Spoonplugs are back in the limelight.

[Red Childress]

With the latest PMTT winners' success trolling spoon plugs, it is interesting to note that those same "old spoon plugs" (Buck Perry's creation and still sold) used to be some of the hottest trolling baits for Chautauqua Lake. My partner does not hear much about them being used anymore on CLake but you can bet there are still a few 'old schoolers' dragging them around and banging fish.

I find it amusing that a chunk of bent metal with eyes and hooks attached can help a 7yr. old and his father win the World Musky Championships. Pretty darn cool, IMO.

To see the spoonplug, just google "Buck Perry"..........

[Muskiekid]

One of the best days that I ever had fishing for Tiger Muskies (there were no Naturals locally) in Maryland was trolling Spoonplugs at Little Seneca Lake in Maryland. I got three that day.

Spoonplugs: Many people know what they are but few use them the way for which they were designed by Buck Perry. All they do is drag them in back of their boat in place of other lures. However, they are more than just "another lure" packaged in a fancy box. They were designed as search tools (lures) before the advent of depthfinders and other eletronic equipment. Each lure was of different size/weight in order to make them work at certain depths. They really do that with the only downsides are that because of their metal construction sink rather than rise when getting hung up and they get hung up easily in weedy lakes. Better carry a serious plugknocker in those kind of locations.

Arguably, his book: "Spoonplugging-your way to lunker catches" was the best structure how-to guide ever written (Roland Martin made this statement at a seminar I attended). Although written over 50 years ago, most of his methods about "scientific fishing" still are true today. His books told you how to locate the fish while his "tools" (Spoonplugs) got you to the areas where the fish were present. Use these lures in a typical structure type reservoir with no weeds, etc. and they really do work.

The book is still available (as are the baits from Buck's Baits) and used in conjunction with a depthfinder will make any angler that really uses the methods a better fisherman.