News - SPOON HOOKS & SPOON LURES: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Scope and Definition

The term “spoon hook” carries two meanings. In older usage, a spoon hook referred to a hook bait featuring an oval metal blade; Dictionary.com defines it as a fishhook equipped with a spoon. The earliest written record dates back to between 1855 and 1860. Today, “spoon lure” is the more common term. “Spoon hook” is frequently used to describe the hook attached to the spoon lure. This guide covers both: the first half focuses on the spoon lure itself, while the second half details how to choose, replace, and rig hooks on spoons. Note that assist hooks used for vertical jigging and Japanese-style jigging fall into a different category and are not covered here. 2. What is a Spoon and How Does it Move?

A spoon is a shiny metal blade, usually elongated and slightly concave, resembling the bowl of a spoon. Robert S. Nelson described it concisely in *The Fisherman*: a piece of metal, two holes, one for the line and one for the hook, nothing else. It does exactly one thing—it wobbles and reflects light like a fleeing baitfish.

The depth of the concavity and the width of the blade dictate its action. In *In-Fisherman*, Jack Penny wrote that the deeper the cup, the more pronounced the vibration, and the concave surface provides lift as it swings side-to-side. Wider spoons have a broader wobble; narrow-bodied spoons have a tighter wobble and dive deeper (he cites the Eppinger Cop-E-Cat as an example).

A standard spoon setup usually includes the body, a front line hole (which can be fitted with a split ring or a snap swivel), and a rear split ring with a hook. Penny notes that adding a split ring to the front enhances the spoon’s action, while a snap swivel makes changing lures easier and reduces line twist. Some spoons feature a red plastic tag on the rear split ring or a fluorescent red plastic sleeve over the hook as an attractor or strike indicator.

3. History
There is no single agreed-upon origin. *The Fisherman* notes that the concept of the spoon as a lure existed as early as 1824. Wikipedia states that modern spoons likely originated in late 18th-century Scandinavia. *In-Fisherman* believes the spoon as we know it today took shape in the late 19th to early 20th century, as earlier baits called “spoons” were closer to inline spinners.

The most widely circulated story in the US is that of Julio T. Buel. While eating lunch, he dropped a silver spoon into Vermont’s Lake Bomoseen and watched a large fish strike it as it fluttered downward. The exact year is debated—some sources say 1824, others 1834. What is certain is that he began making lures full-time in Whitehall, NY, in 1848, received his first patent in 1852, and is also credited with the first patent for a weedless lure.

Prominent 20th-century milestones include Lou Eppinger’s creation of the Dardevle in Detroit in 1906, and Louis Johnson’s Johnson Silver Minnow in 1920 (some sources say 1923), which featured a weed guard and genuine silver plating, born out of the need to fish a local lake choked with aquatic vegetation. Both lures are still sold today. 4. Types and Common Hook Configurations

Spoon categorization varies by source. *Fishing Manitoba* divides them into casting, trolling, jigging, and weedless categories, which is the framework used here.

| Type | Characteristics | Common Hooks |
| :— | :— | :— |
| **Casting Spoons** | Relatively heavy, allowing for long casts, wobbling on the retrieve. The Kastmaster is a classic example; *The Fisherman* notes it can be cast from shore or jigged from a boat. | A single treble hook on the rear, connected by a split ring. |
| **Trolling Spoons** | Thin and lightweight, wobbling at slow speeds. The Williams Wabler is designed specifically for trolling speeds. | Treble or single hooks; Williams offers versions with a treble, a single Siwash, or no hook. |
| **Jigging Spoons** | Flat and heavy, fished vertically with lifts and drops, but can also be cast and retrieved. Ice fishing spoons like the Do-Jigger often feature a rear treble hook with a red plastic tag. | Rear treble hook. |
| **Weedless Spoons** | A single hook is fixed directly to the spoon body with a wire weed guard, designed for fishing grass and heavy cover. The Johnson Silver Minnow is the most famous example, and it can also be trolled or jigged. | Single hook with a weed guard. |

There is also a category of topwater spoons, which *bassfishing-gurus* notes are effective for bass in weedy waters.
5. Hooks on Spoons

**Default Configurations**
Most spoons come out of the box with a freely swinging treble hook attached via a split ring. Some feature a single hook fixed directly to the body, usually paired with a weed guard (as seen in weedless spoons). Another option is a trailer hook—a smaller hook attached behind the main hook. *Fishing Manitoba* notes that this provides an extra hook point and increases hookup chances.

