The Nichols Ben Parker Magnum Spoon first made a name with anglers when it was used to win a national bass tournament on Kentucky Lake in 2014. In fact, half of the top-10 finishers used it. The same month, a college fishing event on Pickwick Lake was won with the same spoon.
Measuring a behemoth 8 inches and featuring a nickel-plated, chrome finish, it was developed by Tennessee bass pro Ben Parker. Equipped with a 3/0 treble hook tied with pearl flashabou, it also comes with a No. 4 swivel to maximize action and reduce line twist.
While anglers were amazed at big largemouth bass the spoon would catch, Parker, whose bait is now being produced by Texas-based Nichols Lures, was curious how the big bait would perform on lakes with striped bass. He reached out to striper guide Mack Farr.
“When (Parker) first made it, he called me,” Farr said. “They don’t have a lot of big stripers on Kentucky Lake, and he made it really for bass fishing. He said I need somebody to try it out on some pretty nice stripers and see what you can do with it and send me some pictures.
“That’s when I got the spoon. As far as I know I was one of the first people to get it, particularly in South Carolina. I thought this would have some really good applications for power-reeling,” said Farr, who distributes the spoon through his online company, Capt. Mack’s.
The spoons comes in 6-, 8- and 9-inch sizes. Farr said the 8-inch is “overwhelmingly the most popular” and that the best-selling color is “shattered glass.”
“If you’ve got overcast conditions, the pearl does well,” Farr said. “If it’s dark one day and you’ve got overcast skies, then the blue backer or bombshell will do well. Like any other bait, you’ll need to fine-tune your color selection based on the weather and water conditions.”
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