many BGills W and Y Perch in the rain yesterday.Even took two gills on a plain spoon after getting them worked up with small worm pieces.Great fun!