**Treble vs. Single Hooks**
This is a long-debated topic with no definitive answer. Penny summarizes the case for single hooks: they cause less damage to fish, are faster and safer to remove, snag less grass, require less force to set, and result in fewer fish shaking off mid-fight (based on his experience with pike). He also notes that several top pike waters in Canada mandate single, barbless hooks.

Nelson takes a more neutral stance: single hooks make releasing fish easier but may result in missed strikes; trebles hook more fish but are harder to remove (though you can pinch the barbs). In buyer reviews for Gamakatsu Siwash hooks on FishUSA, some anglers note no noticeable difference in hookup rate compared to trebles, with the added benefits of fewer snags and being more net-friendly. These are personal experiences from anglers and magazine writers.

**Choosing Replacement Single Hooks**
When swapping to single hooks, most anglers choose the Siwash style: a J-hook with a long point, short shank, and an open or straight eye. The Mustad Salmon Siwash (95141) features an open soft eye (pinch it closed with pliers when changing), a nickel finish, and comes in sizes 2/0 and 3/0. Dimensions: 1.32mm and 1.42mm wire, 16mm and 17.5mm gap, and 35mm and 39mm length. Mustad recommends it for lighter trolling spoons and other trolling baits. Gamakatsu’s Open Eye Siwash ranges from size 10 to 5/0, with the manufacturer emphasizing that the straight eye provides more stable action and swimming posture.

Sizing is not standardized, and recommendations vary based on target species and spoon size:

The most direct approach is to hold the hook against the back of the spoon: the hook gap should be close to the edge of the spoon without extending past it (Penny’s method). The hook point should face the concave side of the spoon, as noted by *In-Fisherman* and various forum anglers.

**Balancing After Hook Replacement**
Some anglers on the Lake-Link forum worry that the weight difference between a single hook and the original treble will affect the spoon’s action. Ernie Lantiegne’s tuning article on *Glangler* provides an example: two spoon models began spinning at around 2.4 mph (approx. 3.9 km/h) when rigged with a 1/0 single hook. Switching to a 2/0 single hook paired with a #1 snap swivel allowed them to maintain a fast wobble up to about 2.7 mph (approx. 4.3 km/h) with the factory bend. To use them at trolling speeds of 2.5 to 3.0 mph (approx. 4 to 4.8 km/h), he recommends a 2/0 single hook, flattening the S-curve of the spoon slightly, and adding a snap swivel. If you see line twist, check your trolling speed first, then re-tune the spoon.

Barbs and split rings also need attention. Siwash hook barbs can be pinched flat with pliers to create barbless hooks, as noted in the instructions for Mook replacement hooks. Any split rings that don’t close tightly when changing hooks should be replaced, a point specifically highlighted by forum anglers.

**Weedless Spoons and Soft Plastic Trailers**
Weedless spoons have the hook fixed to the body, with a weed guard extending to the hook point to deflect vegetation. The Johnson Silver Minnow was designed for weed-choked lakes. Penny notes that single-hook spoons pair well with soft plastic trailers, with a few caveats: curl-tail or paddle-tail plastics work, but too much plastic can restrict the spoon’s action; adding a few strands of silicone skirt material to the hook eye adds profile and flash without affecting action; and 3 to 4-inch salmon hootchies (octopus skirts) are more durable than soft plastics and less likely to slide down the hook bend. Another *In-Fisherman* article notes that a Johnson Silver Minnow tipped with a soft plastic is highly effective for triggering aggressive strikes along grass edges. *Fishing Manitoba* mentions that scent attractants (garlic and shrimp are common) can be added to soft plastic trailers.

## 6. Materials, Construction, and Finishes
Brass is the most common material for spoon bodies. Mepps states that their spoons and spinner blades are made from solid brass. Williams spoons are stamped from brass at their Sherbrooke, Quebec factory, then plated with silver, 24K gold, or copper. Elmer Hinckley also uses brass strip stock stamped through dies, with plating outsourced to third parties (silver, copper, 24K gold, and black nickel). There are also steel spoons stamped and plated with nickel, brass, or copper (such as Steelie spoons). Ice fishing spoons include cast lead and thin stamped metal versions. OEM catalogs often list materials as brass, stainless steel, or alloy.

Weight varies significantly. A common range in an OEM catalog is 3 to 30 grams, 30 to 85mm in length. Larger trolling spoons and those for fast currents can reach 1 to 4 oz (28 to 113g), such as the 4 oz Luhr Jensen Krocodile mentioned by Penny. *Wired2Fish* warns that when buying Kastmaster knock-offs, opt for brass blades to ensure comparable action.

