Finding a good system for salmon spoon storage can be the difference between getting a line in the water at sunrise or spending twenty minutes untangling a "birds nest" of treble hooks while the fish are actually biting. If you've spent any time on the Great Lakes or the Pacific coast trolling for kings or coho, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Salmon spoons are incredibly effective, but they are also absolute magnets for each other. You put two of them in a standard tackle tray, and by the time you hit the first wave, they've formed a pact to never let go of one another.
It's not just about the frustration of the tangle, though. Good storage is actually about protecting your investment. High-quality salmon spoons aren't exactly cheap these days, especially the ones with fancy UV tapes, hand-painted glow patterns, or genuine silver plating. If they're rattling around in a plastic bin, the hooks are constantly scratching the finish off the neighboring spoons. Over time, those beautiful lures start to look like they've been dragged behind a truck on a gravel road.
The Problem with Standard Tackle Boxes
Most of us start out using those classic clear plastic utility trays. They're great for crankbaits or jigs, but for thin, fluttering salmon spoons, they're kind of a nightmare. Because the spoons are so flat and the hooks are usually relatively large trebles, they slide under each other and hook onto the split rings of the spoon next to them.
I can't tell you how many times I've reached for a specific "Green Onion" or "Blue Dolphin" pattern only to pull up a clump of six lures. Not only is it annoying, but it's also a safety hazard. When you're trying to shake them apart on a rocking boat, it's only a matter of time before a hook finds your thumb instead of the lure it was meant for. That's why moving toward a dedicated salmon spoon storage setup is a game-changer for any serious angler.
Vertical Storage Boxes
If you talk to the guys who spend forty days a summer on the water, you'll notice many of them use vertical storage containers. These are often deep boxes with internal dividers that allow the spoons to hang vertically.
The beauty of this setup is that the hooks hang down away from the body of the lure. Many of these boxes use a foam or plastic grid at the top or bottom to keep things separated. When you open the lid, you see the "heads" of all your spoons lined up like soldiers. You can grab exactly the one you want without touching any of the others.
The only real downside to these is their size. They can be bulky and take up a lot of room in a small boat. But if you have the deck space or a dedicated locker, hanging storage is probably the most efficient way to keep a large collection organized and accessible.
The Magic of Spoon Wallets and Rolls
For the shore angler or the guy who hitches a ride on a friend's boat, portability is king. This is where spoon wallets come in. A spoon wallet usually consists of a soft outer shell with thick foam pages on the inside. You simply press the hook into the foam, and the body of the spoon lies flat against it.
I've found that wallets are the best way to prevent "hook rash"—that's the scuffing and scratching that happens when lures rub together. Because each spoon is pinned to the foam, it stays exactly where you put it.
Another variation is the spoon roll. It's similar to a tool roll for wrenches. You place the spoons in individual clear pockets and then roll the whole thing up. It's incredibly compact, and since the pockets are clear, you can see your entire "menu" of lures at a glance. It's a very low-profile salmon spoon storage option that fits perfectly into a backpack or a side pocket of a larger gear bag.
DIY Solutions That Actually Work
You don't always have to go out and buy a specialized commercial product. Some of the best salmon spoon storage ideas I've seen came from guys who spent ten dollars at a hardware store.
One popular DIY method involves using pool noodles or pipe insulation. You can cut a pool noodle to the length of a plastic bin and glue it down. Then, you just cut small slits into the foam. You can tuck the hooks into the slits, and the spoons will stay upright and separated. It's cheap, it's effective, and it's actually quite gentle on the lures.
Another clever trick is using small binder clips. I once saw a guy who had a shallow tackle tray and clipped each spoon to the divider using a tiny metal binder clip. It kept them from sliding around, though it was a bit of a hassle to unclip them every time he wanted to change lures. Still, it kept his "high-end" spoons in pristine condition.
Organizing by Color and Light
Once you have your physical storage figured out, you need to think about how you're going to categorize them. Most salmon hunters organize their salmon spoon storage based on the lighting conditions they expect to face.
I like to keep my "first light" spoons in one section. These are the heavy glows—the lures that look like they're powered by batteries after you hit them with a UV flashlight. As the sun comes up, I move to my "transition" spoons, which might have a bit of glow but rely more on bright oranges and chartreuse. Finally, I have my "high sun" section, filled with chrome, silver, and crushed glass patterns that catch the midday light deep in the water column.
By organizing this way, you aren't hunting through eighty spoons to find a specific color while the morning bite is peaking. You know exactly which "page" or "row" to look at based on what the sun is doing.
Maintenance and Long-Term Storage
The biggest enemy of your spoons isn't actually the fish—it's rust and corrosion. Even if you're fishing fresh water like Lake Michigan, you're dealing with moisture that gets trapped in your tackle box. If you fish the salt, it's ten times worse.
A huge mistake many people make with their salmon spoon storage is closing the lid on a wet box. If you put a wet spoon back into a sealed plastic container, you're basically creating a little sauna that will rust your hooks and dull your finishes overnight.
I always try to keep a "drying tray" on the boat. It's just an open-top container where I put lures after I take them off the line. At the end of the day, I make sure they are completely dry before they go back into their permanent home. If I've been fishing in saltwater, I give the used spoons a quick rinse with fresh water and a pat down with a towel. It sounds like a lot of work, but it'll save you a fortune in replacement hooks and lures over the long run.
Final Thoughts on Staying Organized
At the end of the day, there's no single "perfect" way to handle salmon spoon storage because everyone's fishing style is different. What works for a charter captain with 400 spoons won't make sense for a weekend warrior with 20 favorites.
The key is to find a system that keeps your hooks sharp, your finishes shiny, and your fingers safe. Whether you go with a high-end hanging box, a compact foam wallet, or a homemade pool noodle setup, just make sure it's something you can use quickly when the fish are hitting. After all, the best place for a salmon spoon isn't in a box—it's in the mouth of a 20-pound king.