The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-05-25
SPOONS AND SPlNNERS.

My Dear Buck:
You wonder where the spoon gets
| its big drag with the fishermen; well,
old top, for trolling and casting, the
old reliable spoon Is probably more
generally used than any other kind
of lure. You can check this up in
your memory book, it often gets
the fish when other lures fail to coax
the big fms out of the wet.
or course the spoon don't look like
any natural bait, nor does 1t appear to
the beginner as a particularly attrac-
tive feed for hungry fish, but it
does the one thing necessary in the
fishing game, and that is, it attracts
the fish. After you have had spoon
bent double by an over-zealous fish
trying to inhale 1t, you will realize
that it is sure some attractor.
Accidental Discovery Of Spoon.
Way back in your A, B. G days, so
piscatorial historians claim, an old
sour-dough was washing his one spoon
and plate after a repast Of Johnny
cake and bacon, when by accident the
spoon Topped into the water and did
salome down to the bottom. AS the
spoon zig-zagged down through the
water he noticed the quick, sharp
flashes of light reflected from the
bowl of the spoon, and at the same
time a lake trout getting the light
flashes, made a lunge for the spoon,
dulled his teeth on 1t and beat 1t.
Thanks to the old "hard-panner" and
his ability to assimilate an idea, we
have the legion of spoon bats today.
He rescued the spoon, cut off the
bowl, bored a hole in each end, linked
hook in one end and line in the
other, and ate fish for supper that
night.
The changes that have been made
In the old original spoon In shape,
size and decorations, runs up into the
hundreds. They are plain, fluted,
grooved, hammered, corrugated, rib
bed, and whatnot, and as long
as they spin around in the wa
ter they get the fish. You can get
them in gold, silver. nickel, copper.
brass or enamel. and II you tried out
the whole kit, you'd be busy the rest
or the season without q layoff for
grub.
Great STUFF for Trolling.
For trolling the spoon hook will
hold its own any time. Bass, pickerel,
pike and muskie like to give 1t the
once-over as 1t glides through the wa
ter shooting its light shafts in all d.
rections. It can be seen for quite
hn
used either with plain hooks or with q
feathered or buck-tailed treble hook. A
single hook with a minnow, sinner,
frog or pork rind works well with q
spoon.
For bass, No. 3 tandem Hide
brandt Slim Eli or Standard shape or
Skinner No. 8 Fluted Spoon
makes a selection that will help fill
the stringer, while pickerel and muskie
require larger sized spoon, say a
No. 6 to 10, for single spoon, and
No. 6 for the tandem spinner.
For casting you will need No. 3
single spoon which you can use with
out any other bait or with an eyed
fly or natural bats. A strip Of pork
rind cut to the shape of minnow and
used with the No. 3 spoon makes a
bait that is a sure enough killer"
AS long as you keep it moving IN
the water, spoon will turn around
and you have q chance at attracting
the fish, but leaving it die slow
death, and merely come through the
water without any action is loss Of
time to you. It's the movement and
the light shafts from the spoon that
attract the fish, and it's up to you to
keep the bait moving.
On its way to glory the little old
spoon has even been copied by the
trout fisherman and on dull day
a small Colorado spinner can be seen
better than the fly alone. Often when
the trout fails to take the fly on the
surface, they will give 1t the "close-
up" IL sunk to the depth where they
lie, with spoon for helper Early
in the season when the waters are
high and roily as well as clouded with
mud, the spinner Is an asset to the |
trout fisherman.
For after-dark fishing, which is the |
time the big ones are generally on the |
still hunt for feed, the Pfueger-Tan-
dem luminous spinner makes a good |
bait. This is also fine for moon
light trolling. The luminous spinner |
must be exposed to the sunlight be- |
fore using at night, the same as the |
artificial plugs used for night fishing. |
When all other lures fail you can
generally count on getting the fish |
IL you fall back on the spoon, either
in trolling or casting, and your tackle |
box is not complete, old man, unless |
you are prepared for emergencies with |
a selection of single and tandem spoons |
and spinners in nickel, brass and cop
per. Just remember this, however, |
keep them well polished and when you