The Spoonpluggers Forum

I have spent the last year applying my rudimentary understanding of Spoonplugging to the new, advanced electronics. My conclusion… the new electronics are a game changing tool. When you combine structure fishing knowledge with the new electronics, it can put you on the fish…faster.

I have two videos attached… one from a feeder stream cut situation and one from an offshore hump situation.

The feeder creek opens to the main channel at 57 feet of muddy bottom, and the contact point started to rise from 55-48ft…then a sharp rocky ledge to about 30 feet to the shallows. These fish were at the contact point.

The hump situation started off of a bar that dropped into 36 feet of water. It rose to 17ft and dropped back down into mid 30’s into a flat. This school seemed to relate to the top of the hump, but definitely preferred hanging out by the sharpest break to the deepest water, which was toward the opposite side of the saddle/bar.

For me, this was a new lake, and this was all discovered by Navionics HD maps, StructureScan, and HDS Gen2 StructureMap. Also, I believe the new electronics can open up new structures that might not be so friendly to trolling.

View the two video attachments to see the LM bass in action!

Hump: Feeder: Deep bass school at the feeder cut situation... (ignore the year on the date in the pictures and videos)
School at the hump...

Did you catch any or just take pictures?

I happen to agree. But we must remember that a person with $20,000 in modern electronics but no guidelines is lost nearly 100% of the time. A person with no electronics at all but knows and uses our guidelines will always do better. However...

A person who knows, understands, and uses the guidelines along with modern electronics really does shorten the learning curve of new water. They don't by themselves catch more fish but certainly help narrow the trolling water from the fishing water.

But I still like my flashers too.

Bink wrote:Did you catch any or just take pictures?

I got a couple, but I think people might be suprised how hard it is to get bass to hit, even after you've definitely located them. Also, after catching Bass out of 54ft of water, they bloat really fast and you can see their air bladder start coming out of the gullet. I just nose dive them back in as fast as I can, so I don't have to fizz them for barotrauma.

a person with $20,000 in modern electronics but no guidelines is lost nearly 100% of the time. A person with no electronics at all but knows and uses our guidelines will always do better. However...

A person who knows, understands, and uses the guidelines along with modern electronics really does shorten the learning curve of new water.

Fran.... very well said...! That statement should be in the book.

Bryan,
Always like your pics and your posts. Those look like some huge bass!
It is good to see you get away from Pleasant and go elsewhere.
Looks like either Saguaro or Canyon?
You just keep applying all that Buck taught and add your E-take to what you are doing. While i agree with what Fran wrote,we all learn differently and at different rates. What works for one person doesnt for another. Many people have trouble "seeing" what is down there. Some "get" it faster than others, especially downstairs. If we were all the same, then we would all be robots!
FWIW
If you bring those bass up very slowly from those depths, it doesnt seem to over inflate the bladders as bad.
It is a problem out here in these lakes with our very deep breaklines.
I still think the jury is out on whether our not fizzing helps or hurts.
Steve

Yep - that is Sag. I like that lake! Plez is still trouble for me.