joe wrote:
The spoon is a good choice, I would probably use silver (for various
reasons but mostly because it has produced many times for me). I
always
use a swivel/snap-swivel with a spoon to avoid line twist. I would
probably not do so with a lure as the extra weight will possibly
change
the lure balance or action. Using a few simple knots it takes less
than
a minute to make the change.

Good morning Joe!

Thanks for the info. I have a couple of follow-up questions:

1) Spoons: mine are the "weedless" type. Is that also ok in the surf
(I realize there is not much weed there, but it could save me the cost
of getting another one).
2) Spoons & weight: which size spoon should I choose? I mean - the
heavier, the further I can cast it, in particular in a windy day, but
heavier is also bigger, which might end up being too big for the fish.
Can I add weight to the leader by adding a couple of splint shot
sinkers or is the entire beach going to choke to death while laughing
at me :-)
3) a little off-topic here, but I still want to ask you. Is is really
that bad to fish with a swivel/snap when using a lure? I use Yo-Zuri
and Rapala Original Floating lures and while I do notice a difference
in behavior (it takes less pull to have them go deeper) it is slight.
I was under the impression that the problem with a swivel/snap is that
it is too *visible* for the fish, but my (maybe mistaken) commen sense
tells me that a fish seeing a lure with a lure on leader with a
swivel/snap will think that the lure is "chasing" the rest of the
hardware, I mean - this is a fish, not a PhD student from MIT, I am
trying to catch - I am really mistaken here?

On one hand, my only fishing book (-: unsurprizingly and adequately
called "Fishing for Dummies" :-) says that "some anglers use snaps for
changing lures or baits as well. This technique is a lazy person's way
out, and is definitely NOT the way to get the best action out of your
lure" while, on the other hand, local fishermen had told me that this
is simply "techno-snobism from purists" (and quote here). What do you
think?

Again - many thanks for everything!

TN

PS: please let me know if I should maybe get another type of spoon/lure!