Surface finishes include silver plating, copper plating, gold plating, black nickel, polished, hammered, scale-patterned, and painted with an epoxy clear coat. A Van Dutch trolling spoon is stamped brass, nickel-plated, painted, and sealed with epoxy. The Johnson Silver Minnow uses genuine silver plating, with a gold version also available. Nelson conducted side-by-side comparisons and found no difference between hammered and smooth finishes when fish are actively feeding; other sources suggest flash is more important in clear water.

For hardware, the Hopkins Shorty series uses stainless steel split rings and Mustad Durasteel treble hooks (gold for murky water, chrome for clear water). The Johnson Silver Minnow uses stainless split rings and Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp hooks. The Williams Wabler uses VMC treble hooks. A Canadian Tire trolling spoon lists black nickel treble hooks. In saltwater, hooks, split rings, and spoon finishes are the first to fail; refer to the saltwater hook guide for detailed advice on choosing hook materials and coatings.

## 7. Usage Tips
**Casting:** Cast along grass edges or rocky shorelines and let the spoon flutter down the edge. This is Penny’s go-to method for pike.

**Trolling:** Speed has a huge impact. In Lantiegne’s example, changing hook size by one size altered the speed at which the spoon began spinning by about 0.3 mph.

**Currents and Below Waterfalls:** Cast a 1 to 2 oz spoon into the swift current and retrieve, or use a heavier spoon for snap-jigging—vertical lifts and drops while drifting, or casting out, letting it hit bottom, ripping it up one to three feet, and letting it fall back. Choose spoon weight based on current speed.

**Weedless Spoons:** Penny’s technique is to drag a Johnson Silver Minnow over the top of dead grass mats and let it flutter into the gaps. He notes it slides smoothly over the bottom and resists snagging.

**Saltwater:** Nelson writes that a 1 oz Krocodile or Hopkins covers a wide range of baitfish, from sand eels and needlefish to juvenile menhaden (peanut bunker). “Casting tins” (like Point Jude’s Butterfish) come in various sizes. When bass are blitzing on rain bait in late summer, switch to a narrow-bodied small spoon retrieved quickly—he mentions the Deadly Dick.

## 8. Manufacturing and QC Parameters
*This section is based on the compiled research above and serves as suggested guidelines, not industry standards.*

* **Material and Thickness:** Brass, steel, or stainless steel—blade thickness and weight directly affect sink rate and wobble. Changing materials on the same shape will alter the action. This is exactly what *Wired2Fish* warns about with Kastmaster knock-offs.
* **Concavity and Width:** Once formed, these determine the action. Test prototypes in the water during sampling; don’t just rely on blueprints.
* **Hole Placement and Edges:** Line holes and hook holes must be positioned correctly. Deburr the edges; burrs will wear down split rings and line.
* **Surface Finish:** Plating type (silver, copper, gold, black nickel), thickness, and whether it’s sealed with epoxy or clear coat. Plating and painting are an integrated process; ask suppliers if they can provide salt spray test reports.
* **Split Rings:** Material (stainless steel), wire diameter, and closure quality. Replace any that don’t close tightly.
* **Hooks:** Treble or single, brand, size, and coating. Like Williams, a single spoon model can be offered in treble, single Siwash, and no-hook versions, or include a free replacement single hook.
* **Barbs:** Some waters require single barbless hooks (Penny mentions many Canadian pike waters). You can produce a pinched-barb version or clearly state it in the instructions. Regulations vary by location; check current rules for the area of sale and use.
* **Water Testing Post-Rigging:** Test every hook configuration at target speeds and note the speed at which it begins to spin. Hook weight alters action.
* **Weedless Models:** The material and stiffness of the weed guard must be sufficient to deflect grass but soft enough to allow the hook point through on the strike. Spot-check the weld strength between the single hook and the spoon body.
* **Soft Plastic Trailers:** Designing trailers specifically for single-hook spoons is a great opportunity for soft plastic brands. Penny’s mentions of paddle tails, curl tails, silicone skirts, and octopus skirts are ready-made use cases. Test for how securely the plastic holds on the hook, whether it slides down the bend, and its impact on the spoon’s action.

## 9. Glossary (Chinese to English)
* **亮片**: Spoon, spoon lure
* **三爪钩**: Treble hook
* **单钩**: Single hook
* **Siwash 钩**: Siwash hook (a J-hook with a long point and short shank, commonly used to replace trebles)
* **开口圈**: Split ring
* **快扣转环**: Snap swivel
* **防挂亮片**: Weedless spoon
* **护钩**: Weed guard
* **尾随钩**: Trailer hook
* **尾随软饵**: Trailer (soft plastic)
* **拖钓**: Trolling
* **垂钓、提顿**: Jigging
* **助钩**: Assist hook

Post time: Nov-12-2026