A bunker spoon is a big, flexible metal spoon designed to imitate a wounded, fleeing menhaden. Trolled at the right speed on the right rod, it swims with a slow, wide, side-to-side kick that draws savage strikes from the largest striped bass around. It's a specialized method with its own gear, but when big fish are on bunker in open water, few things put more trophy-class stripers in the boat.
The gear is the technique
Bunker-spoon fishing lives and dies on the rod. You want a long, parabolic “broomstick” spoon rod that loads deeply and pulses, which is what animates the spoon's wobble and keeps the hooks pinned when a fish loads up. Pair it with a conventional reel and, most commonly, wire line (or lead-core) to get the spoon down to the fish without a lot of extra weight.
How to fish it
- Set the depth: let out a measured amount of wire line to reach the fish's level, which you'll dial in by counting colors or marks.
- Troll slowly: the spoon needs a slow, deliberate speed to swim right. Watch the rod tip, which should be pulsing rhythmically as the spoon kicks. If the tip goes slack or vibrates too fast, adjust speed.
- Put the rod in the holder and let the parabolic action do the work. When a fish eats, the whole rod loads down; let it come tight before you take the rod.
Tip Read the rod tip like a fish finder. A steady, even pulse means the spoon is swimming correctly. When that rhythm suddenly stops or buries, that's a fish, don't grab the rod until it's loaded.
When to reach for it
Bunker spoons are a big-water, big-fish tool: use them when adult bunker are around and the cows are on them, along the beachfront or over open structure. It's a trophy-hunting method, and the fish it produces are worth the specialized setup.