what size leader behind an AP herring spoon?
- Thread starter jeffw12
- Start date
fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
72"
Fishin'Zinn
Active Member
My thoughts exactly... If it does, can anyone elaborate? It imparts its own action, if anything flasher might do a little maybe (if you fish dummy flashers than it really doesn't matter!)
fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
Seafever
Well-Known Member
I think the leader length behind a flasher matters as to the spoon action. And the size of the spoon will affect action in regard to leader length.
IMO when you put it behind a flasher, the rotation of the flasher causes the spoon to speed up a bit. Which will be more noticeable the closer it is to the flasher...and more so if the boat speed is really making the flasher spin faster.
A small spoon will be going like hell in this situation. Possibly reaching it's limit where it isn't working at all but just flopping around fast like a helicopter blade.
As compared to just trolling the spoon with no flasher...where the spoon is more or less going in a straight line and just wobbling away (but still dependent on boatspeed to get it working within it's parameters.)
Usually my 'goto' length for normal 3.5" spoons is minimum 56" at normal trolling speeds for me (about 2.5 mph).
Only time the short spoon leaders on flashers worked for me is when I go dead slow.
Some spoons are designed to work faster than others of course.
IMO when you put it behind a flasher, the rotation of the flasher causes the spoon to speed up a bit. Which will be more noticeable the closer it is to the flasher...and more so if the boat speed is really making the flasher spin faster.
A small spoon will be going like hell in this situation. Possibly reaching it's limit where it isn't working at all but just flopping around fast like a helicopter blade.
As compared to just trolling the spoon with no flasher...where the spoon is more or less going in a straight line and just wobbling away (but still dependent on boatspeed to get it working within it's parameters.)
Usually my 'goto' length for normal 3.5" spoons is minimum 56" at normal trolling speeds for me (about 2.5 mph).
Only time the short spoon leaders on flashers worked for me is when I go dead slow.
Some spoons are designed to work faster than others of course.
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Not sure I understand this comment. Could you elaborate maybe a bit more, like say 15 words
fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
The spoon is designed to give a specific action. If you mess with it and it's action is too far off the design parameters because it is being thrown around by the flasher...that is an issue. Also, if the fish is Spooked off by the flasher....which they sometimes are...then clearly it is not going to work.
Ever had days where Hoochies can't catch a cold?
Also...lures in order to work must trigger a "eat me" response.
You want your gear to be responsive to changes you make as well such as speed, trolling pattern, etc.
The old days of putting a spoon close to a Dodger are almost over.
Don't take my word for it...get 4 of these lures behind Flashers. On the one side fish them on a short leader. On the other side fish them at my recommended length. Troll at a moderate troll and take notes. You will see a difference.
Consistently inconsistent sometimes makes a difference however. Your results will vary.
fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
No...never guided on his boat. But talked to Randy and he used to troll at Mach 5 (as slow as his boat would move) and his hoochie leaders were always like 5 feet (60" long)....I remember asking him about it and he used to say..."get on my boat Sonny boy! " and I remember seeing him fly past almost everyone...including me.
He always used to catch the biggest fish and when he got one...he got it. He used to drop out in the middle of English Bay...troll to the QA-Hump, pull a 180 and head back the same way and call it a charter.
Definitely a character!
I remember he always had a white hoochie on one line and an Army Truck on another and the other rods were a mixture of stuff.
He used to say the fish would easily catch up to him.
There is another charter guide locally who is a retired ex-commercial troller operator who no longer does charters but when he does fish his boat hauls while trolling. 25 pound balls required...with no stacking.
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fishin_magician
Well-Known Member
Wasn't me.
I only poached the handle on here from some bass fishin show I saw and fell off the couch from laughing years and years ago... 
Andrew P
Well-Known Member
These are my general leader lengths for the herring spoons starting early season and then what I like to progress to later in summer:
3" - 28"-44"
4" - 36"-56"
5" - 44" - 60"
That said...drop the flasher; they work very well with a dummy setup and no flasher on the line.
Flasher on a 6.5' leader 18" above ball, 4' clip placed 4' above flasher, spoon placed 6'-10' from clip. Hang on for the ride!
3" - 28"-44"
4" - 36"-56"
5" - 44" - 60"
That said...drop the flasher; they work very well with a dummy setup and no flasher on the line.
Flasher on a 6.5' leader 18" above ball, 4' clip placed 4' above flasher, spoon placed 6'-10' from clip. Hang on for the ride!
