Using spoons is a great way to catch early ice crappies when ice fishing on those first trips of the season. Where has the fall gone, we have gone from late summer conditions straight into winter weather. We fishermen truly enjoy our fall fishing and are missing out on it this year, but what is this doing to the fish?
The fish usually have a time frame in which they can adjust themselves to the winter mode of feeding and follow the water cooling trends. This year, they have been forced much quicker into preparing for the winter months and having to start their feeding mode. For the last month or so, they had been scattered in smaller groups, but finally now, getting into their early winter schools.
Lure selection, at this time of year, comes to something that can get to these fish quickly, has some sort of noise built in to attract these feeding fish, and always have a flash factor. Late fall right into early winter ice, spoons are the choice for some fast action for these heavily feeding fish as they are constantly looking for a quick and bigger profile meal.
The Northland Buck-Shot® Rattle Spoon fits right into this category and comes in a wide array of color selections, 10 variations, top that off with 6 different weight selections that not only work very well for panfish but, also all the other predator fish as well. The built-in rattle chamber makes a variety of noises and by working the spoon in a variety of different ways, you can fine-tune what those fish are looking for.
You can entice the fish into biting, by using the spoon without anything on it, just from the action and noise factor, but giving it something as an addition, is going to help the catch ratio. There are many things that can be added to the trebles for attractants from plastic baits, waxworms, minnows, and minnow heads.
These spoons can be fished through any type of cover from weeds, to around rocks and through timber with some care. Fishing them in the weeds, looking for some of those pockets, works wonders as the fish will relate there on those tough high pressure days. On more normal days, working this spoon over the weeds will attract fish from great distances.
As we get further into the colder months, moving out into the basin areas of the lake can prove more productive, as these fish start to roam more. Wherever you like to fish, the Buck-Shot will help you locate, draw the fish in and catch numbers of fish. These spoons will attract fish from a distance and with the sharp hooks, keep them hooked up as well.
Add some noise to your presentation the next time that you head out and enjoy thumping some spoons around and catching some of those better fish.