I realize it's not even close to casting/swinging spoons for steel, but I've been experimenting with a different kind of spoonin' for the past few salmon seasons, and each year my confidence in hangback and bent metal grows.

Can't really complain about the hookup:landed ratio either.

Tension is still transmitted thru the spoon during the battle, but eliminating the direct spoon-butt-to-hook connection does a lot to minimize the direct leverage on the hook shank when all that shakin' is going on.

Of course, so does keeping the rod tip in the water.