Do you use this lure? If you do, what is your preferred color and size? Also, do you use mostly a steady retrieve?

My grandfather liked daredevil spoons. I believe 1/4 oz red/ white was his favorite. He used a steady retrieve at various depths. You may try removing the treble hook, and add a good quality worm hook to add a weedless worm, for fishing around weeds. 

Where do I start?  One of my favorite lures for toothy critters, bass, steelhead, and salmon.  For the toothy critters and bass, you can't go wrong with classic red/white, tire tiger, and 5 of diamonds.  Those have been the most productive colors for me.  I like to throw weights ranging from 1/4oz to 1oz depending on what I'm fishing for.  I tend to do a steady retrieve and if the fishing is slow, I'll let it drop, pull it up, reel in the slack, and repeat.

1/4 oz. to 3/4 oz. but not for bass. I have bass days that do not fare out that well and I switch up for other fish. Pikes, Musky and Pickerel will chase those. Gold, silver, red & white, yellow & red, green and black. Will all get hit. 

Thank you, for all of your replies. 

I like the 1/4 oz in red & white. From shore a steady retrieve. On a boat or kayak a lot of jigging. Easier to get it back if it snags while on a boat or in a kayak.

NYWayFarer,

Thank you, for your reply.

   Without a doubt, my favorite and most-used lure. For pike, for walleye .... and for bass. Has to be a clear bottom, though. For bass, the 3/4 Dardevlet is favorite, in Pearl Clown, Grey Ghost and Purple Rain. Down the line come the Orange Crush, hammered nickel, hammered nickle/blue, Purple Haze and Potato Bug. The 2/5 size is good, but not like the 3/4. The 1/4 Trout Weight is good, too, just not like the others. I rarely retrieve these steady. If I wanted a steady retrieve, I use the 1/2 or 4/5 Cop-E-Cat.

   By far the most common spoon retrieve for me is the "dance".  It's basically like the twitch-bait retrieve, but the cadence has to be adjusted for the weight and surface area (resistance) of the spoon. On the 1/4 oz., the cadence is twotchtwitchtwitchtwitch, with short and light twitches. With the 2/5, it's twitch ..twitch..twitch, with short but smooth twitches, maybe four inches long.. On the 3/4, you have to apply slightly more authority to the twitch, and it becomes more of a jerk. One fairly smooth jerk per heartbeat will generally do it, but you have to increase the stroke from 4 to 8 inches.

   The reason behind all this "dance" stuff is to make the spoon more attractive to bass. They commit faster on a dancing spoon than they do on a wobble spoon. I've noticed over the years that my take on a dancing spoon is about double what it is on a wobble retrieve.

   I imagine I could catch bass on the 1 oz., too. I just never tried. The 1 oz. is my pike and musky size. The dance it has is slower and has greater latency.

   I had mentioned that this was "over a clear bottom". I don't use spoons over brushpi..... excuse me, over habitat, because it's a sure snag-up. There, I use soft plastic and spinnerbaits.  I use spoons around rip-rap, but parallel to shore, not perpendicular to shore  I can't stress enough using a pool, school or private, to really see clearly the effect of your retrieve.

  And as always ......good luck.    ?     jj

  

I toss all kinds of spoons and catch everything on them. 

Im genuinely surprised, that people still use them. Dont get me wrong, I think it is great, just surprised.

Same with Silver Minnows I suppose. I throw a lot of small spoons at em on light gear...so why not Daredevils.

Nickle 2/5 oz Imp size replicates threadfin Shad perfectly, change the hook to nickle Owner size 4 with or without white chicken feathers, makes a good shallow structure spoon to about 10'.

Tom

Thank you, for all that great information. Now, if I can just remember it all.

I don't use Daredevils, but I will use Little Cleos and Johnson Sprite Spoons to cast for bass at times. Silver, gold, and copper are my preferred colors. I normally retrieve them with a slow, steady retrieve but there's times when I'll tie one on to make long cast and fish quickly on the surface when fish are coming up schooling. 

I change out all my hooks as i do with mepps ..i use truturn catfish hooks stainless  steel .like what was said u can add ur fav plastic to it ...curly tail grub or a tiny fluke is what i do 

Thank you, for that information.

I don't use it as a bass lure, but if you're not throwing a 1 oz Yellow 5 of Diamonds for pike, you're really missing out

4 hours ago, anderb54 said:

I don't use it as a bass lure, but if you're not throwing a 1 oz Yellow 5 of Diamonds for pike, you're really missing out

Agreed!! I use the yellow 5 of Diamonds, red & white and black & white. They are also great for Lakers in the spring when they are shallow and on down riggers in the summer when they go deep.