Spoonplugging Questions

[Loop_Dad]

Questions to those who is familiar with spoonplugging...

 

Does the 'Free Running - Bottom Bumping' Lures mean the same thing as what he calls 'Walking' Lures?

 

Are they basically anything sinks, except for bottom baits such as jigs and t-rigged worms?

 

Lures like lipless cranks, blade baits, spoons and spinner baits fall into this category?

 

Thanks.

[Nitrofreak]

"Spoonplugging" is by definition of Buck Perry , being in the right place at the right time , presenting your lures to catch fish consistently .

 

Many anglers I think mix this up with trolling , but if you follow Buck's lessons , the above description is actually what spoonplugging is .

 

Here is a video with Buck Perry using the spoonplug and educating some people on how and where to fish , an old one but I still enjoy it .

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvrfwu4CLfA&feature=player_detailpage

 

Another website you can get info from on this is

 

www.buckperry.com

[B@ssCrzy]

No.  The baits you mentioned are not spoonplugs.  Spoonplugs were a special lure that he developed that are supposed to be able to run at the same depth no matter what.  Because of this you will always know at what depth you are presenting your lure based on the lure size that you select.  You can get his spoonplugging course at buckperry.com and it has some helpful things in it.  I have the course and they send spoonplugs with it, but have never used them.  I mainly got it to learn about bass movement.  Although it has some good information in it, I think that Bill Murphy's book (In Pursuit of Giant Bass) has more helpful information.  I am only a 3rd of the way through it, but it is just packed with great info and seems to be more updated. 

[Loop_Dad]

I should have given more background of why I am asking this question. I am going through Buck Perry's Spoonplugging book right now about half way done. In that book some of the terminology he is using confused me. And I wanted to get clarification on his terms. They are:

 

'Free Running - Bottom Bumping' lures

'Walking' Lures

 

These are categories of lures he describes in the book. All I wanted to know was example of these categories of lures.

 

Other categories of lure he uses such as 'Jump' type lure is clear. (He means bottom bunching baits such as jigs and t-rigged plastic)

[Crestliner2008]

If I recall correctly, there are only two types of lure presentations. The "free running" type, which is basically going though the water column without touching structure (bottom). Then the "bottom bumping" presentation where you are actually in contact with the bottom most of the time. In the later case, you continually move your boat in toward the shoreline, or away from it, in order to "tick" the bottom and maintain that contact. This form of boat control basically "maps" the lake's bottom contours. Don't forget, this was during the dawn of our "fish finders". The most advance being the old flasher, the Lowrance "Green Box"!

 

Free running lures, such as spinnerbaits and some crankbaits are less effective than the bottom bumping presentations; such as billed crank baits like the Spoonplug, Mudbug and Hellbender, which are easier to maintain bottom contact with. Free runners are most effective once you've located a school of bass. Hope this not too confusing!

[Team9nine]

I should have given more background of why I am asking this question. I am going through Buck Perry's Spoonplugging book right now about half way done. In that book some of the terminology he is using confused me. And I wanted to get clarification on his terms. They are:

 

'Free Running - Bottom Bumping' lures

'Walking' Lures

 

These are categories of lures he describes in the book. All I wanted to know was example of these categories of lures.

 

Other categories of lure he uses such as 'Jump' type lure is clear. (He means bottom bunching baits such as jigs and t-rigged plastic)

 

Don't have the book right in front of me to see context, but short answer is yes, "free running, bottom bumping" and "walking lures" terminology are likely referring to the same thing. Beside the spoonplug, many of the diving baits such as hellbenders, bombers, and more recently DT-Series of baits, etc. would all fall in this category and have been used successfully by many spoonpluggers over the years. General guideline was in "deep" water, always fish the bottom, and these baits allowed for that, some better than others. Was kind of a big misconception, but even Buck stated, "you can 'Spoonplug' with any lure,"  so long as it will accomplish the necessary tasks. Lures are just tools, including the spoonplug. The one he designed just happened to be the most precise and specific one (tool) for covering all aspects of presentation (troll, cast, fast, slow, shallow, deep, etc.).

 

-T9

[Spoonplugger4Life]

  To help w/your question, "Lures like lipless cranks, blade baits, spoons and spinner baits". Negative, these lures will not be able to maintain their depth w/any speed, they would fall into the Jump Type Lures category, as they all rely on weight to achieve depth. A Free Running, Bottom Bumping Lure can maintain its depth at much faster speeds, ie: usually around 2-5 mph but can climb to 10+ mph... during the summer heat, that's why Buck says 'U have to check it out'.   The Description: Free Running-Bottom Bumping should be taken as one. Don't take it apart, the lure has to be capable of both, Running Free thru the water until contacting the Structure, & then Bumping the Structure w/out hanging until an increase in depth allows it to run free again. These Features are Built-In to the Spoonplug by Design. 

