Gold Spoon for Redfish: Weedless vs Casting Spoons, Size, and How to Work Them

The best gold spoon for redfish is a weedless spoon in 1/4 or 1/2 ounce, thrown on a ball bearing swivel and slow-rolled just fast enough to wobble. The weed guard lets it come through grass, over oyster and along mangrove roots where reds actually feed, and gold flashes in the stained, low water of fall and winter better than anything else in the box. Save the heavier casting spoons for distance, open water, and the mackerel and bluefish that show up on the same flats.

Why the spoon still works

A spoon does two things a red finds easily: it flashes, and it thumps. In murky or tannic water, a redfish feels the wobble on its lateral line before it sees anything. In clear water, the flash looks like a baitfish turning. Either way, the fish comes over to look.

It is also the most forgiving lure there is. No rigging, no tails to bite off, no bait to keep alive. Tie it on in October and you might still be throwing the same one in February.

That is why the spoon is the classic low-water lure. On the big negative tides of fall and winter, reds pile up in potholes, on bar edges and along the drop-offs, often in water too thin for a jig. A spoon covers that water fast and lands softly enough not to blow the school out. The winter fishing guide covers where those fish go when the water gets cold.

Weedless spoons vs casting spoons

Weedless spoon: the redfish spoon

A weedless spoon has a single fixed hook with a wire guard over the point. The guard pushes grass and shell aside, then folds down when a fish bites. This is the spoon for turtle grass, oyster bars, mangrove edges and anywhere an open treble would foul on every cast.

We carry the 1/4oz Weedless Spoon Gold for skinny water and tailing fish, the 1/2oz Weedless Spoon Gold as the everyday flats size, and a 3/4oz for wind and deeper edges. All three also come in silver.

Croc spoon: distance and speed

The Croc spoon is a heavy, thick casting spoon with a treble. It throws a mile, sinks fast and holds up to a quick retrieve. That makes it the wrong spoon for thick grass and the right one for:

• Spanish mackerel and bluefish busting bait along the beach, passes and bar edges
• Reds schooled on open sand or in deeper channels, where nothing snags
• Reaching a feeding school you cannot get the boat close to

For a Spanish mackerel spoon, a 1/2oz Croc Spoon Silver or 3/4oz cast into the birds and burned back is hard to beat. The Spanish mackerel guide has the full approach, including the short wire or heavy fluoro bite tippet you will want for those teeth.

Drone and Mack Daddy spoons: trolling

Drone spoons and Mack Daddy spoons are trolling spoons. They are built to be pulled behind a planer or trolling sinker, not cast. Use them when you are covering open water for kingfish, Spanish, bluefish and other pelagics. We stock the Drone Spoon in gold on silver plus blue, chartreuse, pink and silver finishes in several sizes, and the Mack Daddy in #1 through #4. Check each product page for the exact dimensions before matching it to your planer.

Spoon size by situation

Situation	Spoon	Why
Tailing reds in a foot of water or less	1/4oz weedless	Lands quiet, rides high over grass
General flats, grass and oyster	1/2oz weedless	Casts well, still stays shallow on a steady retrieve
Windy day, deeper edges, mangrove points with current	3/4oz weedless	Cuts the wind, gets down on the drop
Reds schooled on open sand or in a channel	1/2 to 1oz Croc	Long casts, no grass to foul the treble
Spanish mackerel and bluefish on the surface	1/2 to 3/4oz Croc	Fast retrieve without spinning out
Deeper or longer-range casting, bigger fish	1.5 to 3oz Croc	Reaches the school and gets down fast
Trolling open water	Drone or Mack Daddy	Built to run behind a planer or weight

Gold or silver?

Gold in stained, tannic or murky water and on overcast days. Silver in clear water under bright sun. Fall and winter on most Florida flats usually means gold: lower, dirtier water and grey mornings. If you only carry one color for redfish, carry gold.

How to fish a gold spoon

Slow-roll it

Cast past the fish or the structure, let it settle for a beat, then reel just fast enough to feel it wobble through the rod tip. Too fast and it spins; too slow and it drags. Most of the time the right speed is slower than you think.

Lead the fish

On sighted reds, land the spoon a few feet ahead of the fish and past its path, then bring it across in front of the nose. Dropping it on a red's head sends it off. The redfish guide goes deeper on reading tails, wakes and pushes.

Flutter it on the drop

Along a bar edge or the outside of a pothole, lift the rod to pull the spoon up and let it flutter back down on a semi-slack line. A lot of bites come on the fall, so watch your line.

Don't set too early

A red will often follow and nip at a spoon before eating it. When you feel weight, keep reeling and sweep the rod. With a weedless spoon the fish needs a moment to fold the guard, so a steady sweep beats a hard jerk.

Stop line twist with a swivel

Every spoon spins a little, especially when it is reeled too fast or a fish shakes on it. Tied straight to braid, that twist works up the line until you get loops and wind knots on the next cast. The fix is simple: tie a ball bearing swivel between your main line and leader, or a small one right at the spoon. A ball bearing swivel turns freely under load, so it actually takes the twist out where a cheap barrel swivel can bind up.

A typical inshore setup: 10 to 20lb braid, a ball bearing swivel, then 18 to 24 inches of 20 to 30lb fluorocarbon leader to the spoon. Use a loop knot at the spoon if you want a little more action.

Keeping fish

Redfish and Spanish mackerel both have slot or size rules, bag limits and regional differences that change. Check current FWC recreational regulations before you keep a fish, and NOAA rules if you are fishing federal waters.

Gear for this

• 1/4oz Weedless Spoon Gold for shallow, tailing reds
• 1/2oz Weedless Spoon Gold for everyday flats fishing
• 3/4oz Weedless Spoon Gold for wind and deeper edges
• 1/2oz Croc Spoon Silver for Spanish mackerel and bluefish
• 50 Gold on Silver Drone Spoon for trolling
• #3 Ball Bearing Swivel to stop line twist

FAQ

What size spoon is best for redfish?

A 1/2oz weedless spoon covers most flats fishing. Drop to 1/4oz for very shallow or spooky fish, and go up to 3/4oz in wind or on deeper edges.

Is a gold or silver spoon better for redfish?

Gold is the standard for redfish because most redfish water is stained or tannic. Switch to silver in clear water on bright days.

Why does my spoon twist my line?

Spoons rotate when retrieved too fast or when a fish shakes. Add a ball bearing swivel between the main line and leader and slow your retrieve until the spoon wobbles instead of spinning.

What is the difference between a Croc spoon and a Drone spoon?

A Croc spoon is a heavy casting spoon you throw and retrieve. A Drone spoon is a trolling spoon meant to be pulled behind a planer or weight from a moving boat.

Can I use a weedless spoon for Spanish mackerel?

It will catch them, but a Croc spoon casts farther and handles the fast retrieve Spanish want. Keep the weedless spoon for grass and oyster where a treble would foul.