Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By DOUG HEMMER
Published November 3, 2005

The small size of bait schooling along the flats makes this a great time to pull out the spoons. Gold or silver spoons a quarter-inch to half-inch in size are perfect lures to imitate the flash of a smaller bait fish.

The trick to using a spoon is the speed of the retrieve. Reel too slow and the spoon will hang in the grass, too quick and the spoon will spin too fast. The fast retrieve will make the spoon flash unnaturally. The best presentation is to reel just fast enough to keep it above the grass.

Look for areas with movement on the surface, birds working the area or schools of mullet. Cast as far as possible and close the bail by hand just before the spoon hits the water. Keep the rod tip high and start your retrieve as soon as the spoon sinks under the surface. Drift and fan cast the area until you reach the end of the drift.

Sometimes there is a need to use a modified spoon. In areas of heavy surface grass, use a spoon with a weedless stem. If the water is extremely clear, the flash of the spoon will be unnaturally bright. I combat this by spraying one side of the spoon with black paint or lightly dusting each side. This should be done at home before leaving for a fishing trip. To help cut down on line twist, place a barrel swivel on a slip ring and attach it to the front of the spoon. After a few hours of casting, cut off the spoon and drag 50 yards of line behind the boat. This will take all the twist out of your line.

Doug Hemmer charters out of St. Petersburg. Call (727) 347-1389.

[Last modified November 3, 2005, 01:07:13]