Metal Jigs and Spoons

Metal Jigs and Spoons at Charlie's Fishing: casting jigs and Toby spoons for distance and depth

Metal jigs and spoons are the lures you reach for when the fish are far out or deep down. A dense metal body casts further than any plug or softbait of the same length, sinks fast, and flashes like a small baitfish on the way down and on the way back. In this collection you find our casting jigs and spoons: the classic Abu Garcia Toby spoon for trout, sea trout and asp, the BlueBlue Fallten and SeaRide Mini casting jigs and the Savage Gear 3D Jig Minnow for sea bass and mackerel, and the compact BlueBlue Arvin sinking stickbaits that cast and count down like a jig. It is a small, deliberate selection: one spoon and a few jigs that we trust from the shore, the harbour wall, the pier and the boat. Below you find what each one does and how to fish it.

Toby spoons for trout, sea trout and asp

A spoon is a bent piece of metal that wobbles and flashes on a straight retrieve, and the Toby is the classic among them. The Abu Garcia Toby Spoon 15 g (7.5 cm) has a slim, slightly curved body that rolls and flashes like an injured baitfish, stays stable at different retrieve speeds and works in still and running water, fresh and salt. It is the all-round weight for rivers, lakes and sheltered coast, and for asp hunting in the current where a fast, flashing lure draws the strike. The Abu Garcia Toby Spoon 20 g has the same 7.5 cm body with more weight, so it casts further into the wind and holds its depth in stronger current: the choice for big lakes, the coast for sea trout, and sea bass and mackerel from a pier. Fish a Toby with a steady retrieve just fast enough to feel it wobble, and drop the rod tip now and then so it flutters down: trout, sea trout and asp often take it on the drop. Fish the 15 g on a rod of about 10 to 30 g and the 20 g on a rod up to 40 g. More in Abu Garcia, Trout and Asp.

Casting jigs for sea bass and mackerel: BlueBlue Fallten, SeaRide Mini and Savage Gear 3D Jig Minnow

A casting jig is a slim, dense metal lure made to cast a long way, sink fast and work both on the retrieve and on the fall. The BlueBlue Fallten 20 g /30 g /40 g is our long distance jig: a slim, dense body that casts extremely well, sinks quickly to the bottom or to the depth you count it down to, flashes tightly on the retrieve and flutters on the drop. It comes rigged with a treble and an extra inline hook, so you lose fewer short-biting mackerel and sea bass. Take the 20 g for calm days and shallow water, the 30 g for most shore and harbour fishing, and the 40 g for wind, deep water, strong tide and vertical jigging from a boat or kayak. The BlueBlue SeaRide Mini 15 g is the finesse jig: compact and dense enough to cast far even in wind, but it falls slowly and horizontally, and with short rod lifts it darts unpredictably, what BlueBlue calls the Dolphin Action. Rigged with a treble and an assist hook, it is a strong choice for sea bass and mackerel feeding on small baitfish along harbour walls, breakwaters and in light boat fishing, and it works in fresh water for perch and asp too. The Savage Gear 3D Jig Minnow 20 g (7.5 cm) is a jig with a scanned baitfish profile and a tight, controlled action: it casts long and accurate, stays stable at different speeds and depths, and suits both a straight retrieve and lift and drop jigging along structure, drop-offs and mid depth zones. Many of our Seabass Hardbaits cover the same water with a plug; a jig takes over when the fish are further out or deeper. More in BlueBlue Fishing, Savage Gear Lures and Seabass, and read our blogs BlueBlue Fishing Japan: Four Lures We Tested in Dutch Waters and Savage Gear Lures: The Best Baits Explained.

Sinking stickbaits that cast like a jig: BlueBlue Arvin 60S and 150S

The two Arvin stickbaits are not metal, but they sit in this collection because they fill the same job: a compact, heavy lure that casts far, sinks and swims with a subtle rolling and wobbling action on a steady retrieve. The BlueBlue Arvin 60s (6 cm, 6.5 g) is the finesse version for perch, sea bass and asp along harbour structures, canal edges and shallow drop-offs: wind it in slowly, or hold the rod tip up to swim it just under the surface like a fleeing baitfish. The BlueBlue Arvin 150S (15 cm, 40 g) is the big one for larger sea bass and other large predators on the coast and in harbours: count it down to mid depth or deeper zones where bigger predators track prey along structure, current seams and drop-offs, and bring it back with a controlled retrieve. Both work in current and still water and in clear, pressured water where a wild action puts fish off. More in Hardbaits and Crankbaits & Twitchbaits.

