When Great Lakes anglers talk about trolling spoons, conversations almost always start with color. But according to longtime lure designers Chip Cartwright and CJ Baker from Silver Streak Spoons, that’s not where the real advantage begins.

In a recent conversation on the Great Lakes Fishing Podcast presented by Fish Hawk Electronics, the Silver Streak team shared insights from decades of experience fishing out of Ludington on Lake Michigan—and explained why spoon profile, speed, and presentation choices often matter more than color alone.

If you troll for salmon or trout anywhere across the Great Lakes, these practical lessons can help you make smarter decisions with your spread this season. 

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Why Spoon Profile Matters More Than Color

Color catches anglers, but profile catches fish.

That’s one of the biggest takeaways from this discussion with Silver Streak. While anglers often debate favorite paint patterns endlessly, Chip and CJ emphasized that size, shape, and action determine whether fish commit to the lure in the first place.

Different spoon models are designed to perform best at different speeds and target different species behaviors:

• Standard-size spoons excel at moderate-to-higher trolling speeds
• Magnum spoons shine at slower speeds often used for lake trout
• Junior sizes frequently outperform larger spoons when baitfish are small
• Flutter characteristics can trigger strikes even during the drop

Instead of asking, “What color should I run?” a better question is:

What size bait are fish feeding on right now?

Matching that answer dramatically improves your odds.

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Matching the Hatch Still Wins on the Great Lakes

One trend Silver Streak has observed recently is a shift back toward smaller spoons in salmon and walleye programs.

Why?

Because bait size drives predator response.

In recent seasons, anglers targeting salmon noticed smaller forage availability during key parts of the year. That meant downsizing spoons generated more bites.

This pattern shows up across multiple Great Lakes fisheries:

• Smaller bait = smaller spoons
• Strong hatch years = fewer short-strikes when upsizing
• Weak hatch years = more success with juniors and standard sizes

Matching hatch size isn’t just a theory. It’s one of the most repeatable success patterns in trolling.

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Understanding the Role of Spoon Speed

Speed is another factor many anglers overlook when evaluating spoon performance.

Silver Streak spoons are designed to operate across a wide speed range—but there are still optimal windows.

Typical productive ranges include:

Walleye trolling speeds

• 1.7 to 2.3 mph common range

Salmon trolling speeds

• 1.8 to 2.6 mph typical working window

Higher-speed spoon performance

• Some standard spoons remain stable up to 3.5 mph

Instead of locking into one speed, successful captains constantly adjust until fish reveal their preference.

That’s where real-time down-speed data from Fish Hawk systems becomes especially valuable—because surface speed alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

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How Lead Length Changes Spoon Effectiveness

Another major takeaway from this conversation: lead length matters more than most anglers think.

Modern water clarity across the Great Lakes—especially compared to past decades—has forced anglers to adapt their presentations.

Years ago, short leads behind downriggers were standard. Today, longer setbacks are often necessary to avoid spooking fish.

Typical ranges discussed included:

• 10–12 feet in stained or green water
• 30–50 feet in clear conditions
• 45–55 feet common on deeper paddles
• Longer diver leads improving productivity

The clearer the water gets, the more stealth matters.

That’s why experimentation with setback distance should always be part of your daily adjustment strategy.

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Why Salmon Jigging Is Growing Fast

Silver Streak is known primarily for trolling spoons—but even they recognize the growing popularity of jigging for salmon across the Great Lakes.

One reason?

Modern live sonar.

Electronics now allow anglers to:

• watch fish approach lures
• adjust cadence in real time
• trigger reaction bites visually
• stay productive in tight harbors or poor trolling conditions

For smaller boats especially, jigging creates new close-to-shore opportunities on windy weekends when trolling offshore isn’t practical.

That’s exactly why Silver Streak introduced a new jigging spoon profile designed specifically for vertical salmon presentations.

It’s not replacing trolling.

It’s expanding your options.

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Why Confidence Colors Still Matter

Even though profile matters most, color still plays a role, especially when confidence enters the equation.

Experienced anglers tend to leave confidence lures in the water longer. And longer exposure increases strike odds.

Some consistent regional observations shared in the discussion included:

Lake Michigan tendencies

• blues
• glow finishes
• stripe patterns

Lake Ontario tendencies

• greens
• chartreuse tones
• dotted patterns

Neither pattern is universal, but regional confidence colors often emerge for good reasons tied to forage, water color, and light penetration.

Silver Streak’s updated high-intensity glow finishes are one example of adapting to changing conditions while preserving proven action profiles.

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Why Every Great Lakes Spread Should Stay Versatile

One of the smartest insights Chip and CJ shared applies to anglers at every experience level:

No single lure presentation solves every situation.

Even though Silver Streak specializes in spoons, their own spreads regularly include:

• meat rigs
• flashers and flies
• plugs
• crankbaits
• stickbaits

Each has a role depending on conditions.

For example:

• Meat rigs often produce bigger fish
• Spoons cover water efficiently
• Stickbaits can improve size quality in some walleye programs
• Jigging spoons create opportunities during tough trolling days

Successful anglers treat these tools as puzzle pieces, not competing strategies.

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How Water Clarity Has Changed Spoon Fishing Forever

One fascinating part of the conversation involved how dramatically Great Lakes water clarity has evolved over time.

Decades ago:

• anglers couldn’t see cannonballs six feet down
• silver-plated finishes improved visibility
• shorter setbacks worked fine

Today:

• anglers can sometimes see cannonballs 20+ feet down
• stealth presentations matter more than ever
• leadcore and longer setbacks play larger roles
• UV and glow finishes help extend lure visibility range

Understanding these environmental shifts explains why lure design continues evolving even when classic profiles remain unchanged.

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How Spoon Names Are Born (and Why They Stick)

Every lure lineup has its legends, and Silver Streak is no exception.

One fan-favorite example discussed in the episode is the color Pink Panties, which earned its name from a family moment that turned into a long-running production staple.

Stories like that highlight something unique about Great Lakes trolling culture:

Many of the patterns anglers rely on today weren’t created in laboratories.

They were built on real boats, during real fishing days, with feedback from anglers who needed results, not marketing slogans.

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Choosing the Right Spoon Program for Your Goals

One of the best lessons from this episode applies beyond lure selection.

Before choosing presentations, ask yourself:

What do I want out of today’s trip?

Because your answer shapes your entire strategy.

Examples:

Want numbers fast?
→ Troll spoons and cover water

Want bigger fish?
→ Add meat rigs to the spread

Fishing solo for fun?
→ Experiment with new profiles and colors

Your expectations determine your tactics.

And your tactics determine your results.

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Final Thoughts: Presentation Beats Paint

Silver Streak’s biggest message for Great Lakes anglers is refreshingly simple:

Don’t overthink color.

Instead:

• match bait size
• adjust speed
• change setback distance
• stay versatile
• trust confidence patterns
• experiment when conditions shift

Those adjustments consistently outperform chasing the newest paint job alone.

If you build your trolling program around presentation first and color second, you’ll catch more fish across Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and beyond.

And that’s exactly what great fishing is all about.