Sharing Spook Techniques

Sometimes it is the technique more than the bait that helps you make a differance between a good day and a great one. This is my big fish technique with a spook.

BE PATIENT. Throw it next to and into the thickest cover you can get it in. A grass line is the best for me. Let the spook sit and sit and sit. Twitch it two ever so slight of movements. It is more like a quiver. This is a part that practice in a pool will really helps. I call it the dying quiver. 90% of my big Bass have come at this time of the cast.

DYING QUIVER. You almost have to witness a big Bass knocking a shad out and it doing the dying quiver on the surface to know what it looks like. Three of the largest bass that I have ever seen in my life did just that. They knocked it out and while it was quivering on the surface, circled it then swalloed it. I was all over those fish but each one was zeroed in on that action and not my bait.

SIT AGAIN. After the quiver let it sit again. Start your retrive walking the spook as slow as it will go. Letting it glide to the right and then to the left. Never stop the bait even if you get a blow up. Most of the time she will come back and take it within a few strokes.

THE SWITCH. Then leave it sitting and pick up a pinch weighted Fluke to follow up just past where the spook is sitting. I have a quick clip on my butt seat bag and keep my Fluke rod standing right beside my pole seat. I just pull the rod out of the quick clip and make the cast. You don't have time to lay your spook rod down and fumble around and pick up the Fluke rod off the deck. This has to be done quick. That follow up cast with the fluke will get her everytime.

EXCITED BASS. The spook's action is exciting the Big Bass that are close by on every cast. You may not ever realize this is taking place. You are not getting any blowups or even given any signs of it; but it is happening.

PARTNER DOES THE CATCHING. As I bring the spook past a bush, I have my partner throwing to those bushs with his Fluke and belive me it works. When you think they are not bitting topwater and want to go to something else DON'T DO IT. Follow that spook with the Fluke.

TOURNAMENT WIN. Practiced for a tournament on Amistad. We found the top water fish in a 100 yard stretch the morning before the tourn. We caught 2 keepers and a 4lb. Bass right off the bat on the spook. Tourn. morning the spook did not catch a Bass. They were blowing up on it but not taking it. My partner followed up behind the spook on every bush and put 5 Bass over 5lbs. in the boat. This technique has accounted for several wins so have fun trying it.

That's an awesome write up. I could visualize it happening when I was reading. A spook is my favorite top water.

Good info Donald! The Fluke after a topwater blowup is a killer technique!!!!

Nice write up!!! (even tho I wish you kept some of that stuff under wraps! )

The "quiver" as you call it... is probably one of the hardest things to master - just because you kinda have to get a big blow up on it to finally help you realize if you're doing it right, but once you get the action down right and gain a bit of confidence in it...

But then again, some of the most exciting strikes I've gotten have come while working a spook as hard as I can as slowly as I can. Those fish just exxxplode on it... but they're typically smaller fish, in the 6 lb. range or under.

try a 6 inch leader to a 2/0 hook with a fluke behind it or even a road runner...

Good info! I love to fish topwaters especially a Spook Jr.

Enjoyed the read. Thanks for the info.

Do you guys remember the flat fish thing? It was also made in the frog. When you jirked the string attached to the nose of the lure the flat tail vibrated ultra fast and sent it skittering in a circle. Well that is the dying Quiver. I bought one at a yard sale and took it to Ivie. It was right after I had a heck of a day on the spook down there so I knew where the big girls were hanging out. I caught two in the 5 lb. class and then threw it back in some thick stuff up the river and that it the last I ever saw of it. The biggest Bass you ever seen went South with it.
I bought the bait because of the three huge fish I had seen at Amistad knock a fish out and watch them come back and get it while it was quivering in a circle.

+1

The two step technique 'the bass likes to Dance

Good read

Thanks for the info. Sounds fun.

Great info

Thanks for the advice, great write up

Nice article

Great info will give it a shot

Here is a great story and boy does it work. My first Bass fishing trip in Texas was 35 years ago on Lake Brady. I met a gentleman there that was about 80 years young. I was pre fishing for a club tournament and thought I knew how to fish being from Tenn. and on Ky. Lake my whole life. He took me under his wing and we went out together the next morning.

