Originally Posted By: eyeFISH


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.


Yup. Fish need just the slightest bit of slack to throw a barbless hook, and a heavy spoon attached to it certainly seems to add to the challenge. Much easier for them to create said slack with your line in the air than in the water. I've lost plenty of fish on hardware (and most everything else), too, but since having "LOW AND LEFT" (or right, where appropriate) drilled into my head, it happens a lot less often. This is especially true with fly line, in my experience.

(We won't talk about a certain URB I lost last at the boat last year at Buoy 10 with my rod up in the air and making a straight line to the hook, nearly taking out the First Mate with 10 ounces of flying lead in the process. Straight up Bush League....)