I see tons of posts and data on trolling here, but I was wondering if I troll with a big ole spoon like a dardevle or acme kastmaster will I just end up with pike? or will the eyes hit those?

You can catch everything with them.

You could catch a walleye on a spoon, people do, but I never have. Stick with a shad rap or husky jerk for eyes. The most important thing is to get the lure in front of the fish. Now that I think of it, I've caught hundreds of walleyes on spoons vertically jigging through the ice...

Might be hard to find ice in August... ;-)

I've caught walleye on spoons, usually I'm doing more of a jigging presentation with it than trolling. Almost all walleye I've caught on spoons have been on a red and white daredevil. Like lundojam said, though, there's probably better lures out there for trolling walleye than spoons.

Walleye are major suckers for spoons. Tournaments have been won with spoons and thousands of fish are taken out of Lake Erie every year on spoons.

Probably the primary reason guys do better on crank baits is they tend to dive where spoons tend to rise in the water column. Fish spoons near the bottom and expect to connect. But that is easier said than done with a lure which naturally tends to rise and a fish (walleye) which is often loathe to leave the security of the bottom.

On Lake Erie most anglers run flutter spoons in combination with small dipsy divers or in line weights. Spoons are going to be a big part of my walleye strategy this summer in WCPP. Sutton Flutter Spoons in combination with Offshore Tackles Tad Polly (diving planer) or snap weights. Of course this is a trolling application.

Whatever your offering make sure it is near bottom and you should catch them. Personally I believe spoons are underutilized and are a good big fish offering.

mastertangler: "Walleye are major suckers for spoons. Tournaments have been won with spoons and thousands of fish are taken out of Lake Erie every year on spoons.


Probably the primary reason guys do better on crank baits is they tend to dive where spoons tend to rise in the water column. Fish spoons near the bottom and expect to connect. But that is easier said than done with a lure which naturally tends to rise and a fish (walleye) which is often loathe to leave the security of the bottom.


On Lake Erie most anglers run flutter spoons in combination with small dipsy divers or in line weights. Spoons are going to be a big part of my walleye strategy this summer in WCPP. Sutton Flutter Spoons in combination with Offshore Tackles Tad Polly (diving planer) or snap weights. Of course this is a trolling application.


Whatever your offering make sure it is near bottom and you should catch them. Personally I believe spoons are underutilized and are a good big fish offering. "

Walleyes do suspend, especially the big ones like on Erie.

AmarilloJim: "

mastertangler: "Walleye are major suckers for spoons. Tournaments have been won with spoons and thousands of fish are taken out of Lake Erie every year on spoons.



Probably the primary reason guys do better on crank baits is they tend to dive where spoons tend to rise in the water column. Fish spoons near the bottom and expect to connect. But that is easier said than done with a lure which naturally tends to rise and a fish (walleye) which is often loathe to leave the security of the bottom.



On Lake Erie most anglers run flutter spoons in combination with small dipsy divers or in line weights. Spoons are going to be a big part of my walleye strategy this summer in WCPP. Sutton Flutter Spoons in combination with Offshore Tackles Tad Polly (diving planer) or snap weights. Of course this is a trolling application.



Whatever your offering make sure it is near bottom and you should catch them. Personally I believe spoons are underutilized and are a good big fish offering. "

Walleyes do suspend, especially the big ones like on Erie."

Yes I totally agree.......and in that situation spoons can really shine. But I am already long winded and big suspended fish are the land of the more experienced dedicated anglers. If the average joe places his spoon near the bottom he will definitely connect with walleye.

The suspended walleye bite on Erie ain't what it used to be. I do not know what is happening on the Canadian side but in Michigan and Ohio waters the zebra mussels have cleared the water and put the fish down. We fish strictly on the bottom where in the 80's and early 90's we would fish weight forward spinners mid depth. Those were some incredible days.

spoons , definitely not a walleye presistation or application. can it happen of course. and a big ole daredevil and a large kastmaster is a world apart , JS ,
i'm no walleye expert but you do want to tick bottom from time to time , or know what your crankbait is exactly running in depth .

shock: "spoons , definitely not a walleye presistation or application.
"

Well I am hoping your wrong Shock........Sutton Flutter Spoons are going to see substantial duty on my upcoming WCPP trip which is targeted first and foremost at walleye of the larger variety.

The plan is to couple them with diving planers and snap weights to keep them within a few feet of the bottom. I might also troll mid depth if I can mark some fish.

Spoons work for Walleye!
I catch them on Suttons with a three way rig slow trolled. It is right in there with spinners or crankbaits as far as effectiveness although it never has out produced the hot color crank or spinner pattern but they are definately better than 85% of the other wrong crank size and spinner colors. A lot of guys fish Hopkins spoons like jigs. They work well but a jig will work just as well. IMO. If you found the fish just let a leech dangle over them and you can catch all the fish instead of just some.

