sport fishing Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is occupational fishing activities done for profit; or subsistence fishing, ...

, a spoon lure is a

fishing lure A fishing lure is any of a broad category of inedible, artificial fishing baits designed to be " fake food" that mimic the appearances of prey and thus attract the attention of predatory fish when angling. Lures come in many shapes and designs t ...

usually made of

lustrous Lustre (Commonwealth English) or luster (American English; see spelling differences) is the way light interacts with the surface of a crystal, rock, or mineral. The word traces its origins back to the Latin ''lux'', meaning "light", and general ...

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

and with an oblong, usually concave shape like the bowl of a

spoon A spoon (, ) is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a table setting, place setting, it ...

. The spoon lure is mainly used to attract

predatory fish Predatory fish are hypercarnivorous fish that actively prey upon other fish or aquatic animals, with examples including shark, billfish, barracuda, alligator gar, tuna, dolphinfish, walleye, perch and salmon. Some omnivorous fish, such as t ...

specular reflection Specular reflection, or regular reflection, is the mirror-like reflection (physics), reflection of waves, such as light, from a surface. The law of reflection states that a reflected ray (optics), ray of light emerges from the reflecting surf ...

of light, as well as the

turbulence In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is fluid motion characterized by chaotic changes in pressure and flow velocity. It is in contrast to laminar flow, which occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers with no disruption between ...

s it creates when moving in water. The design of the spoon lure is simple: the oblong, concave blade shape of the spoon will cause it to wabble

random In common usage, randomness is the apparent or actual lack of definite pattern or predictability in information. A random sequence of events, symbols or steps often has no order and does not follow an intelligible pattern or combination. ...

ly when towed or sinking through water, creating sparkles of light reflection that resemble those of a swimming

bait fish 300px, Feeder Goldfish are common baitfish. Bait fish (or baitfish) are small-sized fish caught and used by anglers as bait to attract larger predatory fish, particularly game fish. Baitfish species are typically those that are common and bre ...

's scales when looking from afar. The spoon wabbling also stirs up turbulences that can entice the fish to stalk and strike it. Fish normally use their

lateral line The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelia ...

system to follow the

vortices In fluid dynamics, a vortex (: vortices or vortexes) is a region in a fluid in which the flow revolves around an axis line, which may be straight or curved. Vortices form in stirred fluids, and may be observed in smoke rings, whirlpools in th ...

produced by fleeing prey, and the oscillating movements of the spoon lure can imitate these. Different color variations and materials can be added to the classic spoon lure may also help catch fish. Silver- or gold-plated or dyed finishes can give the lure a more vibrant or brilliant appearance. Most spoon lures have at least one

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

at the end, which tethers the fish's mouth when the fish swallows the spoon. While the basic principle of design has stayed the same over the years, application and use have changed somewhat. In its beginning, the spoon was used simply to cast and retrieve. However, as

trolling motors A trolling motor is a self-contained marine propulsion unit that includes an electric motor, propeller and control system, and is affixed to an angling, angler's boat, either at the bow (ship), bow or stern. A gasoline-powered outboard used in t ...

have become popular on most

fishing boat A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals (e.g. shrimps/prawns, krills, coleoids, etc.) in the sea, lake or river. Humans have used different kinds of surface vessels in commercial, arti ...

s, a new version of the classic was invented. This new breed of lure was nothing more than a duplicate of the traditional casting spoon, but made with thinner material. Using a trolling motor, fishermen could cover a wider expanse of water, increasing the chances for a successful day. Using split shots or other forms of weights, fishermen could easily zero into their fishing lures' depth while running at the proper speed. Armed with the ability to cover more area, average fishermen could take their spoon lures to any body of water, without full knowledge of the underwater geography that is key to catching some species of fish. The regular casting spoon (heavier version) is used primarily by fishermen who already know the water and what lies beneath. The angler, anchoring the boat 10 to 20 feet behind the area where the fish are believed to be, can cast the spoon beyond this point and retrieve through the given strike zone.

References

External links

The Jigging Spoon ~ How to Fish with Bass Fishing Lures
* Sternberg, Dick
''The Ultimate Guide to Freshwater Fishing.''
Publishing Solutions, Page 264. {{DEFAULTSORT:Spoon Lure Fishing equipment