Buck Perry Books

[Mottfia]

hey Guys,

   I was reading where some of the top deep water guys like Catt were suggesting to read Mr. "Buck" Perry's books. Does anyone know where I can find them?

[CWB]

Here you go: http://www.buckperry.com/

When all else fails I always try spoonplugging.

Got my P.B. Musky of 52" trolling a 700 Red/Black Scallop off the deep weed edge with boats all around fishing and skiing. Some of the skiers got back in the boat when they saw me land it.

[wavewalker]

the .father of structure .some of the older ones know about this.

[flechero]

the .father of structure .some of the older ones know about this.

Some of us old guys are still under 40!  

[grimlin]

Here you go: http://www.buckperry.com/

When all else fails I always try spoonplugging.

Got my P.B. Musky of 52" trolling a 700 Red/Black Scallop off the deep weed edge with boats all around fishing and skiing. Some of the skiers got back in the boat when they saw me land it.

Can you explain what spoonplugging is? Exactly how does it work? I'm guessing very similar to a crankbait with an action like a spoon?

[Garnet]

It will be the most difficult read and the most important of your fishing Education. Most people get caught up in the trolling and can't get the info moved to modern day equipment.

Pay attention how the bass move threw the seasons and what is important to fish.

Garnet

[Catt]

My suggestion would be to start with Structure Situations first  

[Catt]

One can find quite a bit of information by Buck by simply searching the internet here are some examples.

http://www.americaoutdoors.com/fishing/features/perry/structure_as_guide.html

http://www.fishnmap.com/structured/Structure-Fishing-Guide.pdf

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1159240261

[LooksLikeSinbad]

Got my P.B. Musky of 52" ... Some of the skiers got back in the boat when they saw me land it.

That is awesome! LOL I can picture you holding the fish up smiling with the skiers scrambling to get back on their boats in the background.

[BassinBoy]

Here you go: http://www.buckperry.com/

When all else fails I always try spoonplugging.

Got my P.B. Musky of 52" trolling a 700 Red/Black Scallop off the deep weed edge with boats all around fishing and skiing. Some of the skiers got back in the boat when they saw me land it.

;D

[mackkie]

Wow, i just read the links that Catt posted.  I bought a boat over a year ago and its a big transition from fishing from the shore.  I have been trying to find some reading as to how to use my fish finder and look for structure.  These articles (especially the second link) has really opened my eyes...Thanks for sharing Catt!

As i have gradually started learning, i cant just keep pounding the shore line with my boat, like i did when i first got it .  Great articles like this really help me understand how to fish new areas i am unfamiliar with more effectively.

[fishfordollars]

There is an autographed copy of Buck's Spoonplugging on ebay that ends tonight. It was sitting at about 10.00 yesterday afternoon.

I loaned my copy of Buck's Structue fishing out to my son a while back and have not seen it since. Gonna have to replace it.

Well it's up to 27.50 this morning.

Found a 1979 reprint on ebay this morning. Unsigned with a buy it now price of 12.71

[Spoonplugger4Life]

Hello All! Just bumped into this question, & wanted to let U know that Buck's Baits is still kickin'! Since 1946! U can find it at BuckPerry.com, & if U like the green book, Spoonplugging Your Guide to Lunker Catches. Also check out the 9 Volume Study Guide, it is the book, expanded. the Greatest single source of fishing knowledge U will find anywhere. 2 Halls of Fame should say something. Good Reading, Good Fishing! Spoonplugger4Life

[Long Mike]

Mottfia,  Buck' Perry's books were written well before you were born, but the basics of structure fishing still apply to this day.  Way back then, Buck didn't have the luxury of the electronics we have today, so he used his  "spoons" to FEEL  the structure.  These days, some of his theories have been proven wrong, but that man knew how to  use structure and cover to find fish.

[J Francho]

Buck's writings were crucial to me learning how to fish for smallies in Lake Ontario.  Many would probably laugh at me, but I spent a lot of time trolling for smallmouths.  Spoonplugging isn't totally about trolling spoonplugs, but it is a very efficient means to an end, which is finding location.  I haven't read him in over 10 years or so, but I recall his books getting me to think more about why some spots were better than others, how baitfish moved using routes or highways, and where bass would likely set up shop in a lake.  The books are definitely worth the time reading.  I need to go back and read again.

[Sam]

Your posts highlight the need for all of us to obtain books, videos, DVDs and magazines and read the articles.

Also, go to the pros' web sites and read their articles and suggestions.

Buck Perry is a legend in our industry.

Everyone needs to secure the book and read it plus visit his web site.

Catt, great post, as usual.  

[Crestliner2008]

I read Perry's book back in the '60's when he first started to publish his findings. I still that book and it's well worn with many highlighted sections and phrases. I still return to it from time to time when the fishing gets tough. I'm not sure if you can really call yourself a structure fisherman, unless you have read him. Makes you kinda laugh when people, who "think" they know, call something structure!

[CWB]

Here you go: http://www.buckperry.com/

When all else fails I always try spoonplugging.

Got my P.B. Musky of 52" trolling a 700 Red/Black Scallop off the deep weed edge with boats all around fishing and skiing. Some of the skiers got back in the boat when they saw me land it.

Can you explain what spoonplugging is? Exactly how does it work? I'm guessing very similar to a crankbait with an action like a spoon?

Spoonplugging is more of a Philosophy than a technique. Buck Perry's

method was to troll starting shallow and switching baits and moving progressively deeper. A spoonplug is basically a metal crankbait. There are several sizes and each one dives to a specific depth. I often use crankbaits to troll, mostly for Pike and Musky when bass aren't going or when boat traffic makes any other way of fishing impossible.