The key on trolling some Suttons is to troll them slow enough - watch how slow you have to go while the spoon is on the side of the canoe. Don't let them spin out while trolling or dropping the line down or reeling up as it will twist despite the three way.

A side note- Sutton's will clean house on largish Northern. One of the best lures IMO.

Good luck!

Spoons work for Walleye!
I catch them on Suttons with a three way rig slow trolled. It is right in there with spinners or crankbaits as far as effectiveness although it never has out produced the hot color crank or spinner pattern but they are definately better than 85% of the other wrong crank size and spinner colors. A lot of guys fish Hopkins spoons like jigs. They work well but a jig will work just as well. IMO. If you found the fish just let a leech dangle over them and you can catch all the fish instead of just some.

The key on trolling some Suttons is to troll them slow enough - watch how slow you have to go while the spoon is on the side of the canoe. Don't let them spin out while trolling or dropping the line down or reeling up as it will twist despite the three way.

A side note- Sutton's will clean house on largish Northern. One of the best lures IMO.

Good luck!

Spoons work for Walleye!
I catch them on Suttons with a three way rig slow trolled. It is right in there with spinners or crankbaits as far as effectiveness although it never has out produced the hot color crank or spinner pattern but they are definately better than 85% of the other wrong crank size and spinner colors. A lot of guys fish Hopkins spoons like jigs. They work well but a jig will work just as well. IMO. If you found the fish just let a leech dangle over them and you can catch all the fish instead of just some.

The key on trolling some Suttons is to troll them slow enough - watch how slow you have to go while the spoon is on the side of the canoe. Don't let them spin out while trolling or dropping the line down or reeling up as it will twist despite the three way.

A side note- Sutton's will clean house on largish Northern. One of the best lures IMO.

Good luck!

Mackinaw.........how often do you lose your Sutton spoons to pike? Do you fish a leader?

I have replaced the trebles with siwash single salmon hooks to get a deeper bite on some of the bigger fish.

I have $100 worth of Sutton Spoons going but I don't want to go through them like candy. I have several light wire knot-2-Kinky titanium leaders but I would prefer to fish straight fluorocarbon if I could get away with it.

I was not sure which style spoon to use so I just got 2 of several styles to see which ones I liked. So far, playing around with them I haven't seen one I didn't like. But I guess the fish will tell me.

Hard to fish the 3 way in anything other than a motorboat IMO especially in a solo. I'll try hard to fish bottom but it might be tough by myself. Results and trip report, the good, the bad and the ugly, forthcoming.

mastertangler: "Mackinaw.........how often do you lose your Sutton spoons to pike? Do you fish a leader?


I have replaced the trebles with siwash single salmon hooks to get a deeper bite on some of the bigger fish.


I have $100 worth of Sutton Spoons going but I don't want to go through them like candy. I have several light wire knot-2-Kinky titanium leaders but I would prefer to fish straight fluorocarbon if I could get away with it.


I was not sure which style spoon to use so I just got 2 of several styles to see which ones I liked. So far, playing around with them I haven't seen one I didn't like. But I guess the fish will tell me.


Hard to fish the 3 way in anything other than a motorboat IMO especially in a solo. I'll try hard to fish bottom but it might be tough by myself. Results and trip report, the good, the bad and the ugly, forthcoming. "

I would try flouro and switch if you lose a few lures. I like the action from a mono set up but I have never tried a titanium leader. I can't say I have a huge sample size but I would say 1 in 8 you lose to the teeth of 30+" Northern with 6-8 lb mono which is way better than typical. There is something about a pure silver lure that just messes with the Northern. Another Silver lure that I wished they made bigger is the silver size 6 Vibrex . A real numbers casting lure for Northern if there ever was one.

If you fish mornings the wind will be low so trolling with a canoe should be easy and you can get into the zone with a slow troll with the occasional rod sweeps. You should do well. If you have a Cisco/Tulibee forage base fish/troll the Sutton suspended ocasionally. Points that look like Buck Perry spoon plugging hotspots seem to hold the biggest fish (Northern).

The old Sutton strikes a deep cord with me - Family owned, American Made, A Long History in an old school small town and it works as well or sometimes better than anything else.
It isn't magic but it is a good tool for the job!



If I were going after big Wally's I would bobber fish a jumbo leech at sunset until 2 hrs + after over the top of the sexiest spot on top of a reef or off a point. Your experiment with trolling Suttons will be interesting. I have caught them on Suttons during the day but nothing extremely huge. I typically troll 15 ft during day fishing and bobber fish top of structure during "prime time". Maybe running the Sutton deeper will tag a few big Tulli forage Walleye but all I seem to catch are Lakers that deep but then I tend to fish lakes with Lake Trout and without Wallys when going trolling that deep.

