Category Archives: Spoons

Fishing In The Rain – Prepare To Get Wet

The plan was for my buddy Chris and I to fish ~8 hours in the rain from 6:30am to about 2:30pm, Nor’easter be damned. We started out the day at Lebanon Bait & Sport, picking up 4 dozen shiners…what the hell were we thinking? Also got a couple of Sutton Spoons. Our plan was to troll the spoons and shiners then drift to pick at lake trout.

As we motored away from the boat launch I realized in complete amazement that my Lowrance x135 was not turning on. I had problems with it two weeks ago at the RVTA tournament, but thought it was a battery issue. No such luck. Tried a soft reset, hard reset, wiring it directly to the battery, and finally punching the thing. It’s dead.

I’ve fished this reservoir many times, so we weren’t completely SOL but come on…really? I just had my motor fixed and now this?! We trolled a Sutton spoon and live shiners slow around the perimeter of the boat launch, over to the north tower, made a big circle and came back to the north tower. We didn’t get anything with this technique so we switched over to drifting.

Round Valley April 22 Laketrout Map

Our first drift, the wind was coming out of north so we set up a drift just to the west of the north tower, sent our lines to the bottom and waited. We were using 2 oz. barrel sinkers to keep our shiners on the bottom. Caught first fish out in the middle of nowhere in about 70feet of water. It’s the smaller of the two pictured and measured 18 inches. The rain didn’t really start until about 11am and for a few hours we thought we actually might stay dry!

Fishing in the rain

We didn’t stay dry. The rain came and just got harder and harder. We continued fishing though and for a few hours there the wind switched direction completely and came out of the southwest. It was at this time Chris caught the second Laketrout, a nice 20 incher that actually put up a decent fight.
NJ-Fishing-Lake-Trout

Even though we still had 2 dozen shiners in out livewell, at about 2:30pm our hands were raw and we were starving, so we headed in. It was a decent trip, besides a kayaker we spoke to at the north tower I only saw one other boat and they left fairly quickly. The yak had one laker when we spoke.

I guess I’ll be looking for a new sonar soon, maybe one with a GPS?! Up until now, I’ve been using a 99cent app on my iPhone called Compass+ I’ve actually been recording lat / long of catches and then placing them on Google Maps on my computer when I get home. It’s very cheap, but tedious as hell. OK, cheers, next time less rain please!

Hildebrandt Shad King by Yakima Bait Company

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The Shad King has been catching fish for more than half a century. Known in years past as the Russian Spinner and Shiner, this bait has the action of an excited minnow. This lure works great when spin fishing by adding split shot on the line for a little extra casting weight. It is also very effective as a trailer with other lures. Featherfly models of this MicroLite lure are also availabe for dedicated fly rod anglers who like the Shad King for fly rod fishing. The Shad King is also very effective for all types of ice fishing. – from http://www.yakimabait.com website.

Hildebrandt Shad King by Yakima Bait Company

These spoons are very small. 1/32 ounce? yeah, that’s small. I flat line troll the 1/8 and 1/12 ounce sized ones in nickel and gold color about 100 feet behind my boat to target rainbow trout and brown trout in Round Valley (and laketrout in the early spring and late fall). Make sure to use a quality ball bearing swivel to minimize line twist. You can use the smallest dipsey diver (45mm) to get down to about 20 feet with these, otherwise you’ll only be about 2 to 5 feet down.

Just messing around pitching the 1/8 ounce model on 4lb ultralight setup you can have a blast with sunfish, little bass, rockbass and bluegill.

Crippled Herring by Luhr-Jensen

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The Crippled Herring is the most versatile lure you’ll ever use. It can be vertically jigged, cast and retrieved and even trolled in both fresh and saltwater alike. Its high-action design takes advantage of the strong predator instinct programmed into game fish. For the greatest success, maximize action by choosing the smallest size that fits your needs. In combination with a fish finder, the bait can be targeting precisely in vertical jigging applications. Fish the Crippled Herring vertically, with a slow, long upward motion of the rod tip followed by a fast drop of the tip. The lure will most often be taken on the downward fall. Pay attention for taps and hesitations on the fall and set the hook when they happen. In cold water conditions, pause at the bottom of the drop for up to three seconds to connect with lethargic fish. – from the Luhr-Jensen website

Crippled Herring

I fish the crippled herring on Round Valley Reservoir in the colder months, jigged vertically. Pictured is the 1oz size but I usually try and fish a smaller size as long as I can keep my line vertical. Here’s a really neat PDF about fishing the crippled herring.

Kastmaster – By Acme Tackle Company

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Kastmaster are made from solid brass and are available in silver or gold plating – with or without a white skirt. Kastmasters range in size from 1/12 ounce all the way up to 4 oz.

On Round Valley Reservoir, the common size Kastmasters used are the 1/12 to 3/8 oz. models. The 1/12 oz. models are pretty deadly ice fishing in winter, jigged right off the bottom for Lake Trout OR jerked along the shorelines in the early spring after ice-out.

The 1/8 to 3/8 oz. size lures can be fished from shore or boat and used with a steady or staggered retrieve with good effectiveness. This technique will catch trout and bass, but be warned that the fish get weary of these lures as the summer months go on. Best to use these in the Spring and Fall.

Stock a handfull of these bad-boys in your Round Valley tacklebox in various sizes and colors and be ready for anything.

The Phoebe – Acme’s Spinning Spoon

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I’ve caught just about everything in Round Valley Reservoir on a Phoebe at one point or another. Use the 1/4 ounce version to catch trout, bass and panfish. Use a straight retrieve and just vary your speed till you find the sweet spot. If you are curious where the name of the lure is derived, it is Greek and means bright and shiny.

From the Acme website:
“An American original, Phoebe is one of the finest metal spinning lures ever made. The unique hydrodynamic curvature creates a three-dimensional illusion. Fished fast, slow, deep or shallow – this lure looks like a fat, full-bodied baitfish.”