spoons

[mille lacs muskie bum]

What are your favorite spoons for crappies and eyes up on red? cclor? size? Also what do you like to tip them with? I will be up there for my first time next weekend. thanks.

[Ice Ranger]

Dead-sticking is the technique to use. Use some type of rattling spoon, and have a glow demon jig set up in the hole next to it.

[silverfox]

The Phelps Glow Spoons with just a minnow head work very well to get the fish in. Blue, Pink, or Glow Red are the favorites. If they don't hit the spoon when they come in, there is a good chance they will hit the deadstick jig, or plain hook. They are available at most places up there and in the Bemidji area.

Good luck to you!!

Matt

[GoFish4]

Each time I have been to red this year (3) it has been the dead stick that is getting the hit. I jigged everything I had and didn't get any bites, but they would take one of the bobbers down within seconds of leaving the vex screen. If you are on a muddy bottom, make sure to "bounce" it off the bottom to make some noise/distraction to get them in.

[mille lacs muskie bum]

sounds like i will have to put down a deadstick. what works the best, a hook or a jig?

[mnhunter 3815]

i have had luck with the pain hook.i also have had them come it while jigging.when jigging and they wont bite try something smaller on your jigging rod.we kept changing spons and jigs to get them to bite while jigging.but most fish went for the plain hook on the dead stick.

[Wookiee]

Hook or jig they both work on the deadstick. The demon works well in size 4 glow and pink. The spoon I like to use is the glow red rattlin varmint 1/8 oz and I do better with a whole minnow than just a head for some reason.

[Slabby]

The only problem with a plain hook is most people tend to put the weight(ie. split shot) too far from the hook. Unless there is a hot bite, a fish comes in, your nice lively minnow swims up as high and far away as he can and the walleye or crappies/perch will not follow . Just a guess but this may be the reason jigs esp. heavier ones, often times work better than plain hooks.

Now northerns on the other hand.............

[Steve Ellsworth]

TooMuchFun,

I've been trying to find the Rattlin Varmint spoon. Who manufactures this spoon? Is this spoon best for walleye fishing or can it also be used for crappie fishing? We're visiting Red Lake in the near future, and I'd like to get some Rattlin Varmints. Thanks.

[Borch]

 Originally Posted By: Steve Ellsworth

TooMuchFun,

I've been trying to find the Rattlin Varmint spoon. Who manufactures this spoon? Is this spoon best for walleye fishing or can it also be used for crappie fishing? We're visiting Red Lake in the near future, and I'd like to get some Rattlin Varmints. Thanks.

They are made by JB Tackle.

You can find them here. JB Tackle

I like the 1/8 oz for walleyes and bigger crappies, (catfish too).

[Steve Ellsworth]

Borch-

Thank you for providing the JB lures website. I will stock up on the Rattlin Varmint for our upcoming trip to Red Lake. Hopefully the "slab crappies" will be on the bite. Five of us caught our limit of crappies in February of 2007 using "red glow Frostees". We fish in Kelly and Jon's 6-man shack. We are very anxious to take our annual trip. Thanks again for your help, Borch!

[Borch]

You're welcome.

Hopefully the slabs cooperate for you like last year.