Good luck!

I don't know what the deal is with bigger walleye in WCPP at least during August. On Basswood or Quetico I can expect to troll up at least 2 or 3 eyes in the 26" class per day, sometimes much better. But last time in WCPP I had a tough time catching any over 22" but plenty of them.

Live bait might be the equalizer but I'm off on another far flung exploratory type trip so I ditched the whole 500 crawler flat until I nail things down a bit more. Probably will live bait fish next time around. For now I'm going to look around.

You are fishing your Sutton Spoons on super light tackle? I was figuring 12 fluorocarbon. To heavy? Plus floro is stiffer.......I wonder if that will deaden the action since floro is stiffer? Hmmmm..........maybe I should get some 8lb green XT?

Well, like anything with fishing, tons of opinions and options! I will try spoons for the eyes and see what happens.... I'll post my trip report with fish counts/types/lures and lakes, but wont be going till Aug 18th. Thanks all!

We caught pike and one walleye while trolling a spoon, it was a lil cleo, we use them for salmon and steel head here in Indiana, was about 5" long.

Trolling Great Lakes flutter spoons is my secret inland Smallmouth weapon. I slow troll them on a slightly different 3-way rig to a heavier sinker, only the weight leader is longer, as in 3'-4' longer and the leader to the spoon is short, 1' max. It works almost like a slow trolled drop shot rig. The weight will be 3/4-1oz minimum pencil lead but any sinker really will work.

Just slowly troll (really more a fast drift) with the sinker banging bottom and it really wakes up the mule smallies in summer. I'm almost convinced the sinker stirring up bottom triggers them. I don't really fish Pickeral lakes but I've caught enough incidental Lakers fishing for deep Smallies that I'm sure Pickeral would hit them too.

As for nuttiest spoon caught fish, the biggest Largemouth I've caught out of my favourite chain of fishing canoe lakes came on a big Len Thompson casting for pike off a mid-lake shoal. No idea what a 6lb bass was doing there, but it sure surpised the heck out of me.

mastertangler: "I don't know what the deal is with bigger walleye in WCPP at least during August. On Basswood or Quetico I can expect to troll up at least 2 or 3 eyes in the 26" class per day, sometimes much better. But last time in WCPP I had a tough time catching any over 22" but plenty of them.


Live bait might be the equalizer but I'm off on another far flung exploratory type trip so I ditched the whole 500 crawler flat until I nail things down a bit more. Probably will live bait fish next time around. For now I'm going to look around.


You are fishing your Sutton Spoons on super light tackle? I was figuring 12 fluorocarbon. To heavy? Plus floro is stiffer.......I wonder if that will deaden the action since floro is stiffer? Hmmmm..........maybe I should get some 8lb green XT? "

I most often use 12# fluoro as my leader while trolling Suttons for lake trout. Not a problem at all for deadening the spoon action. As mentioned above, go slow enough for your spoon. Some models need to go slower than others. I would guess a light Knot2Kinky leader would be fine. The McAree walleye did not mind the 12# leader. On a stained lake it should be a non-issue.

I have never removed the hook from a Sutton spoon. I love the solid rings that come stock. The light trebles are plenty strong and hook very well. I've caught a good number of LT up to 14# (weighed on the Boga) with stock hooks. Never had one bend out. That being said, single siwash hooks do hook well. Sometimes too well. I've had fish bleed out that had the single hook penetrating the back of the throat.

what are you using to prevent line twist?

Pinetree: "what are you using to prevent line twist?"

Yes, good question about line twist. I don't know about rpike but I am definitely slapping on a Sampo. I like the solid rings as well and fortunately the Siwash hooks are open eyed and just slide on. Deep hooking can be a problem with any hook if it gets into the gills.

Dilligaf0220: "Trolling Great Lakes flutter spoons is my secret inland Smallmouth weapon. I slow troll them on a slightly different 3-way rig to a heavier sinker, only the weight leader is longer, as in 3'-4' longer and the leader to the spoon is short, 1' max. It works almost like a slow trolled drop shot rig. The weight will be 3/4-1oz minimum pencil lead but any sinker really will work.


