Flattie Spoons

[TimO]

Hi all,
Sorting my gear out ready for the 'New Arrival' and came across a couple of flattie spoons from the past.
My question is has anybody used these from a drifting kayak and if so are they any good?
Cheers
Tim

[starvinmarvin]

Hi Timtoe,

In answer to your question yes I've tried them, no they havent been any good so far, but not going to give up, had a lot of trouble with weed when I was trying.

SM

[georgieb]

Mr J.P Gerrard dont you know used his flattie spoons trolled behind his dingy (read kayak), very successful by all accounts. Now everyone sitdown and make a spoonie rig.
Hope this link is useful .
www.baywater.fsnet.co.uk/seafishing4fun/issue3/spoon/index.html
All the best -george

[The Image ™]

Flattie spoons aren't supposed to be trolled though are they. They're supposed to be fixed on the bottom with a lead where they flap in the tide and attract fish. I guess that a reason why many on here havn't tried them is because they're mostly used on flattie venues like estuaries where most kayakers are less keen to go because of the obvious tide problems.

[speciman]

Flattie spoons were developed and designed to be trolled from a boat (or retrieved from shore) very slowly in the estuarine environment. I think their use was pioneered in Langstone Harbour decades ago. They're still used a lot in the south coast estuaries and harbours. Mullet in Christchurch Harbour have also been taken with the baited spoon. Spinning blades ( which tend to be smaller than the flattie spoon) are sometimes used on a fixed on the bottom rig.

[fester]

They work great around Bangor pier off a boat, I laughed at my mate when he got a metal one out. He soon had a decent bag full of Plaice! Outfished me! 3-1

[starvinmarvin]

Having not had any success with them I can't really offer this as advice, but I believe the idea is that you should troll at a speed so that they just start to spin slowly... read it somewhere, quite recently... Sea Angler or Total Sea Fishing I believe.

SM

[The Image ™]

How do you keep them on or near the bottom without any weight?
I've had success with them with a lead attached but it looks like I've been doing it wrong.

[fester]

No, No,

Running ledger, 3' trace, spoon on end, loads of beads, Lug/rag/MUSSEL! Try it

[tompa]

Used to use a homemade thing quite similar to what you are on about from the shore, only with a treble hook,no bait and it was years ago and I caught the odd mackeral!
Don't know if that is any use to you but there you go! ;D

[donald]

A couple of years ago, whilst looking for flounder recipes, I was surprised at the rigs they used in The States.
www.seastriker.com/rigs/rigs_files/page0004.htm
I tried the pop-up in front of the wieghted bait at Connah's quay and Preston. It worked a charm. As good as beads. Tried spoons, they definitely need flow on then, either the tide or spinning. My experience for flounder and turbot is a slow, jerky moving bait produces hook-ups. Plain leads up to 2oz max. seam the order of the day.
Anyone else tried spinning etc for them, which seems so popular Stateside ?

[The Image ™]

I think that the good old fashioned 'Flounder Walk' takes some beating.
From a boat, this involves reeling in so that the weight bumps up and down on the sand as the boat drifts. The bumping sound and the little puffs of sand attract flatties like wasps to honey.
From the shore, it involves casting out and then after a minute pulling the weight in a few meters then after a minute do it again and so on. Same effect.
I went through a 'phase' of specialising in flattie fishing and still hold the WFSA shore record for flounder at 3.5lb.

[stitch]

Hi timtoe
Haven't used a spoon on the drift let alone on a boat but i have on my kayak anchored up. I use this ready made rig from Red Wolf. There is no info on the packaging but i think the hooks are 1/0. This is the rig i 99% of the time start my session and then change as conditions dictate. To date i have had codling, whiting, mackerel,doggies, pollock and a spotted ray. The rig sells at £1.50 and i have used each one many times.




well worth the money

John ;D ;D ;D

[cliffnorry]

I used to trole both small spoons and feathers behind the boat, down south, and used to catch good size whiting, but they were first made to lay on the bottom for flat fish. and that is what they are best at.