The spoon is one of the oldest types of lures, and they have been catching just about every different species for generations. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Paul Mueller is an avid multi-species angler and uses spoons for just most of what he chases, including bass. The spoon has proven to be one of his top producers both in open water and through the ice. Over the years he has developed a way to fish a spoon that appeals to fish in extreme cold and heat as well as for finicky and pressured bass. He calls it shaking a spoon.
His spoon shaking technique includes two parts, and he adjusts it based on what he sees on his Garmin Panoptix Livescope electronics. He will either keep it right above fish to get their attention or hit the spoon into the bottom to get them curious and elicit a strike. He shared a little more about how he does each of these and also a little more about what he is looking for in a spoon.
The Right Spoon
“You should see my spoon boxes, I have tons of them from all brands that I have used over the years,” he begins. “I’ve basically stopped throwing them all for bass because the Reins Palpuntin is perfect for this technique. It is compact, narrow, and more responsive,” he says. “You can shake it and keep it in place almost like you can with a drop-shot rig. Other spoons will flutter and kick out too easily.”
The Palpuntin spoon comes in several sizes from 2 grams (.07ounce) to 11 grams (.38 ounce) and uses them all. “For ice fishing, I like the 2, 3.5 and 5g. For this technique where I am shaking it in open water, I’ll use the 3.5, 5, and 7g,” he says. He added that the heavier 9 and 11g work great as open-water spoons with the traditional spoon approach of popping the rod and letting it fall back down.
Spoon Modifications
Since this technique utilizes aggressive rod movements and shaking, modifying the hook is crucial. “If you don’t, you will tangle the treble with your line right away,” he says.
More on mods and other spoon shaking info
More on mods and other spoon shaking info
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