Most anglers agree that the Ben Parker Magnum Flutter Spoon is fishable right out of the pack, but there are several ways anglers can enhance their spoons to hook more fish and get more of them to the boat.
“A lot of times, I run a stinger hook on the front,” said North Carolina guide Jonathan Phillips. “I use an Owner 2/0. With that big, 8-inch spoon, he’ll have the front of the bait in his mouth, and when you go to jerk, the treble hook might be sticking 4 inches out of his mouth.”
Stinger hooks are the norm for the big butterfly jigs used in the saltwater world. The single hook comes pre-tied to a small piece of Technora braided line with a loop at the end. To attach, the loop is pushed through the eye of the spoon, and the hook is pulled tight through that loop.
Another common problem with magnum-spoon fishing is keeping the fish hooked. Even with a solid hookset, the weight of the spoon becomes a detriment when a fish is trying to shake it. Both in the water and jumping, a bass twists and turns, often pulling the rear treble hook free, because a hook on a split ring can only turn one time before it locks in place and risks being jarred free. This can be alleviated by adding a barrel swivel between the treble hook and split ring, allowing the bait to turn continually; the fish can’t use the bait itself as leverage to pull free.
Also, under cloudy skies, changing to a gold or painted spoon can increase bites.
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