10 replies to this topic

[doug deike]

How do I fish a little cleo for Trout, I am fishing off dunkirk pier and the trout are biting furiously(for everyone else), I had one on yesterday but it broke my line. how could i fish a cleo better???

[Lund Explorer]

Is everyone around you catching or just a select few?

If everybody is hooking up, it could be a number of things from size, color, or retrieve speed.  Trout can be real picky at times as to size and color so you may want to snoop out what the guys catching are using.  Try to vary your retrieve speed too.  You might be going too fast or too slow.  I always tried to count the amount of time it took to retrieve an average cast.  The spoon should have a wobble to it, but if you really burn it in it will tend to spin.

If only certain guys a hitting fish, it is probably more to do with their location along the pier.  Wave action and currents will create bars and ditches along the bottom of the lake.  These structures attract the fish and run along the shoreline.  Long time pier fishermen will locate these structures and park on them.  I've seen guys 10' away from one of these spots get completely skunked next to guys with limits.  Try to look at which spots along the pier get the most action and then figure out how much sleep you need to lose to be the first guy on one of those spots the next morning.

My favorites for trout (steelhead or browns) were the 2/5 oz size in Silver/Chart., Silver/Blue, and Gold/Orange.  Make sure to pick up a couple of glow spoons to toss for the time spent before the sun comes up.  If your pier is like my favorite, you'll need to be there at least two hours early.  I always took a second rod to put out a bait rig next to were I was casting.  You'll sometimes catch a few on that rig, and it buffers you from someone pulling the seagull act on you from one direction.

[Marty]

Like the previous poster said, you can't go wrong with the size and colors he mentioned as well as varying your retrieve. As to the one that broke your line, I hate to say it, but that's probably operator error and you need to try and determine what caused that.

Couple of things for what they're worth. When I first started fishing Lake Ontario piers, the tackle shop owner, who was a major player in the trout establishment here, recommended that I replace the treble hook on the Cleos with single hooks (Siwash style) for better hookups. I've done that for 35 years but can't really say if it made any significant difference. Maybe he was just trying to sell hooks, who knows.

The other thing is that I tried other baits after using the Cleos almost exclusively and found that crankbaits work very well. I haven't tried a huge variety of them but lipless crankbaits and Countdown Rapalas have caught me some nice fish. My biggest brown and laker both came on a lipless and my 3rd biggest brown took a Countdown.

[SirSnookalot]

The overwhelming majority of species I have fished for, I vary my retrieval speed with most lures.  I use swiash hooks I feel I get a more solid hook up, unhooking is easier too, a fish with a treb in both lips can sometimes be difficult to unhook.

[Lund Explorer]

While I never bothered to switch out to single hooks, I always made sure that the hooks got extra sharpening work.  When the target fish where the larger salmon, the stock hooks got switched out for 3x welded hooks.

I also carry a wider selction of spoons in my pier fishing box.  KO Wobblers, Crocodiles, KastMasters amongst others sometimes work when Cleos aren't getting hit.  In the last few years, guys on West Michigan's piers have also been using Husky Jerks more often for both trout and walleye.

[jkarol24]

This may sound fairly crazy, but i promise that it will work for browns, especially if they are jumping, schooling, or active in any way.  For starters, i use a big 3/4 oz in silver, silver/blue, or gold/orange.  I throw it as far as possible and then proceed to reel that thing in as fast as i possible can with my high speed spinning real.  Sometimes they crush it like that, and others will follow hit on quick pauses in the retrieve.  Its pretty crazy, but they are so fast that it must catch their eye and they persue.  Ive had 4 or 5 follow it in at one time.  I keep the treble on there and just have my drag real loose.

[J Francho]

Here's what I do to my spoons for better hookups, and less hangups:





As far as picking a pattern or retrieve, I usually start out with a retrieve that just barely keeps the spoon fluttering randomly.

[Jigfishn10]

I was waiting for that pic to come out JF....I love it, that pic never gets old.

All good tips here. I am not a good spoon fisherman and this thread helps a lot. Thanks.

[J Francho]

 jkarol24, on February 07 2012 - 12:48 PM, said:

This may sound fairly crazy, but i promise that it will work for browns, especially if they are jumping, schooling, or active in any way.  For starters, i use a big 3/4 oz in silver, silver/blue, or gold/orange.  I throw it as far as possible and then proceed to reel that thing in as fast as i possible can with my high speed spinning real.  Sometimes they crush it like that, and others will follow hit on quick pauses in the retrieve.  Its pretty crazy, but they are so fast that it must catch their eye and they persue.  Ive had 4 or 5 follow it in at one time.  I keep the treble on there and just have my drag real loose.

Missed this post!  This does work.  Good point on the keeping the drag somewhat loose.  The strike is so jarring, it feels like it might rip the rod out of your hand or break lighter line.  Just not too loosse that you can't get a hookset in.

[Lund Explorer]

JF - That is a real ABC spoon.

Already Been Chewed!

[SirSnookalot]

We don't own spoons long enough here to get battered up, lost 4 today.  Lures and jigs are no different.