Flutter spoons are one of the most effective baits you can tie onto your line. They not only draw fish in, but they make them bite once they come in. They are also highly versatile and will work on any body of water. Let’s take a look.
Why Flutter Spoons
Flutter spoons have several advantages. The first, is their lightweight nature allows them to make violent movements and then fall or “flutter” back down horizontally. This creates both flash and vibration in the water column. Metallic colors such as silver, gold or nickel provide even greater flash that can be seen from great distances.
The second advantage is they can still catch fish when fished slowly. Aggressive baits like ripping lures require constant movement to appeal to fish. It is very difficult to back these baits down once a fish comes onto the screen. Flutter spoons are most effective when tipped with minnows or minnow heads, so even when they are backed down and not violently being ripped or fluttering down can still appeal to fish. Lighter jig strokes allow you to let the minnow do its part and seal the deal on many fish.
The third advantage is they are very easy to fish. Ripping the bait with 1-2 foot aggressive jig strokes and letting the spoons then free fall can be done very easily. The bait creates its own flash, vibration, and action. If a fish does show up on screen, immediately stopping the bait wouldn’t be a turn off like other styles of attractant baits.
How to Fish Flutter Spoons
Flutter spoons are remarkably easy to fish. When I’m not marking fish, I fish the bait very aggressively. I use sharp, 1-2 foot jig strokes to pull the jig up and generate maximum flash and vibration. If I’m in clear water, like many of the South Dakota lakes, I work this spoon between 3-5ft off bottom. If I’m in dirty water, such as Lake of the Woods, I let the bait fall onto bottom each time and stir the bottom sediment up and then rip the bait off bottom.
The reason for this is in the clearer water, fish will be able to see this from a great distance. Often times you may be able to draw fish in from 10, 20, even 30 feet away depending on water clarity. and depth. If I’m in dirty water, fish often will not be able to see this from a distance. However, the commotion and sediment being stirred up may attract fish digging through the nearby mud.
Fish will often take two approaches. The first approach is the fun one. Aggressive fish will race in and often hammer the bait. Sometimes you may not even see the marks on your flasher before they bite. Flutter spoons fished aggressively attract aggressive fish and thus aggressive strikes.
The second approach is interested, but not committed. Generally fish appear on the screen below the bait, but do not make aggressive movements toward the spoon. Once these fish show up, we’ve done our job bringing fish in. It is now time to coax them into biting. Back the jig strokes down to just a few inches or simply shake the bait infront of their face.
Remember, the minnow or minnow head you tip the bait with does several jobs. It provides extra flash and vibration when on the jig strokes. It also provides scent and taste when backed down or fished without action. The fish may have been interested in the spoon, but it will be this piece of meat that turns them into biters.
Top Options
My favorite flutter spoon is a Mack’s Lure Hum Dinger. I favor the 1/8 oz spoon as I feel this provides maximum flash and vibration. It also is large enough to appeal to walleye and northern pike, but isn’t too large to stop yellow perch from biting as well.
Another overlooked aspect I like in the Hum Dinger is the single hook as opposed to a treble hook. This makes unhooking fish quicker and easier and allows me to get back down to fish faster. When I’m quickly working my way through a school of active fish or taking advantage of a short bite window, these seconds can be valuable.
I prefer metallic colors like Nickel/Silver Sand, Nickel/Green Glitter and Red/Gold Sand. These colors seem to always work well regardless of what body of water I am fishing. Experiment with what colors work best on your favorite waters! Good fishing!
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Thanks for the tips.