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Eppingers Dardevle Spoons

Top Lake Trout Lures

Opinions on the top lake trout lure, usually center around two well-known plugs. The T-60 flatfish, and Eppingers Dardevle spoons. While experienced guides will always have an assortment of both at their disposal, the argument over which lure is best, is a hotly debated subject.

While I don’t deny that the T-60 is an awesome lake trout lure, I am firmly in the Eppinger camp when it comes to the best lake trout lure of all time. My reasoning is simple; Dardevle spoons are more versatile.

The T-60 is a deep running lure that is hard to fish shallow. Early in the season when lake trout are feeding near the surface some great lake trout can be caught in shallow water. A one-ounce Dardevle is perfect for this application. These lightweight spoons can be cast or trolled over shallow shoals, rocky reefs, or along shorelines without worrying about hanging up.

Once the water temperatures start to rise and the trout seek deeper water, I simply switch to a heavier spoon like the two ounce, Husky Jr. In the remote southeast corner Yukon Territory where our lodge is located, lake trout won’t start their search for cooler water until mid, to late, July. We seldom have to use anything that runs deeper than the Husky Jr. but when we do, the Dardevle 300-series is our lure of choice.

A note on spoons; they are not all created equal. Eppingers Dardevle spoons are a cut above any other spoon on the market. Considerably heavier than the competition, their unique shape mimics a wounded baitfish to perfection.

When it comes to colors, the grand old yellow and red five of diamonds is hard to beat. A favorite of pike fishermen the world over, the red and white Dardevle is a great choice for lake trout too.

Another favorite is the red and black. This color combination is a top performer on our waters, as Carl Lindquist has proven many times. Carl, an avid angler from the Midwest has been coming to Grizzly Creek Lodge to fish for almost a decade now. He set a camp record a few years ago when he landed a monster northern pike that measured a whopping 50-inches. Just this year in the span of twenty minutes he caught and released a 27-pound lake trout, and another monster pike, all on the red and black, one ounce Dardevle!

Another thing I like about Dardevle spoons is the fact that they can be bought, or easily converted to single barbless hooks. Over the last few years, I have been experimenting with barbless Circle hooks. The results have been outstanding, and will be the subject of my next blog, stay tuned!

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