The flutter spoon has quickly risen to legendary status among Northeast striped bass fishermen. A little-known fact about these massive hunks of metal is that they were originally designed for freshwater bass fishing, yes even in these large sizes, and ever since they were introduced into the realm of the striper, they have taken the fishery by storm.
The Fat Cow Flutter Spoon measures 8 inches and weighs in at 4 ounces; an ideal size for bunker and so many other species of baitfish. This is something that many anglers forget to consider when using these spoons, while their reputation was built around the bunker schools, they also mimic herring, mackerel, butterfish and any other medium to large-sized ‘silvery’ baitfish. The Fat Cow spoons come rigged with a 5x 4/0 treble, 12mm heavy-duty stainless split rings and a 125-pound premium barrel swivel—all this combines to create a tough and effective tool for catching large striped bass.
The flutter spoons from Fat Cow Fishing are offered in three colors that cover the spread for most striper situations. They have a natural bunker color, chartreuse and pearl white. Their bunker color is half chrome and half painted, the painted half features bronze scales painted over a yellow backdrop with a narrow strip of black and really looks like the real McCoy. Their ‘chartreuse’ color would probably be more accurately described as ‘classic parrot’ with chartreuse painted across nearly all of one side of the spoon and a strip of fluorescent lime green laid down one side. The ‘pearl white’ color is exactly what it sounds like, one side is painted pearlescent white and the other is silver. All three colors feature the classic ‘bunker spot’ or ‘false eye’ as some call it, which does add a touch of extra realism to the bait.
The Fat Cow website says, “Any fisherman that’s used a flutter spoon for stripers can tell you that these spoons are much more efficient, and arguably, more effective than live-lining. The Fat Cow Flutter Spoon stands out in a pod of bunker and their perfect fluttering action is irresistible to stripers looking for an easy meal.” The basic mode of operation is to find a school of bait (bunker, herring, mackerel, etc) that has some large marks on it, drop the flutter spoon to the approximate depth of the bait and predators and begin a series of sharp lifts of the rod tip. One of the big keys is to follow the spoon down with the rod but only staying tight enough to it to fell a strike—if your line is too tight it will affect the action and you won’t get that tantalizing fluttering action. Nearly all of the hits come on the descent, so be ready and set the hook hard when you feel the thump.
The Fat Cow Flutter Spoons retail for $24.99 but Fat Cow also offers a three pack (one of each color) that sells for $59.97 – a savings of $15! You can buy the Fat Cow Flutter Spoons at tackle shops all along the Striper Coast or you can order them direct from the Fat Cow website. Whether you’re a flutter spoon pro or showing up fashionably late to the big bass party, why not use the spoon that’s named after what you’re trying catch – tie on the Fat Cow and you just might catch one!