Check links:

http://www.spoonplugger.net/

http://www.buckperry.com/index.php

I think if you call or email they will send you a booklet that puts it in simple terms. Spoonplugging is a religion in some parts of the country.

Zona did a show on Lake Erie on spoonplugging.

Hope this helps.

[Paul Roberts]

The links Catt provided offer a good synopsis of the concepts BP introduced, and some controversy that has surfaced since.

As Roger (RoLo) brought up in the third link, telemetry has shown that not all bass move from "deep to shallow" to feed. This is true.

Catt provided a pretty good response:

There are two types for a lack of a better word of bass. Those bass that are shore line (shallow) related and those bass that live on the main lake (deep). Buck Perry simply put a spot light on a portion of the lake few people understand and made the likes of a Tommy Martin, Larry Nixon, Paul Elias, David Fritts & many others correct his theories. Now we know that deep water fish are not that difficult or impossible to catch, you will however need to understand a few things electronics and contour maps Ect.

To take it further, telemetry has highlighted just how adaptable bass are; that they do what works depending on what the environment offers. If habitat provides what bass need (food, cover, security) they'll likely occupy it, and many will develop small home ranges. But, bass appear to be adaptable enough that other groups, often within the same water body, are mobile, or transient, never tied down to a limited home range. Such fish are known to exist in everything from massive waters to small ponds.

Some bass populations do make daily feeding movements (not migrations as that's really something different) from deep to shallow. But due to restrictions of the gas bladder, these movements are not likely as the figures in the first link show daily movements from 40 to 15 feet. Likely these fish that appear at 15 feet to feed made a more or less horizontal movement from a suspended position over the depths, made a more or less parallel movement along a contour or two, or, simply moved out from within that 15foot weedline to feed as is common in vegetated natural lakes.

Taking this even further, in some (relatively rare) cases structure use isn't considered a consistent locational factor for some bass populations (there are cases with both LM and SM). These waters tend to be steep-sided (narrow littoral area) with pelagic prey. In these waters, bass use littoral areas to spawn and then remain offshore and not consistently related to structure or cover the rest of the year. Many SM in the steep-sided Finger Lakes of NY and in some Canadian shield lakes are known to follow pelagic prey fishes that don't generally relate to structure.

Here's a quote from an interesting study on LM in a particular Florida pit, ... Pelagic areas were utilized night and day, and year-round, except during the spawning season. The majority of these locations were in the open water limnetic zone not associated with any structural habitat. ... Using conventional wisdom they suggested, If largemouth bass have a mobile lifestyle due to a lack of attractive habitat, then offering habitat may allow them to assume a more sedentary habit. This would allow the fish to be more accessible to anglers, who often fish near structural habitat. So, the managers added fish attractors (cover), but the bass showed no particular preference to them. They concluded that the pelagic prey kept the bass mobile. They also suggested that creating habitat for more sedentary prey species (sunfish) would require massive physical manipulation (creation of flats) and then the addition of cover the creation of structure and cover and food sources more in line with what anglers expect. They concluded that angler education on the nature of this particular lake was most cost effective.

The key point is: Bass are highly adaptable, and are capable of conforming to what the environment offers. Since water bodies can vary considerably, bass habits can too. And, not all bass in a given water body operate in the same way.

J Francho wrote:

Many would probably laugh at me, but I spent a lot of time trolling for smallmouths.

Lake Ontario has vast areas of good smallmouth habitat. Trolling, esp from a yak, makes perfect sense.

[Catt]

Excellent Paul but one must also keep in mind that relating to structure does not mean the bass are sitting on the bottom; the structure can be located in 60' while the bass relating to that structure can be suspended at 30'. On any piece of structure when given enough depth one may find bass at or near the surface, suspended at any depth, and on the bottom.

In deep water bass located near the surface will not always stay near the surface indefinitely and the same goes for suspended bass. While the bass move from deep water to shallow water to feed their movements once they reach the shallow water will still be controlled by contour lines, breaks, and break lines.

Advancements in electronic telemetry and electronic technologies has enhanced what Buck taught rather than caused controversy by furthering what he believed to be true.

Example: Structure located at depths of hundreds of feet on ocean floors still attract and hold fish even though the fish are not on the bottom.

Trolling for fish is highly productive which is why it's not allowed in bass tournaments  

[Paul Roberts]

While the bass move from deep water to shallow water to feed their movements once they reach the shallow water will still be controlled by contour lines, breaks, and break lines.

Excellent point. Also, there are certainly details within those "pelagic" areas that anglers can exploit, as the bass are doing the same. Healthy prey is generally difficult to catch. Bass exploit any advantage -that's what anglers are looking for too.

The oddest one to me is Finger Lakes smallies, that can be found 10 to 40 feet down over 200 to 600 feet of water, chasing alewives.

[Catt]

While the bass move from deep water to shallow water to feed their movements once they reach the shallow water will still be controlled by contour lines, breaks, and break lines.

Excellent point. Also, there are certainly details within those "pelagic" areas that anglers can exploit, as the bass are doing the same. Healthy prey is generally difficult to catch. Bass exploit any advantage -that's what anglers are looking for too.

The oddest one to me is Finger Lakes smallies, that can be found 10 to 40 feet down over 200 to 600 feet of water, chasing alewives.

Example: Structure located at depths of hundreds of feet on ocean floors still attract and hold fish even though the fish are not on the bottom.

These structures are often 1,000' with fish holding near the surface, example Marlin, Sailfish, or Swordfish

Never underestimate the power of structure