Distance, sink rate and retrieve: how to fish a metal jig or spoon

Distance comes from weight and shape: a 30 g Fallten casts far further than a 30 g plug, and a slim jig flies straighter in a cross wind than a spoon. Sink rate is your depth control. After the cast, count while the jig sinks on a tight line; a jig of 20 to 30 g drops roughly a metre per second, a spoon and a slow-falling jig such as the SeaRide Mini drop slower. Count to the bottom once, then start your retrieve a few counts earlier on the next cast and work your way up through the water column until you find the fish. On the retrieve you have three options: a steady wind for spoons and the Jig Minnow, a lift and drop with the rod for the Fallten and SeaRide Mini so they flutter and dart on the fall, and a fast, jerky retrieve for asp, mackerel and sea bass chasing baitfish at the surface. Most bites come on the drop, so keep a light tension on the line as the lure falls and strike at any tap or sudden weight. Use a thin braid for distance and feel, and a fluorocarbon leader of 0.30 to 0.40 mm on the coast; around rocks and for pike, go heavier or to a wire trace. A compact lure clip lets you change jig weight without retying. Find leaders in Lines and Leaders, clips in Small fishing tackle, rods in Rods and Reels, and the lipless and blade baits that fish the same deep, fast water in Vibration Baits.

Which metal jig or spoon for which situation

• Trout and sea trout in rivers, lakes and from the coast: Abu Garcia Toby Spoon 15 g, 20 g in wind and current.
• Asp in the river: Abu Garcia Toby Spoon 15 g or 20 g fished fast, or a BlueBlue Arvin 60s along the current seam.
• Sea bass and mackerel from the shore and pier at distance: BlueBlue Fallten 30 g, 40 g in wind, deep water and strong tide.
• Sea bass feeding on small baitfish along harbour walls and breakwaters: BlueBlue SeaRide Mini 15 g or Savage Gear 3D Jig Minnow 20 g.
• Vertical jigging from a boat or kayak: BlueBlue Fallten 40 g.
• Perch and asp in fresh water with a jig: BlueBlue SeaRide Mini 15 g or BlueBlue Arvin 60s.
• Big sea bass and larger predators on the coast and in harbours: BlueBlue Arvin 150S. Also see Seabass, Trout, Asp, Perch, Zander, Pike and Pelagic.

Why buy metal jigs and spoons at Charlie's Fishing

We are a specialised predator fishing webshop and keep a small, chosen range of casting jigs and spoons from Abu Garcia, BlueBlue and Savage Gear, picked for casting distance, a good fall action and ready-rigged hooks, with the braid, leaders and clips to fish them. Every order ships from our own stock in the Netherlands with fast delivery across Europe, and we are happy to help you choose the right weight for your water.

What is the difference between a metal jig and a spoon?

A spoon is a curved blade that wobbles and flashes on a straight retrieve and is at its best wound in steadily. A metal jig is a slim, dense body that casts further, sinks faster and does most of its work on the fall, with a lift and drop or a jerky retrieve. Spoons suit trout, sea trout and asp; jigs suit sea bass, mackerel and deeper or faster water.

Which weight casting jig do I need for sea bass from the shore?

For most shore and harbour fishing a 20 to 30 g jig casts far enough and sinks fast enough. Go to 40 g in strong wind, deep water or a running tide, and down to a 15 g jig such as the SeaRide Mini when sea bass feed on small baitfish close to walls and breakwaters.

Can I use a metal jig or spoon for pike, zander and perch?

Yes. A Toby spoon also catches pike and perch in lakes and rivers, a light jig such as the SeaRide Mini catches perch and asp, and a heavier jig such as the Fallten 40 g can be jigged vertically for zander and perch holding deep. For pike, fish a spoon or jig on a wire trace.