Johnson Silver Minnow Weedless Spoon Review & Rigging Tips
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Lure Reviews, Product Reviews
It’s Spoon Time!
More importantly, it’s WEEDLESS spoon time!
Of all the lures, the spoon is probably the most basic and simple out there…
They most often consist of slightly concaved pieces of metal which attract fish from their reflection and sporadic movements.
Although spoons are very basic lures, they certainly have proven to work for all types of fishing.
And one of my personal favorite spoons for inshore fishing is the Johnson Silver Minnow spoon.
The top reasons I like it is because it’s weedless, it’s simple to use, and it can’t be damaged by those pesky puffer fish that tear up soft plastics.
This weedless spoon is a great lure for inshore anglers because it can be used in areas where treble hooks can’t be trusted… like fishing shallow flats with thick grass, oyster bars, and skipping up under mangroves.
And rigging them is basic… just a standard leader with a swivel in between your main line and your leader to help keep the main line from twisting due to the spoon’s sporadic movements (underwater footage included in video below).
Johnson Silver Minnow Spoon Pros
- Easy lure to fish (I prefer a slow constant reel with a small rod tip twitch every few seconds)
- Very weedless against common inshore structure (mangroves, oyster bars, docks, rocks, etc.)
- Can’t be damaged by pesky puffer fish
Johnson Silver Minnow Spoon Cons
- Can rust quickly if not washed off after saltwater trips
- Weedless wire needs to be managed at times
How To Rig A Weedless Spoon (Underwater Footage Included):
The links below go to the equipment assembly that I most often use when fishing the flats and backcountry with weedless spoons:
- Johnson Original Silver Minnow Spoon (1/4th oz)
- Ande Fluorocarbon Leader (30 lb test)
- PowerPro (10 lb test)
- Barrel Swivel
Conclusion
Although spoons may look like a boring chunk of metal, they are an asset to any fisherman’s tackle box…
Not only is a spoon one of the most versatile fishing lures ever made, but it really does catch fish a ton of fish.
When fishing areas with lots of structure like mangrove roots, thick sea grass, oysters, anything else that is prone to get snagged by lures with treble hooks, make sure to give a weedless spoon a shot because they most often bounce right off of the structure allowing for more fish catching and less frustration.
Fish On!
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How deep would you fish a spoon; not trolling of course.
I mostly use them up in the shallows (less than 3ft) for redfish. Here’s a post that shows exactly how to use them for that type of fishing: https://saltstrongdev.wpengine.com/articles/weedless-spoon-fishing/
Thank you Luke!
This a great video – would like to see videos comparing all of the type of spoons and how they compare per intended application
Hi, just watched the video on the Johnson spoon. I could sort of see from the underwater action of the spoon, but what’s the best retrieval method for these spoons? And are they best used on grass flats, since I assume you’re primarily catching redfish on these lures?
Luke – I like to keep my leader whenever possible as It takes me some time to tie a double uni or FG knot, so I attach my leader to a barrel swivel and split ring to spoon.. Have you ever considered this and do you think it would be a problem?
thanks
Swivels and split rings are ok, but I prefer to not use them because they are an unnecessary non-organic object that has a possibility of alerting a target fish of danger.
Great article and tips, guys. However, in my quest to truly make a spoon weedless, I’ve found that the swivel can pick up plenty of grass. Have you tried using the FG knot to attach the leader with a swivel attached to the spoon via split ring?
Also, any tips on trailers? It seems like the Gulp! 4 inch Swimming Mullet would make a great trailer, similar to using a curly tail grub on the business end for bass fishing.
I have most recently been skipping the swivel altogether and just use an FG knot to connect to the leader and then a non-slip loop knot (kreh loop) to connect to the spoon. So far, I haven’t had any problems with line twists which has been a pleasant surprise.
That certainly is a pleasant surprise. I’ve heard that Power Pro is actually hard to twist up so it’s good to hear that this may actually be true. I’ll give it a shot the next I’m out on the flats.
Thanks for the reply, Luke!
As for trailers, I have not done much experimenting with them so can’t say for sure either way.
Good tips. Use the spoons in saltwater with the favorite being the Johnson Sprite when fishing areas that do not require a Weedless presentation. Not sure if a Trailer works better on a Spoon but the freshwater folks in Wisconsin & Ontario, Canada usually use them. Not needed on the Sprite as it has a treble instead of a single hook.
Forgot to say, I’ve even used them with a white gulp added to the hook, works great!
Thanks for making time to leave the helpful tips Bill. Fish On!
These spoons have been my favorites for reds both in Tampa Bag and the LA Marshes. It is about all I ever use in the marshes!
Luke and Joe, Great video! Thank you. I’ll try it when the grass starts coming back. I’ve had great luck catching big reds in the Banana River using a modified 1/4 oz. gold Johnson Sprite. I put a #4 split ring and small barrel swivel on the front of the spoon and beef up the hook and swivel on the back. This gives me great action and plenty of backbone to handle the bigger fish.
Hey Mark, thanks so much for leaving the great tip… sounds like a very smart modification to the spoon. We hope to hear from you again soon. Fish On!
What do you mean by beefing up the hook and swivel on the back of spoon.