 

   From another Member, "Spoonplugs were a special lure that he developed that are supposed to be able to run at the same depth no matter what.  Because of this you will always know at what depth you are presenting your lure based on the lure size that you select.  You can get his spoonplugging course at buckperry.com and it has some helpful things in it.  I have the course and they send spoonplugs with it, but have never used them.  I mainly got it to learn about bass movement." 

 

     Spoonplugs Do Run at their Specified Depths to their Size & Line Length Used... nothing Supposed about it... U would know this if U ever got 'em wet. When U know how deep each & every Spoonplug runs, & know how to contour troll it correctly, U can draw your own map of the Structure being fished that will be more accurate than any depth finder can attempt to show U, since the Spoonplug doesn't suffer lag, or gps variation, or blind spots, etc.etc.  Buck Perry wasn't inducted into the Freshwater & B.A.S.S. Halls of Fame for Nothing,  He is recognized as the Father of Structure Fishing.

 

  From another Member, Don't forget, this was during the dawn of our "fish finders". The most advance being the old flasher, the Lowrance "Green Box"! 

 

  Actually, Buck & his Spoonplugs precede the Green Box by a Decade, approximately. Buck's Baits made the 1st Spoonplugs in 1946.  However he did actually work w/Carl Lowrance on the first "Depth Finder"! It was Lowrance's insisting on calling it a 'Fish Finder' that lead to their parting ways, as Buck said it couldn't tell the difference between a fish or any other object in the water. When Buck designed his own, it was known as a 'Structure Locator'. He always reminded us, that like so many other items in the boat, it is an Aid, & should only be used as such, your Spoonplug will tell U what is down there. Spoonpluggers will also turn off their Depth Finders to get back to basics, so they are Straining the Water Correctly! & They don't have to feel lost or go home if it doesn't work for whatever reason.

 

  My Fellow Indiana Spoonplugger has referred to one of my favorite Perry Quotes, "U can be Spoonplugging, w/out Using Spoonplugs!"  Try & get a comment like that from another lure manufacturer!!  Some of us prefer to fish for all Species of Game Fish, not limiting ourselves to 1 or 2.

 

  Really enjoying the Interest in Spoonplugging! & Apologies for some of the Corrections Guys, just trying to help w/accurate info on our Teacher/Mentor.

[Catt]

What I find interesting is during his class on structure fishing Buck never once mentioned or showed us a spoonplug!

[WRB]

Off topic somewhat.

My first memory of Buck Perry and Soonplugs was back in 1958 at the new Santa Monica Civic auditorium.

Mr Perry was a speaker at the Fred Hall Show that was their that year. Along with Mr. Perry was another pioneer Carl Lowrance had a booth show chasing his portable Fish Lo-K-Tor flasher unit powered by spring top dry cell batteries.

I was in high school, my brother was going in the Air Force in a few weeks and lake Casitas was opening to public fishing. We bought a Spoonplug kit and ordered a Fish-Lo-K-Tor. My brother reported for active duty before we had a chance to try out the Spoonplugs and the Lowrance unit didn't arrive for another 3 months.

When I got a chance to try out the Spoonplugs, didn't catch any bass until trying out another new lure the Bomber.

Long story shortened, never tried Spoonplugs after that and still have them. Never stopped using the Lowrance flasher until paper graphs came on the market nearly 20 years later.

Buck Perry may have defined structure fishing, Carl Lowrance changed bass fishing and brought structure fishing to the general fishing public.

The bottom line is follow Buck Perry's advice and use your sonar unit to keep your lures at the right location and depth.

Tom

[Spoonplugger4Life]

  I may have mis-spoken earlier, if that's what U believe Tom... Lowrance didn't bring Structure Fishing to anyone... (Like Columbus discovered America, & there were already people here?!) Lowrance  called it a Fish Locator Remember (Making fisherman Believe it's a Shortcut to Success)...   If U would have read & followed Buck's instructions, U could have & still can keep your Spoonplugs in the right place w/out the d**n depth finder.  It's ONLY an Aid, the Spoonplug is a Tool...A Huge Difference...

[Catt]

Buck's legacy is not Spoonplugs...its teaching structure fishing which is why the statement "you can be spoonplugging without using spoonplugs".

One can effectively fish structure with any lure!

Trolling was not made illegal in tournaments to prevent spoonpluggers from winning every tournament; it was made illegal because it was consider unsportsmanlike. While I was not personally there a good friend was, bet you never heard of Paul Keys?

Spoonplugs are just that...a tool!

I can overhaul my outboard with a crescent wrench, does make it the most efficient tool. What the depth finder did was eliminate the need to waste time and gas dragging a lure through unproductive water.