He only had three rods and the lines were hanging out of a minnow bucket. In the bucket was 2 doz. minnows, a Spook, Spinnerbait and a jig with the biggest eyes on it I have ever seen. We pull up to the first spot and he pulls the spook out of the minnow bucket and catches 3 Bass on 3 cast. This went on all morning. Next came the spinner bait which he caught about 5 on. Then the jig pulls out of that minnow bucket and puts two 7's in the boat back to back.

After we tie up and have lunch; he pulls a wooden cigar box with the sliding lid from under the console and guess what. The box is full of worm dirt and night crawlers. Buried in the dirt are a couple of blue flake worms and lizards. He continued to put a woopen on me all day long.

At the end of the day we pull up on a old road bed and he hands me his spook. At that time I did not even own one. I had watched him all morning use the same technique as I posted above. I threw the spook down the road bed and that is the last we saw of that spook. A huge Bass took it and before we could get back in those Salt Seeders she broke me off.

It was the greatest learning experience of my life. I have thrown a spook ever sense and used minnow scent on all my lures.
I even used a blender for a long time before they started making minnow oil.

Great info. Ive never used a spook always used poppers or floating worms for topwaters. Maybe I was lazy and didn't want to learn how to actually impart the action in the lure. But you have motivated me by your story to go buy a couple of spooks or sammys and actually fish them.

good post

Great post about improving technique. We could use more like this.

This guy made by powerpak?

Yes. That is it. You didn't catch a Bass on Ivie over 10 lbs. with that in it's mouth did you?

Donald,
Aint it fun to share ?
Outstanding.....

Thanks for the informative article Mr. Harper!

Thanks for sharing the stories/techniques.

THE SPOOK CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO ALL FOUR OF THESE WINS!!

Had a wonderful fishing and hunting partner in Kentucky 35 years ago. We would sit and talk around the fire about what-if's and etc.. We won several big tournaments on Ky. Lake and discussed going to the next level. Both of us were too poor to ever get started on the circuit.

Jack and I talked about if something happened to one of us the other would fish 5 of the biggest tournaments that he could get in. If you win all 5 then turn pro because we would know that the one that passed away was linding a helping hand from up above.

Well, Jack had to have heart surgery and didn't make it. I carried through with our discussion. The first 4 tournaments went really well. I won by a land slide, thousands of dollars, Ranger boat, and sponsorships coming out of the wood work.

The FIFTH torunament is where it all fell apart. I had 5 fish for 35 lbs. and some change and thought I was on my way to the Pros. The last guy to weigh-in that day beat me by .02.

So I never gave up my day job. It was like Jack was having a good old laugh at the whole situation. I truly believe Jack had something to do with those 4 wins and helped me put some money in the bank to fish anywhere, and anytime I wanted to go.

Thanks!

Any advice on the Zara puppies? I just picked up few and tied up some feathered trebles to increase the profile a touch but still haven't thrown em!

Thanks for sharing the info and stories

Recipe:
Two dozens Minnows/ Half cup of water, blend for 15 seconds, dip worms in sauce for 10 minutes or as long as necessary for proper minner juice absorbation

Just picked that out because of the vision I got with a blender full of minnows swimming around then bam the switch is hit. in All seriouness though, Very good information, it is always good to read the information you share, you can tell you know what you are talking about for sure.

GOOD READ!!

thanks for sharing! good stuff

I can tweak Spook Jr.. The puppy is a little smaller. I will be glad to put the stripe on them for you. Just send them to me.
Donald Harper
5808 Ranch Rd.
Justin, TX. 76247

By the end of the day that stuff stunk so bad you hated to take the plug out of the mouth of the Juce Jug. You remember those? I would drop the Spook in there and sloch it around a coupe of times and make the cast to the grass. In about a week it would turn that spook yellow. It looked more like a yellow perch than a glitter shad. I had to have the carpet replaced twice on one boat. It finally bounced out in rough water on Amistad and I was glad it was gone.
I would bottle that stuff and freeze it. You would have to throw it away at the end of the day and bring a fresh bottle next time out of the freezer

With the feathered trebles, find some steep banks 6-10' of water with lots of overhanging trees and brush and BRIM.

Flip the spook up under the stuff and set still, the brim will get curious and start picking at the feathers on the trebles and popping at the spook, leave it be or barley twitch it every so often.

The brim will attrack a big bass's attention if one is in the area and he will blow up on brim spook and all at the same time!!

what exactly is a pinch weighted fluke? I assume its a little added weight, but how much, and where would you add it? Certainly one of the most informative technique threads i've ever ever read on TFF!

