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Secret Spoons
Discontinued
Secret Spoons really are effective trophy striped bass fishing lures.
Their unique action and design allows the angler to precisely
target stripers staging or feeding at specific depths.
Secret Spoons are very heavy and nearly 1lb heavier than
any other comparable bunker spoons. This means that
angler need to use less line to control the spoons depth. After
a few trips anglers will become confident that if they mark
fish, they will be able to catch them in nearly any depth or
conditions using Secret Spoons. Like any technique it
takes some practice to gain this confidence. See the
instructions below which will help accelerate the learning process.
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Model |
Design |
Color |
alltackle.com
Price |
Secure
Order |
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SIGNATURE
EDITION 1 POUND 9 Ounces |
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SS9BB |
Signature |
Bunker Blue |
Discontinued |
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STANDARD EDITION 1
POUND 9 Ounces |
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SS9W |
Standard |
White |
Discontinued |
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SS9T |
Standard |
Tortoise |
Discontinued |
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SS9Y |
Standard |
Yellow |
Discontinued |
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SS9CG |
Standard |
Chartreuse |
Discontinued |
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SS9C |
Standard |
Chrome |
Discontinued |
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SPECIAL SPOON TIPS FOR THE
FALL & SPRING!
Tip #1 - Fish the lower
third of the water column
We get dozens of questions every week about how deep to fish
bunker spoons. Though there are many times when the fish are
very high in the water column especially when actively feeding
on schooled up bait like bunker (menhaden, pogies, etc.), most
of the time the biggest fish are found in the lower third of the
water column. If you are fishing in 60ft of water, you need to
get your spoons down to at least 40ft.
This is why Secret Spoons are made so heavy! At 1lb-9oz these
spoons are nearly 1lb heavier than an other spoon. They require
no trolling (drail) weights to get down deep. At the proper
trolling speeds these spoons sink between 1.5ft and 2.0ft for
every 10 feet of wire. At the slower speeds you will need to put
out only 200ft of wire to get down to 40ft.
Tip #2 - Watch those
rod tips!
There is really no need to spend all your time trying to puzzle
out the right speed to run your boat. Experienced captains
almost never look at their instruments for speed information
when pulling spoons. Instead, they simply watch to rod tips and
adjust their speed until they see the distinctive pumping
action. when the rod is pumping with big slow pulses, the spoon
is wobbling back and forth and not spinning.
This is only one of the reasons why it is so important to use a
rod designed for pulling bunker spoons. These rods have a very
slow action and will pump or pulse when the spoon is working
correctly. Whenever using a new rod, simply drag your spoons
behind the boat where they are still visible. Adjust your speed
until the spoon is wobbling from side to side and observe the
pulse of the rod. The pulse will be slightly less because there
is so little line out of the reel, but you will get a good idea
of what the rod should be looking like.
Tip #3 - Don't forget to tighten
those screws!
The incredible action on these spoons will loosen the screws
holding the weights in place. Either add a few drops of Loctite
or be sure to check the screws every 15 minutes or so.
Color Selection
Secret Spoons
come in a variety of colors to suite every possible need.
Different colors are effective based on the type of bait in an
area, the light conditions, the depth being targeted, and
individual angler fishing styles. White is the most widely used
of all bunker spoons.
Bunker Spoons
are most effective when pulled in pairs, and many anglers run a
white spoon along with their "best guess" color of the moment.
If the white spoon is out-producing the colored spoon, a
different color is substituted. Many times, the correct color
will far out-produce the white and anglers will switch to a pair
of the same color. Most pros carry at least two spoons of each
color that they find to be effective.
Rods
Secret Spoons
are most effective when trolled on rods specifically designed
for bunker spoons. These rods are typically 8ft or
longer and have medium/heavy power ratings and medium actions.
The medium action is very important as the rod must be able to
pulse to give the spoon its best action. These rods need to be
rated for lines from 40-80lbs. They typically have carboloy
guides to prevent grooving from the wire line. Some of the
newer composite guides are also able to withstand the wire.
Line
Wire line
provides the best sink rate. Sink rate is very important as it
allows the angler to use less line to target a specific depth.
This means that the bunker spoons will "sag" less on turns and
reduces the chance of hitting the bottom. Many anglers are
initially intimidated by wire line, but after a few trips they
refuse to use anything else. Wire line is made fro either Monel
or Stainless Steel. Monel is softer and more forgiving (less
likely to kink and break), but is more expensive than Stainless
Steel. For bunker spoons at least 40lb wire must be used. Many
anglers use 50lb or 60lb because it is tougher and provides a
greater sink rate. Wire line is usually marked every 50ft so
that the angler knows exactly how much wire is out and
subsequently the depth of the bunker spoon.
