The secret to spoons

Lafitte guides tell how to avoid dreaded line twist

I’ve never liked fishing spoons. Maybe it’s because I never gave them the chance. Maybe it’s because I’ve never caught much on them.

Maybe it’s because I’m just unable to figure them out (yeah, I know, it’s not that difficult).

More than likely, it’s because of the inherent line twist with which I always have to deal.

But, whatever the reason, I usually put up a spoon within five casts, moving to lures in which I have more confidence.

So when guides Dominick Ochello, Colby Creppel and Casey Rojas pulled out gold spoons on a recent trip, I could only groan.

But these lifelong Lafitte anglers, who work for Griffin Fishing Charters, use them for one reason — they work.

“Redfish like to hang out around that grass, and spoons work through grass easily,” Creppel explained.

Of course, they flash and sashay around in the water seductively.

I was still skeptical, but the guide said it’s very simple to rig what they swear are dynamite lures.

First, you simply have to use a swivel if you fish with mono. That, the guides promised me, would allow the lure to work properly without causing twists in the main line.

Yep, that’s one of my problems. I never take the time to add a leader.

Creppel said he simply ties on a swivel and then adds about a 1 1/2-foot mono leader.

But Ochello had some better news for me.

“If you use braid, you don’t have to use a swivel,” he said. “In fact, you’re better off without it.”

He couldn’t explain the reason, but Ochello said braid just doesn’t suffer from line twist.

However, Creppel said he’ll still attach a mono leader when he’s using braid.

“A lot of times, if that water is real clear, that fish can see that braid,” he said.

While spoons now come in all kinds of colors, Ochello said there’s a clear stand-out.

“Nine out of 10 times, a gold spoon is better,” he said.

When worked through scattered grass, the flash of a spoon is almost too tempting for reds to pass up.

I think I’ll try one on my next trip. But I might have to leave all my other lures at home.