Hey guys I do want to point out that in a tourney most rules stipulate one rod and reel at a time, if you leave a bait out and cast another that is directly in violation. Fun fishing no problem but for tournies you gotta get one in b4 u throw another.

It may have just been how I read it but it seemed he ment leave the spook out and throw the fluke, do just thought it was somthing to keep in mind. With a partner in the boat it isn't an issue

It is a tiny split bullet weight. Just pinch it on the line at the nose of the hook eye. 1/32 oz. is plenty. I also use a small lead nail in some to make the Fluke spiral as it falls.

LOL, heck I would have bought one or two, even now. Like the action part....you can't find those or anything like that anymore....
Probably just made to catch 'fishermen'...LOL
my 2 cents

Most clubs as the one I still belong to, Permian Bass Club does not have the one rod rule. Most of the big tournaments do have that rule in place. That is where the partner comes in big time following that spook, by every bush and working the blow up area.

Let me explain keeping the Fluke rod in place. On my butt seat bag I have one of the bullet nose potato chip clips to hold my rod in an upright position beside my seat. No time is waisted reaching down on the floor and recovering the rod. I do not leave it there while traveling down the lake. Just open the jaws and clip the rod in it. When a blow up occures simply reach over and pull it out of the clip and it is that quick. Fast-Draw-Mcgraw.

Fixing The Clip: Drill a key ring size whole in the Chip Clip handle. Incert key ring to Clip. Attach the key ring to one of the zipper rings. Finished and ready to hold your Fluke Rod in place for the back up cast.

For those that don't have a butt seat bag; sorry but you are missing out on a great piece of equipment. It is the most time saving device I have on the boat.
Here is how you fix it wihout a butt seat bag. Attach a small lanyard to the poll near the top just under the seat and attach the potato chip clip to the lanyard.

Question here...

What type of rods are you throwing the heavier Spooks/Super Spooks on?

I've been using a AllStar TWS rod for over 10 years and it's still going strong. I use it only on topwaters that are no bigger than the Spook Jr.

I also used an AllStar rod for years and was very happy with it.
My rod is 6.5 ft. MH. light tip.
My spooks are also very sensitive to the line you use. It is carrying lots of weight with the extra hook. I tweak all of them and add the third hook; all with split rings and heavey stainless steel eye screws.

Lines like Trilene Big Game will not work. The Zara Spook loaded down is too sensitive to a line that has all the additives, like polimers, low stretch, abrasives and etc.

Throw it strictly on Stren Original Mono. It has none of the additives and floats the best of all mono line.

The Spook is a cheap lure and straight out of the box they will all do something different. Most of it I don't like; so I have spent many years getting it where it will get the job done and even better than the high dollar walking baits.

THE SPOOK AFTER THE STORM:
We all have seen this happen just before daylight. Most fishermen will postpone the trip for a better day. It is about 4:00 in the morning and a good thunder storm rolls through. It is full of lighting, thunder, heavy rain and wind. It is moving fast and will pass as day breaks. All the upper level disturbances have come together.

Get on up and get everything ready. Proceed to your favorite spook lake. Sit in the truck and be safe until it passes. As day breaks you are finding that it is very calm, a light fog on the water from the rain, still very cloudy, and with a light mist still going on. That heavy grass line is just waiting for you to make the first cast with the Spook It is one of those mornings if you were squirrel hunting you could hear one jump from limb to limb and the water falling farther than you could shoot,

It is hard to remember all the times that this situation has happened over 50 years of tournament fishing. Some of course have been much more productive than others. As I remember them they all were very good. This day on Lake Ivie produced the ideal conditions as above. Many of the other lake situations were good but there was a variable or two missing that did not produce the huge fish in numbers like that day on Ivie.

It was one of the greatest 8 lb. fests that I have ever had. Before the morning was over I had put eight Bass in the boat 8 to 9 lbs. but nothing over. I was fishing the KGKL Radio Big Bass Event. I had the first big fish so close to the end of the first hour I could not make the run in time with her so I decided to stay until the second hour to weight her in. By the middle of hour two I had 4 over 8 in the live well. It really didn’t matter when I got there I just grabbed two and weighed one at the end of hour two and the other at the beginning of hour 3. Then, it was back up the river to catch two more and back to weigh in with 4 in the live well again. This went on all day. I didn’t have a radio in the boat so I didn’t know until I got to the weigh in each hour how I had done. It was disappointing to read the board. Eight hours of fishing and catching with no check on any hour. It took a Bass over 9 lbs. to win a check every hour. All of my Bass were under.