Some anglers choose
to use Lead Core line. This line is much more forgiving
than wire line, but does not provide the same sink rate due to
its larger diameter and lower density. However, it can be used
effectively provided the angler is very careful when making
turns (more line means more "sag").
Some anglers also
choose to use braided or fused lines. These lines have
very low diameter and no stretch. They are also virtually
indestructible. They still do not have a sink rate anywhere
near that of wire line. Once again, they can be used
effectively for bunker spoons with some practice
Trolling Speed
2-2.5 knots or
2.3-2.8 mph is the preferred trolling speed range. Any
faster and bunker spoons may begin to spin. To ensure proper
speed simply put out a few feet of line and watch the spoon at
boat-side. The spoon will wobble back and forth in a cupping
motion. This is the speed relative to the water (as seen
on a paddlewheel speedometer) and does NOT take
into account current which can have a dramatic effect on the
speed over bottom (as seen on a GPS). Learn more below in
the section about trolling direction.
Captains note:
There is really no need to spend
all your time trying to puzzle out the right speed to run your
boat. Experienced captains almost never look at their
instruments for speed information when pulling spoons. Instead,
they simply watch to rod tips and adjust their speed until they
see the distinctive pumping action. when the rod is pumping with
big slow pulses, the spoon is wobbling back and forth and not
spinning.
This
is only one of the reasons why it is so important to use a rod
designed for pulling bunker spoons. These rods have a very slow
action and will pump or pulse when the spoon is working
correctly. Whenever using a new rod, simply drag your spoons
behind the boat where they are still visible. Adjust your speed
until the spoon is wobbling from side to side and observe the
pulse of the rod. The pulse will be slightly less because there
is so little line out of the reel, but you will get a good idea
of what the rod should be looking like.
Depth Control
Typical sink rates
1.5 ft of depth (or more) per 10 ft of wire line.
(Slightly less for the Sure Strike edition). The sink rate will
vary based on line weight, line diameter, and boat speed
(relative to the water - as seen on a paddlewheel speedometer).
See more below in the section about trolling direction. The
spoons are typically most effective when fished in the lower
third of the water column.
Captains note:
We get dozens of questions every
week about how deep to fish bunker spoons. Though there are many
times when the fish are very high in the water column especially
when actively feeding on schooled up bait like bunker (menhaden,
pogies, etc.), most of the time the biggest fish are found in
the lower third of the water column. If you are fishing in 60ft
of water, you need to get your spoons down to at least 40ft.
This is why Secret Spoons are made so heavy! At 1lb-9oz these
spoons are nearly 1lb heavier than an other spoon. They require
no trolling (drail) weights to get down deep. At the proper
trolling speeds the Secret Spoon sinks between 1.5ft and 2.0ft
for every 10 feet of wire. At the slower speeds you will need to
put out only 200ft of wire to get down to 40ft.
The
Sure Strike edition sinks a little more than 1.0ft for every
10ft of wire and is similar to traditional bunker spoons.
Trolling Direction
Like most bunker
spoons, Secret Spoons are most effective when pulled across
the current! This negates the effect that current has on
the depth of the spoon and ensures that the speed relative to
the water (as seen on a paddlewheel speedometer) is nearly the
same as the speed over bottom (as seen on a GPS). The spoon is
then presented to the striped bass as a baitfish that is being
swept broadside to the current.
The spoons should
almost never be pulled down-tide (with the current coming
from behind the boat), as the current will drive the spoons into
the bottom. The only way to to maintain depth would be to
increase the speed over bottom (as seen on a GPS). Thus to keep
the spoons at the same depth in a 1 knot following current, the
boat speed would have to be 3-3.5 knots over the bottom which
would hurt the presentation.
When trolling in
significant current all turns should be made up-tide
(into the current) and never down-tide (current from behind), or
the spoons may sink too deep and hit the bottom.
Many Secret Spoon
pros have their best results while quartering into the
current (slightly up-tide), especially when working over
structure. With a little practice the angler can determine
exactly what effect the trolling direction has on spoon depth
and make perfect presentations to fish that are holding on
structure.
Rod Placement
Many anglers use
out-rodders or other similar fixtures so that their rods are
horizontal to the waters surface. This has the benefit of
getting the line closer to the waters surface and less line is
needed get to a specific depth. When standard gunwale rod
holders are used, the rod tips are several feet above the water
and extra wire must be let out to compensate for this.
Whenever using these
fixtures it is critical to use a safety line on the rod and all
anglers aboard need to know the exact routine for getting the
rod out of the holder when a fish is hooked. It is much easier
to "sweep" the rod out of the holder when coming from the stern
toward the bow, as opposed to attempting to pull the rod out of
the holder from the other direction.
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