By Ron Stirtz
Many assume that small spoons wiggle properly when trolled. This usually is not the case. They do well when cast and retrieved, but usually do virtually nothing at 1/2 to one mph. The fix is easy. First run an appropriately sized smile blade up your leader followed by two small (4 mm) beads. Now tie directly to the split ring on the front of your spoon, and you have a truly active low speed lure. Note that now the action is produced from the front of the lure, so adding a small piece of bait to the hook is just fine. This is a super lure for kokanee.
The all purpose smiley rig:
This rig is simply a length of leader (6 lb or heavier), a smile blade, two small beads and a ring eye (not turned up or down) baitholder hook. For worm applicatinon nip off a length of worm equal to one and one half the leth of the shank. Run enough worm to cover the shank, pierce the worm and run the worm up to the hook eye. You should now have a nice straight bait with a tail sticking out past the end of the hook. This will give you an incredible real food action lure as you troll it.
The minnow helper:
Everybody who fishes a minnow fishes a dead minnow. Like it or not very soon after you start trolling a minnow, he dies. It's probably something about having holes punched in his body and his gills not functioning under stress, but the reason doesn't really matter. He's dead. Using the smiley rig described above you will have a minnow that always looks lively. If you hook your minnow up through the jaw and out the top of the nose, use a light wire short shanked hook. If you go in the mouth, out the gill and back through the body, use medium to long shanked light wire hook. We recommend light wire so as much energy as possible transfers from the blade to the minnow.
Troll a fly with 'tude':
Many fishermen have discovered that trolling their favorite flies can be quite productive. Put that fly on a smiley rig instead of the ring iye hook, and you have the most incredible fly presentation ever. Some flies that have worked well for us include the wooly worm, wooly bugger, and marabou streamers. Colors? Try black or moss green. In spite of what the pegs at the local fishing store look like, a great part of a fishes diet is dull colored not hot pink or green. Be sure to take a moment to look at you rig in the water at troll speed. You will be excited and so will the fish!!!
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