[smalljaw67]

I got to fish with a spoonplugger once, it is interesting but very similar to trolling for walleye, something I dislike. I'm not wishing to make light of it or make anyone mad but I don't like trolling, I've done it for walleye with a friend and I got to do it with a spoonplugger and aside from line and lure differences it is pretty much the same. What I like about bass fishing is the entire concept of finding the fish and then presenting them a lure that fools the fish into striking my lure and I use the lure most appropriate for the area I'm in. Trolling is basically letting out line to run a lure at a certain depth and then driving around until you get the lure close enough to a fish for it to bite, and when you find them you make a circle and then go through the school again, to me that is boring. I know there is a lot of skill in trolling correctly, it is a skill technique as it isn't easy maintaining the exact speed and course and there are other elements involved as well but it isn't for me and I think the cost of fuel and the rise of competitive bass fishing is why spoonplugging isn't as popular as it once was but there are a bunch of dedicated pluggers out there and to those I say good luck.

[Team9nine]

I'd like to add a couple comments to the discussion while we're still on the subject of Spoonplugging. They are in reference to two of the most common (what I would term) misunderstandings, that being the Perry/Lowrance/depthfinder relationship and why no trolling in bass tournaments. I've researched it a bit since I get to be a bit of a historian when it comes to bass fishing.

 

The first one about Perry helping invent the depthfinder. I think  a lot of this confusion comes from the relative timing of, and similar location to when both Spoonplugging and the Lowrance Lo-K-Tor first came on the scene in a very public way (media coverage). However, Ron Lindner interviewed Carl Lowrance back in 1977 for In'Fisherman magazine to verify what Ron and he had already discussed previously on the subject, and basically asked him for clarification. Here is Carl's response.

 

Ron Lindner: You once mentioned that Perry's structural theories tied in with your own thinking. Could you elaborate?

 

Carl Lowrance: "I met Perry about three years after I was selling Lo-K-Tors. I could read structure by that time and could see fish. When I first started building the instruments, I immediately bought three full sets of scuba gear and our own compressor...But that's how we came up with most of our theories - actually looking at the fish eyeball to eyeball. So I knew and learned of structure fishing before I ever heard of Buck Perry."

 

Ron Lindner: But after you met Perry, you began using his terminology, didn't you?

 

Carl Lowrance: "Yes, I picked it up. I wasn't really pushing hard for structure but I learned very early in the game. If I was going to fish for smallmouth bass or walleye, I hunted some structure. This is even more true for largemouth bass. You know, not many people know this, but I originally built the Lo-K-Tor for suspended fish such as crappie, white bass and channel cats...

 

This, by the way, is where the words "fish Lo-K-Tor" developed. I trademarked that back in 1957 and have used it ever since. Structure was a later outgrowth. We learned that bass hang around structure and we already knew walleye did and it just grew like Topsie."

 

 

As an aside, perhaps part of the reason for the confusion is that I have read newspaper accounts of his on water exploits that clearly document Buck using one of the portable locator units at least as far back as the mid 1960s, and that jives nicely with Carl's mentioning of meeting Buck a few years after he started selling the units. Also, I think many early sports editors also passed along the idea in those same stories that he must have helped invent it since in many parts of the country, people hadn't seen the units used yet. But like everything else, he simply viewed the depthfinder as just another "aid," and not a substitute for his process and methodology, which was developed long before Carl Lowrance ever invented the thing to begin with (1957).

 

On the subject of why no trolling allowed in tourneys. While I can't speak for all tourneys, I do know that Harold Sharp, BASS's original tournament director who worked extremely closely with Ray Scott on the many rules and regulations over the early years has stated that while they considered allowing trolling in their events, it ultimately came down to that technique not fitting into their format, that being one where every angler fished for himself against every other angler. To insure fairness and minimize cheating, individual anglers were randomly paired to the same boat for a day of competition. As such, they couldn't see how it would be fair to both anglers if they allowed trolling. For example, what if one angler wanted to troll while the other wanted to cast? What if one guy had proper trolling equipment and the other didn't bring any? How fair would it be to allow one guy to run their line a hundred feet down and back behind the boat while the other guy might try and cast? So to keep equality, and perhaps to keep tournament fishing a somewhat cast-for-cast, head-to-head competition, with everybody on a level playing field, they decided against allowing it.

 

Obviously I can't swear that either of these two men were telling the truth, but I can't see any reason why they would, and their explanations makes a lot more sense than some of the more outrageous personal or animosity based reasons you hear tossed about.

 

-T9

[Catt]

Ok lets make one thing perfectly clear right here right now!

Carl Lowrance did not invent the "depth finder"!

Sound Navigation And Ranging (SONAR) was first patented by English meterorologist Lewis Richardson in 1912. The Canadian engineer Reginald Fessenden built an experimental system in 1912 and it was later tested in Boston Harbor by the U.S. Revenue (now Coast Guard) in 1914.

Carl Lowrance was a disigner and manufacturer os Sonar, GPS, and aviation instruments (the little dials). In 1957 he transistorized a sonar unit that was compact, lightweight, and contained its own batteries.