spoonplugging muskies...

I was doing some reading about spoon plugging and all I really could find is pretty much your obvious ideas as far as getting deeper to find the fish etc. Anyone have any input on this technique?

check SPOONPLUGGERS.NET WEB SITE POST YOUR QUESTION ALSO CHECK THERE VIDEOS THIS IS FISHING AT ITS BEST

I actually have fished with the bigger perry spoonplugs before and you are right. Those suckers dig deep and have incredible vibration. I havent suck one with em yet but ill keep working them when the opportunity arises. We did do some trolling last weekend since the weather was weird. We ended up using the bigger sized jakes and giant thundersticks. We caught a few small pike and one ski that was 30" class. I also wanted to say thanks for the tip about trolling with rod tips in the water. It works pretty well. We also troll with rod in hand due to the heavy wood we drag our lures through. One thing I did find as a disadvantage when using the spoonplugs is that due to them not being bouyant at all, its a little more difficult to keep them from snagging up in the stumps. With using other floating lures, sometimes youre able to give em slack for a second and the lure will float up far enough were you avoid snagging. Tight lines and thanks for the tips and info.

One more thing to add. The original and purist spoonpluggers to this day usually only troll a spoonplug with one rod, in hand, and bumping structure on the bottom break lines. It is very effective. In contrast a bunch of us guys in Southern Wisconsin troll with 3 lines in rod holders. It has been our experience that the spoonplug gets hit 2 to 1 and out fishes all other lures in the rod holders. That just tells you how special these lures are. You have to see them and use them to appreciate the vibration and action of the spoonplug.

Thanks alot for the info guys. Yeah. Buck was def an innovator and its awesome that he shared his passion with the rest of us. Knowledge is the key to being successful in the sport we all love. Ill be sure to get my hands on some of his books as soon as possible.

plugger4, great essay on Buck Perry. The only thing I can add is amen!!!!

Plugger 4, Good historical and practical info. you provided. Buck Perry is indeed a fishing structure pioneer and legend. FYI......The reason we need to place our rod tips in the water in Southern Wisconsin is due to the floating milfoil on the surface of most of our lakes. The rod tips collect the milfoil rather than the line catching the stuff and fowling up our trolled lures. As they say, now you know the rest of the story!

I cannot imagine Y they feel the need to stick their rod tips in the water?! LOL! Maybe some old habits, or something they have seen on some TV Shows?!! That would only be about another layer of line off the reel, & the could sit back & relax! lol. When trolling Spoonplugs, & Zero-ing in on the Structure, Raising or Lowering the rod can make the difference between Bumping & Not... but still that can be done above water... Buck does tell a story about a School following a hooked fish to the boat due to the other fishermans equipment being to light to handle the fish, & After Buck has netted the hooked fish but doesn't lift it out of the water, he employs the figure 8 w/his, hooking one of his own, & then lifts the net w/2 fish, (Bass) as the School Spooks w/the lifting of the net... just one occurrence I can recall of Mr.Perry sticking rod tip in water. Sorry these posts seem to be in reverse order... start at the bottom & read UP...

Buck developed the Spoonplug in 1946, w/Tin Snips & Beer Cans in the Boat, he could see the shape in his head... the 1st Spoonplug he developed, & worked out all problems to get it to 'Run' to his intention, was & still is, 3 & 3/4" long & referred to as the 100 Spoonplug. It will run & maintain a depth of 12'-15' deep w/90'- 120' of No-Bo Line out. No-Bo Line is a Monofilament also developed by Buck, & has the Stretch removed, Color metered ever 30' so U know how much U have let out. No-Bo is available in 12, 17, & 20# Tests. No-Bo is incredibly strong for its rating! The Next Spoonplug is the 200, 3" long, & runs 9'- 12' deep w/same line lengths. followed by the 250 2&1/2" running (6'-9') 400 2" runs (4'-6') & then a 500 which is only 1.5" & runs (2'-4') deep. After these original 5, he developed the 700 & 800 series spoonplugs, which are 4" & 5" respectively, & run (15'- 20') & (20'- 25') deep. If we need to go deeper, we switch to wire trolling line. Yes, the Size of the Spoonplug does not follow in order of size or depth, it was due to their order of development. Another Amazing feature of the Spoonplug is that it is Still being made today! That is Standing the Test of Time.

I was doing some reading about spoon plugging and all I really could find is pretty much your obvious ideas as far as getting deeper to find the fish etc. Anyone have any input on this technique? : When Mr. Perry was developing the Spoonplugging Techniques, over a half century ago..., going deeper wasn't so Obvious to the fishing crowd. What is Obvious, is that U have never read his Educational Materials... which I highly recommend to any & every one that fishes. U will Never find another Single greater source of fishing knowledge than Mr. Perry & his educational materials, "Spoonplugging." In 1973, he wrote the 1st Textbook on Fishing, "Spoonplugging Your Guide to Lunker Catches". Expanding on that in 1981 w/his "Home Study Guide", a 9 Volume Workbook (like a College Course). Buck being ever the teacher, if U are unable to answer the questions at the end of each book, U need to re-read the material. His Spoonplugs, a Tool to Map the lake bottom, or area being fished, are only Tools... there is now magic vibration or action to them... the Knowledge is the Key! Buck Said "U can be Spoonplugging w/out using Spoonplugs." Most Profound Statement ever made by any lure manufacturer... try & get another manufacturer one to repeat that! W/just a lil research, U should have no problem finding these, Still available from his company in Hickory, NC. under BuckPerry.com I am in no way affiliated w/the company, & do not receive anything for pointing U in the direction U inquired about in your post. I am a Spoonplugger, & having experienced my best fishing following his teachings, & Sharing the Knowledge is just part of it.

A lot of us guys in Southern Wis. troll with spoonplugs with excellent results. For Muskie we use the larger sizes, 800 series, 700 series and 100 series(not a misprint the 100's are for some reason the 3rd biggest size) The spoonplugs dive deep so you dont need to put out a lot of line. Most of the time we put out anywhere from 10' to 25' of line or more when out deeper. These metal baits have an incredible wobble & vibration to them which really draws in the fish. They come in all sizes and will catch anything from panfish, bass, walleye to Tarpon. A real, bonifide fish magnet! The Buck Perry Spoonpluggers(named for the founder of the spoonplug) group will troll with this lures and when they catch a fish it is not unusual for them to stop at that spot and start casting them. As Muskynut said the split rings and hooks on these have to be replaced before using them for muskie since the hooks are way too thin and the split rings way too flimsey to hold big muskies. Always have to back off on the drag when trolling also. You can PM me if you would like more info.

All the guys that I know spoonplug for muskies do so with about 8 to 10 ft of line out and the rod tips into the water. Remember to beef up your hooks and split rings before you heading out to target muskies. Some of those muskie are big enough to straighten that hardware out. muskytroller on this board uses sponplugs and can offer more advise.