Legendary DARDEVLE spoons – from pike to trout fishing

September 8, 2026 at 9:04 am, No comments

Eppinger is one of the oldest and most iconic names in the fishing world — and that’s no exaggeration. Ever since 1906, when Lou Eppinger created his first Dardevle spoon, these metal lures have become a classic that has withstood both the test of time and countless generations of anglers. Interestingly, at first the spoon was called Osprey, but the name was changed after World War I in honor of the U.S. Marines, whom the Germans had nicknamed Teufelhunden (Devil Dogs) and the Allies called Dardevle, after one of the most recognizable battles of that war at Belleau Woods. Despite the name change, Eppinger’s philosophy has remained the same: to create lures that work in any body of water, in any conditions, and for any angler. That’s exactly why the Dardevle series, with its many models, has become one of the most versatile and recognizable in the world.

Assault Lures offers the widest selection of Eppinger Dardevle in Europe. Of the ten models produced in total, six are currently available on assaultlures.eu: the classic Dardevle, the slightly smaller Dardevlet, as well as its weedless version and the Klicker version with added sound, plus the Imp, Spinnie, Midget and Lil Devle. At the moment, the smallest model Skeeter (1.8 g/2.3 cm) and the three heaviest models — Troll Devle (42 g/11.4 cm), Huskie Junior (57 g/11.4 cm) and Huskie Devle (92 g/14 cm) — are not available from us. Each model is designed for its target fish, but they all have the classic Dardevle action — a slow, wide side-to-side movement that almost makes it turn over, but always rights itself.

The spoons are available in many color variants, including ultraviolet paint (UV) and glow-in-the-dark paint (Glow). Although the range of finishes is very wide, the backs of all spoons come in only three colors — silver, gold, or bronze. In the lure description this appears as follows: Nickel Back (silver), Brass Back (gold) and Copper Back (bronze).

Dardevle is the king of this series, weighing 28 g and measuring 9.2 cm in length. It is the most sought-after spoon in North America for pike fishing, and in 120 years of existence it has caught more trophies than any other lure. It is made of 1.29 mm thick brass and has thicker edges and a thinner middle, which ensures a wide and heavy wobbling action even with a slow retrieve, making it ideally suited for the deeper spots of lakes and slow rivers when searching for trophy-size pike.

Dardevlet is Dardevle’s smaller and lighter brother — 21 g and 7.3 cm. Although smaller, it retains the same classic action as its big brother. This is the most popular version in the Baltic states, because its size also allows you to catch large perch. Ideal for both slow rivers and lakes, including shallow lakes such as Babite and Kanieris.

The Dardevlet model is also available in a weedless version and a Klickers version, where additional blades create sound and extra flash.

The weedless model is equipped with a single hook and two metal wires that provide the weedless function. It is a great solution for overgrown lake bays and weedy areas. All weedless spoons have a red feather as an additional attractor.

Dardevlet Klickers is made for situations where an extra stimulus is needed — sound, vibration and shine — to help attract predators in murky water or at times when they are more passive.

Dardevle Imp (11 g/5.7 cm) is an excellent perch spoon that often also attracts an occasional pike. It can also tempt a trout in a deeper and slower stretch of a small river.

Dardevle Spinnie (7 g/4.5 cm) starts the trout-spoon range, but it catches perch just as well. Although it is heavier than a standard small-river spoon, Spinnie is a great choice for deeper pools and situations where you need to convince a bigger trophy.

Dardevle Midget (5 g/3.5) and Lil Devle (3.5 g/2.8 cm) are the workhorses of trout rivers. In small rivers they catch trout and chub, and Lil Devle also catches grayling. They work great both in slow stretches and in fast runs, casting upstream and retrieving down. In deeper pools, after the cast you can wait a bit and let the spoon sink to also fish the bottom of the hole — the lure often attracts fish already during the descent.

Although spoon lures today are often unfairly forgotten, they are still among the simplest and most effective lures. Unlike many other Western manufacturers that produce their lures in China, Eppinger Dardevle have been made in the USA for more than 120 years — in Dearborn, Michigan, next to Detroit. This guarantees consistent quality that delights anglers all over the world.

Legendary DARDEVLE spoons – from pike to trout fishing

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