THE TECHNIQUE was very simple. Bumping the biggest river trees was the ticket. I would throw the bait about 4 ft. past the tree, let it sit and sit some more, then two tiny twitches, let it sit some more, and then walk it up to the tree making the bait bump the tree them just let it sit. If there was a huge bass by that tree she would come and get it every time. I had to cut two of my Tournament Winning Spooks off in their mouths because they were too deep and took too much time to get them out risking killing the fish. I new that there was a station set up at weigh in just for that kind of help with good tools to get the job done.

My advice is to always have that lake in mind that you know the huge Bass are there and you just need that one morning when all the upper level disturbances come together to make it happen.

those are my favorite kind of days, love me some post storm fishin, spooks and frogs to start along with a chatterbait for waking.

Bump! Great stuff here!!!

Mr. Harper, this is by far the best and most informative thread I've ever seen on TFF or any other bass fishing forum. Your posts in this thread brought back so many wonderful memories of Spooks - both XRay Yellow ones and original wooden ones - and some very, very big bass.

I learned how to fish a Spook from Dr. Troy Majors, an Air Force physician who was stationed in San Antonio with me back in the early 1970s. Troy was from Springfield, MO, and had grown up with Johnny Morris. Troy learned to use a Spook on Table Rock Lake - and in San Antonio, he used and taught me many of the same "Spook finesse" tips you mentioned above. With a Spook, Troy was a real master in the clear, deep, cedar tree-choked waters of Medina Lake.

Keep chunking Ol' Mr. Zara, DH, and those thrills will keep coming! Thanks for starting this thread and for the many tips you passed out!

Tom Dillon

Great write up. I may try that with a Lunker Punker also.

Thanks for the perks Mr. Dillon. Same to you bud. I would truly like to put one of my spooks in you hands. If you got a couple of the originals I would like to tweak them for you. Please send me a PM. if you are interested.

I can make them do that 180 degree turns and never move forward and that is what they like. Like I have said not many fish come while walking the dog. All the big fish come while making it do the dying quiver.

Hey Don,another great write up you did.Have you ever tweaked an older spook that had the line tie in the middle of the nose?I believe they came with a split ring and these were probably from the late 60s or early 70s.Ive noticed some serious variation changes in spooks over the years where some had the head portion glued to the body and they crack where the seam is.Ive seen others that were sandwiched together along the length of the body.Just wondering if you were to tweak one what body style you prefer?

As long as they have the two screw hardware holding the hooks on I can do wonders with them. Now the Supers and salts have a wire coming out of the bait and are very thin shelled so the eye screws want hold.

The ones with the seam down the middle has plenty of meat to hold a big fish, no problem.

I love the old spooks with the line tie as you mentioned. They are the best. Just PM me and we will get it done. I will show you pictures first to make sure that is what you would like. I do not put split rings on this spook because they interfere with the turn it makes due to the raised line tie. My spooks in this model have hook tracks where the hooks rock back and forth in the same track. A couple have worn all the way through and I just keep patching them with epoxy and they keep catching.

Incredible thread!! Great stories and information Donald. Thanks for sharing.

Good stuff

Thanks for sharing your tips and techniques, I have noticed one other technique that works for me usually later in the year when the water is warm...of course I discovered this by accident...trying some of the techniques you mention of waiting, then movement , walking the dog etc...The first time this worked for me was on a bad cast, that is, I didnt hit the spot I was targeting, I let the spook sit a minute contemplating my error and then just reeled the spook in as fast as I could to recast....hadnt got it very far when a bass nailed it on the fly...I wasnt walking it or pausing it just burning it so to speak caught several more the same way...subsequently I have found sometimes this technique will get strikes...Nothing the size of the bass you mentioned..and seems to be a hot month (july august september) type pattern when the fish are very active. Thanks again for sharing I will definitely try to learn the quiver..Do you sell modified spooks or just custom tweak them?

Love the informative info, really enjoy top water, from spooks to poppers to
devil horse's and have plenty more.
But the techniques you described sound awesome,
Thanks Mr Harper for taking time to share this, will try for sure

I custom modify new spooks or do your old personal ones. PM. Sent.