Just slowly troll (really more a fast drift) with the sinker banging bottom and it really wakes up the mule smallies in summer. I'm almost convinced the sinker stirring up bottom triggers them. I don't really fish Pickeral lakes but I've caught enough incidental Lakers fishing for deep Smallies that I'm sure Pickeral would hit them too.
"

Super interesting rig. Do you just use a regular 3 way swivel? The short leader to the spoon do you use a ball bearing swivel at the spoon or just tie direct? What lb test? Fluorocarbon or reg mono? Do you occasionally bounce the sinker or just let it drag?

mastertangler: "

Dilligaf0220: "Trolling Great Lakes flutter spoons is my secret inland Smallmouth weapon. I slow troll them on a slightly different 3-way rig to a heavier sinker, only the weight leader is longer, as in 3'-4' longer and the leader to the spoon is short, 1' max. It works almost like a slow trolled drop shot rig. The weight will be 3/4-1oz minimum pencil lead but any sinker really will work.



Just slowly troll (really more a fast drift) with the sinker banging bottom and it really wakes up the mule smallies in summer. I'm almost convinced the sinker stirring up bottom triggers them. I don't really fish Pickeral lakes but I've caught enough incidental Lakers fishing for deep Smallies that I'm sure Pickeral would hit them too.
"

Super interesting rig. Do you just use a regular 3 way swivel? The short leader to the spoon do you use a ball bearing swivel at the spoon or just tie direct? What lb test? Fluorocarbon or reg mono? Do you occasionally bounce the sinker or just let it drag? "

Usually just a barrel swivel on the braid mainline, then snaps at either working ends to change spoons & weights. The bait leader gets tied to the bottom ring of the barrel swivel. I buy swivels in bulk so just use what I already have.
It's an old trick that has been used as a search rig on Erie for years, atleast on the Canadian side. Works just as well on inland humps & shoals.

I'm usually fishing alone in the canoe so it's more dragging than banging, but the pencil leads are pretty snag resistant unless you're hard on bottom. I try for just the occasional tick, but being more on bottom is better than being more off bottom. Works a decent lead line too to feel out the structure, after awhile you can tell the difference between rock, sand, and mud.

I know one bearing swivel I still get twisted mono. Maybe if I go to a two swivel setup I will be fine. I do but the most expensive swivel just hoping for no twists.

mastertangler: "

Pinetree: "what are you using to prevent line twist?"

Yes, good question about line twist. I don't know about rpike but I am definitely slapping on a Sampo. I like the solid rings as well and fortunately the Siwash hooks are open eyed and just slide on. Deep hooking can be a problem with any hook if it gets into the gills.


"

I like a ball bearing swivel somewhere in the mix. Usually I use a ball bearing snap swivel to attach the spoon. A little more flash there never hurt. I'm also usually using a jet diver or fish seeker, so I have a fixed length of leader to the spoon - which limits twist to just that leader section. If I'm using snap weights, I always have a ball bearing swivel snap at the spoon.

Dilligaf0220: "

mastertangler: "

Dilligaf0220: "Trolling Great Lakes flutter spoons is my secret inland Smallmouth weapon. I slow troll them on a slightly different 3-way rig to a heavier sinker, only the weight leader is longer, as in 3'-4' longer and the leader to the spoon is short, 1' max. It works almost like a slow trolled drop shot rig. The weight will be 3/4-1oz minimum pencil lead but any sinker really will work.



Just slowly troll (really more a fast drift) with the sinker banging bottom and it really wakes up the mule smallies in summer. I'm almost convinced the sinker stirring up bottom triggers them. I don't really fish Pickeral lakes but I've caught enough incidental Lakers fishing for deep Smallies that I'm sure Pickeral would hit them too.
"

Super interesting rig. Do you just use a regular 3 way swivel? The short leader to the spoon do you use a ball bearing swivel at the spoon or just tie direct? What lb test? Fluorocarbon or reg mono? Do you occasionally bounce the sinker or just let it drag? "

Usually just a barrel swivel on the braid mainline, then snaps at either working ends to change spoons & weights. The bait leader gets tied to the bottom ring of the barrel swivel. I buy swivels in bulk so just use what I already have.
It's an old trick that has been used as a search rig on Erie for years, atleast on the Canadian side. Works just as well on inland humps & shoals.


I'm usually fishing alone in the canoe so it's more dragging than banging, but the pencil leads are pretty snag resistant unless you're hard on bottom. I try for just the occasional tick, but being more on bottom is better than being more off bottom. Works a decent lead line too to feel out the structure, after awhile you can tell the difference between rock, sand, and mud."

Thanks!

I have read where the Japanese pro (who makes the senkos, name escapes me) won a high dollar tournament on Lake Erie (near penn / New York ) by fishing for monster smallies in 40 ft and deeper during mid summer.

My own experience on Basswood in August showed me big smallies in a featureless basin at 40 ft. I often will run something and I was quite surprised to have the biggest smallmouths of the trip (by far) hit a mid depth crank bait. I looked more carefully and seen numerous marks on bottom. This flutter spoon rig might just be the cats meow in that situation. I like the short lead length for the spoon........probably not something I would of gravitated to on my own,