1/22/23 Bink’s Spoons for catching crappie
Daily Fishing Log For January 22, 2023
| General Info | Weather / Water Conditions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | January 22, 2023 | Air Temp | 30s-40s | Current Generation | Minimum |
| Fisherman | TLFI Anglers | Water Temp | mid to upper 30s | ||
| Hours Fished | Sky | Cloudy | Water Clarity | Slightly Stained | |
| Fishing Overall | Good | Wind | Moderate | ||
| Fish Caught | |
|---|---|
| Total Caught | Total Keepers |
| Size/Weight (Pounds) |
|---|
| Baits Used | |
|---|---|
| Keepers | Other Fish |
| Bink's Spoons | |
| Bait Colors | |
|---|---|
| Keepers | Other Fish |
| Assorted colors - shad pattern spoons working well | |
| Location/Presentation/Structure |
|---|
| Bink's Spoons has been around since the 90s and used across the country, but especially in the midwest from Arkansas all the way up to Minnesota and Wisconsin. Come see them at the upcoming Truman Lake Fishing Expo in Clinton at the Benson Center on February 10th and 11th! Bink's Spoons were made popular by their creator, Darrell Binkley, on Norfolk Lake. There, he uses the spoons to target many species including crappie, walleye, white bass, hybrids, and stripers. You'll even catch some big blue and flathead catfish as well. Dipping trees with a minnow tipped on the spoon can yield many crappie and is the most popular usage of the spoon on Truman Lake. |
| Fishing Notes |
|---|
In the past week, ice has been intermittent throughout the lake, with more cold weather on the way. most of it has disappeared with the exception of some isolated pockets. Those areas will be ice free soon as well. The crappie bite continues to be very good right now. Folks are getting them with minnows and jigs, but jigs are by far and above most productive. Sometimes it seems like you get into an area that is pressured more than others and the fish don’t want to eat as readily. So what do you try? Different colors and sizes of jigs are a start. But breaking out a Bink’s Spoon might help. The Bink’s Spoon with the single Aberdeen hook is specifically designed for crappie fishing and easy snag removal. It is most effective when tipped with a minnow, or even a jig, and could give those fish the different look they need to see to entice a bite. Most of the guides and anglers are finding fish back in the creeks and cove pockets, especially when you make your way up the river arms. The fish will stay there for several months. Brush Creek in the Tebo arm is famous for holding huge numbers of fish in the winter time. We filmed a Bink’s Spoon video last February in Brush Creek and caught dozens on the spoon tipped with a minnow. Some were even caught through skim ice! Video:
All the creeks between Bucksaw and Otter Creek are holding fish as well. Start halfway back or further, making sure to stay in 6-13 feet of water. You’ll make your presentation a lot like a minnow or jig when you use the Bink’s Spoon. Drop the spoon down and hold it steady along the trees and wait for the thump. In the upper Grand, it’s really been taking putting that bait right in front of the fish to get a bite, but they have been a little more aggressive when you get into the clearer water on the lower end and will chase it more. Fish are sitting all over the water column, even as shallow as 1-2 feet down in the upper ends. But majority are in the bottom 1/3rd. If you’re looking to try something different, the bluffs on the lower end of the lake around the dam and up into the lower Grand, lower Pomme and lower Osage can be very good places to drop your Bink’s Spoon. Simply cast the spoon tipped with a minnow up to the bluff and let it fall to the bottom. Raise it up a couple of reel cranks and just kind of let it bounce along the bottom in 18-22 feet of water. The bluff right by the dam is very good for catching crappie in the wintertime. If they are sitting higher up, try to swing that bait above the school of fish and one or several should come up to get it. The lake is a foot low. Water is stained to muddy in the upper ends but fairly clean on the lower end of the Grand and dam area. The Tebo up to Windsor Crossing has about 1 foot of clarity. All colors of Bink’s Spoons are reported to be working, but favorites are Albino, black/white, all white, chartreuse, blue/white and green/white. You can visit this link to browse the Bink’s Spoons Catalog: |