I like to use 3/4 ounce Hopkin's Shorty's in either gold or chrome. I use on casting gear with fairly heavy Flouro line (17 lb Vanish for me) It's a good idea to use a swivel of some kind to prevent line twist.
Drop the spoon right off the side of the boat and let it settle to the bottom. Engage reel and snap briskly up 4 to 8 feet, let settle and snap, let settle and snap. Although you can feel bites occasionally on the fall, more times than not you will set the hook on one of the upward snaps.
There is no quicker way to put smallies in the boat when they are on the spoon!