Spoons with swivel or not ?

[high tide]

So I am seeking opinions from spoon fishers.

As we see from many spoons purchased over the counter, some come with a swivel off the front solid ring, some come with a solid ring only, some come with split ring and swivel, others just a split ring.

I personally prefer a solid brass ring off the nose of the spoon with no swivel, and tie directly to that. I then place a swivel or bead chain off the bottom of the flasher or on the leader above the spoon if no flasher is used. I think this gives the proper action the spoon was intended to have. In my opinion, a swivel on the nose of the spoon just takes away its action.

What is your preference and do you think that the swivel at the nose of the spoon happens or changes the action.

What's your opinion ......

Good luck out there ..... HT

 

[scott craven]

Yes, no swivel at the front,
although on some spoons I will add one at the rear ahead of the hook

 

[Clint r]

Good question. I've always run a swivel at the nose of the spoon. Maybe I'm wrong. I do catch fish but maybe I could do better. I'm curious to see what others are doing too.

 

[Pippen]

I have always put the swivel at the lead end of the leader.

 

[scott craven]

I have always put the swivel at the lead end of the leader.

I think it helps to keep the fish hooked.

 

[Seafever]

I've tried and used both. Have used spoons that had a welded ring that was replaced with a split ring and swivel.

I've caught fish on both. On exactly the same spoons------one with a welded ring and one with a split ring and swivel.

The size/weight of the spoon and the speed it is trolled at have an effect on it's action. Many small spoons (especially lighter ones) will start to roll at a faster speed regardless of swivel or ring.

Some spoons are of a construction that they can be bent a little to change action without damaging finish. Other spoons not so much.

The Coho killer spoons(for example)can be bent and adjusted quite easily to produce different actions regardless of what's up front of the spoon.

There is a man on BCFishing report site that makes custom spoons. His name is Big Fish Mike. All his spoons come with a front swivel on them. Take a look at all the catch pictures to see if spoons with swivels on them work. They do.

Many commercial spoons come with a swivel at the front end. And they catch fish.

When you replace the rear welded ring with a split ring/swivel/different hook you change the action. In my view a lot of times for the better. I never fish a spoon with just a welded ring and hook on the back. Always change to split ring/swivel/hook.

The particular weight and size of the hook you change out to can have a big effect on action. One of the reasons I never use stainless hooks on a spoon. Too big, too heavy and too clumsy compared to other hooks in the same size range.

Tieing to a welded ring IMO does not increase or help action. Actually it retards action. Because the spoon now has to overcome the static response of the welded ring. A swivel has more freedom ---so you will get better action at slower speeds.

The welded ring might produce a slightly different effect....but IMO nothing of any significant difference.

On some small spoons with a huge factory welded ring up front, you might get a bit of a better nose wobble........or not depending on how the factory bend in the spoon is to start with.

On spoons where the owner cuts off the factory hook from a rear welded ring and crimps on a bigger hook (no swivel) the action is changed by default.

Technically a spoon should be "balanced" but lots of people don't like the hook size or brand of hook on a factory "balanced" spoon so they change it to bigger usually.

But as mentioned before, there is a 'sweet spot" for the trolling speed of most spoons, where the spoon is working optimally. You can be going too fast or too slow for the spoon to work correctly.

If the spoon is "untuned" and off balance it may not work that great from the get go.

A swivel on the front of a spoon is not the all-out determining factor as to whether it will work. Nor is it the most important factor. The other factors have to be in place too.


Changing the rear hook from hook/welded ring to ring/swivel/hook has quite a bit of effect on overall action too.

The hook on welded ring has a different action on the spoon because the welded ring prevents the hook from rotating so the spoon has to contend with the rudder action of the hook.

If you put a swivel on the rear hook it nullifies this effect because the hook is now free to do what it wants more independent of the spoon body.

When you put a spoon in the water you should check it's action at the speed you are going to troll it.

Often you can tell right away whether the action's good or not so good by doing this.....

Welded rings can be good or bad........swivels can be good or bad......depending on the particular application.

Nothing is written in stone.......

 

[Pippen]

I think it helps to keep the fish hooked.

Just curious Scott.....in what way? Providing more of a "pivot point" that adjusts as per the movement of the fish?

I have a buddy who uses just a loop knot at the top end of leaders for everything; hoochies I get but not convinced on teaser heads and spoons. I think it may be causing some line twist issues.

I should mention when fishing larger spoons off the WCVI I just clip them on at the quick snap/scissor snap that has a bead chain attached to the mainline....and that catches fish.

 

[scott craven]

Just curious Scott.....in what way? Providing more of a "pivot point" that adjusts as per the movement of the fish?

That's my thinking,

 

[Pippen]

That's my thinking,

Great Scott's think alike.

 

[scott craven]

Ayup !